Attala County MSGenWeb

Dodd Cemetery
Submitted by Garland Boyd, Jr.

Garland writes: "This cemetery is listed on the current Attala County Cemeteries webpage as the "Gowan-Dodd Cemetery". It has always been known as the Dodd cemetery, since it is located in the former front yard of the William Dodd plantation home site. It originated in 1849, when William Dodd's 10-year-old son (George Allen) accidently shot himself with a rifle he had received at Christmas four days earlier. The family buried him in the front yard, and other members of the family were added as deaths occurred.

William W. Dodd was a native of Virginia and came to Attala County with his brother Allen in the 1830's. He was Attala County's first Representative in the State Legislature, and he named the town of Kosciusko (His grandfather, John Dodd, had served under General Kosciuszko during the Revolutionary War.)

William Dodd's father (George Allen Dodd), and brother (Allen Dodd) and many other descendants are buried in nearby Cunnahoma Cemetery.

The Dodd Cemetery is enclosed in a wrought iron fence, and contains 11 graves (one of which I cannot identify, since the only marker is a metal funeral home card holder with no inscription.) The Gowan's buried there are Fannie (William Dodd's daughter), her husband, and two of their daughters. There are also two Massey children-- I do not know their connection with the Dodd's.

Here is a listing of the 10 identified graves in the cemetery (Information in brackets is furnished to further identify these individuals):"

(Garland Boyd, Jr., great grandson of William W. and Martha F. Dodd.)

George Allen Dodd	son of William W. and Martha F. Dodd	b. 05/04/1839	d. 12/29/1849	-
William W. Dodd	b. 03/16/1806	Mercer Co., KY	d. 08/12/1874	-
Martha F. Dodd	daughter of Mangus Simerson Teague	wife of William W. Dodd	b. 08/06/1823	d. 08/27/1879
David L. Dodd	son of William W. and Martha F. Dodd	b. 11/02/1843	d. 01/07/1886	-
Fannie Dodd Gowan	daughter of William W. and Martha F. Dodd	wife of Jessie C. Gowan	b. 11/30/1855	d. 01/30/1937
Jessie C. Gowan	b. 09/24/1842	d. 02/06/1928	-	-
Mary D. Gowan	daughter of Jessie and Fannie D. Gowan	b. 08/05/1895	d. 09/12/1895	-
Mattie M. Gowan	daughter of Jessie and Fannie D. Gowan	b. 03/29/1875	d. 10/11/1890	-
Mary C. Massey	daughter of J.H. and L.M. Massey	b. 01/12/1905	d. 01/13/1895	-
Oscar F. Massey	son of J.H. and L.M. Massey	b. 08/25/1894	d. 02/21/1905	-

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