The Find a Grave website indicates that Lemuel Turner was born on an “old family homestead just east of Capper Road” in Jacksonville, Florida.  Yesterday, I trekked over to find this area and to weed through the cemetery where he and his family are buried. Not knowing where I was going, I met Kenneth Rodgers who lived along the cemetery road.  When asked about a long-lost cemetery in the area, he was quick to point me toward its direction saying it may be so overgrown I wouldn’t be able to get in.  I told him I’d take my chances and I did.

Dead end street

Rodgers said that the field gets cut from time-to-time but generally speaking,  the cemetery stays overgrown and uncared for. Such was the case when I drove to the dead-end of the road and parked.  There was a partial fence around a wooded field and yard waste right where one might walk into the cemetery. At first glance, it just looked like a pretty, wooded field but upon a closer look, there was a wooden cross rotting from age in the middle of the overgrown field.  To get in, I walked around the edges to find a break in the foliage and fencing and headed towards the cross.

Lem Turner ( Find a Grave photo).

The greenery was thigh-deep so I picked up a stick along the way to ward off any long and slivery animal.  Thankfully, I did not see one  but I was semi-prepared and did walk slowly and cautiously.

It is called the “Pickett Cemetery” . It has other grave names as well.

To the left of the cross were actual gravestones, one being that of Lemuel Turner.  Turner was born June 6, 1834 and died March 24, 1912.  The cemetery is called “Pickett Cemetery” and located on a dead-end street on the Northside of Jacksonville. Turner was known for owning and operating a ferry on the Trout River.  Too, he operated a lumber yard.  Once known as Turner Ferry Road, the now called “Lem Turner Road” is a busy area north of the city. 

Find a Grave photo of Lemuel Turner’s stone.

Turner and his family before him lived on property some 650 acres now called the “Highlands” area. Turner had at least 6 brothers and sisters and 8 children.  He is buried next to is wife, Sarah Ann Pickett Turner and at least 2 of his children. His other children are buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Edgewood Cemetery and Ogilvie Cemetery.

The cemetery had other grave stones in the center back  with such names as Pickett and in one area an actual decorative gated section. I did not go in but looked over into the multiple grave stones inside the probably about 20  x 20 fenced area.

A fenced off area inside the cemetery completely over grown.

The things I loved about the cemetery was that the name of Jesus was on so many of the tombstones with some scriptures and crosses galore.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Find a Grave, Kenneth Rodgers, Personal visit to the grave site.