CEMETERIES

PRESSLEY - HELMS CEMETERY
Union County, North Carolina
Submitted by Jim Neal

The Pressley Cemetery

Also known as the Pressley-Helms Cemetery, it is located about ½ mile off the Weddington Rd. (old Hwy 84) outside Monroe, Union County, North Carolina.  The cemetery is in a fenced enclosure surrounded by trees.  The enclosure is in the center of an 85 acre farm.
 
Very few headstones are in their original place as vandals have caused considerable damage. A vast majority of these stones are either chipped, broken, in a pile on the ground or leaning against a tree. 

According to family tradition, the cemetery is on property farmed by Andrew C. Pressley.

Markers with no dates:

F.H.F.
M.E.H.
W.R.H.
M.P.
L.P.
N.H.
M.L.H.
R.M.H.
Baby boy Helms

S. E. Helms
Born Jan 10, 1810
Died Dec. 10, 1892
(Written 92 with the 9 backwards)

Phoeba
Wife of Tobias Helms
Born Nov 28, 183?
Died Jan 5, 1903

Amos Helms
1874-1930
Gone but not forgotten

M. & M.P.
Died Sep 28, 1848
(Partial inscription from a broken marker, was not able to locate the rest of the missing pieces.)

Mother
Nannie
Wife of Frank Helms
Born Jun 12, 1875
Died Dec 22, 1920
She was a land wife, a loving mother, a friend to all

Rosa May
Aunt of W.F. & N.C. Helms
Born May 18, 1902
Died Nov 4, 1904
Beautiful lovely she was but given a fair bud to earth to blossom

Sarah J.
Daughter of F. & M. Helms
Born Feb 7, 1907
Died Jun 28, 1907
Rest

Myrtle E.
Daughter of F. & M. Helms
Born Mar 18, 1911
Died Jan 3, 1914
Beautiful lovely she was

Minnie L.
Daughter of F.H. & Minnie Helms
Born Mar 5, 1919
Died Dec 19, 1919
Another sweet flower to blossom in the dues of heaven

William Ray Helms
Born May 22, 1925
Died Jun 11, 1927
Darling we miss thee

R. M. Pressley
Born Oct 10, 1866
Died Aug 22, 1892
Age 25 yrs 10 mos and 10 days
 

Salathiel Pressley
Born Mar 9, 1834
Died Sep 10, 1905
Precious one from us is gone
A voice we loved is stilled
A place is vacant from our home
Which never can be filled

Mother (Inscribed on top edge)
Martha
Wife of Salathiel Pressley
Born Feb 6, 1857
Died May 6, 1920
A tender mother
And a faithful friend
(This headstone has an interesting carved picture of a city with a crown above it. )

Pressly
1887
Aug 14-1948
For Jesus always knows best
When to take his children to rest (inscribed on top edge)

Adrena
(No last name inscribed, located near Pressleys)
Daughter of W.H. & F.A.
Born Aug 8, 1898
Died Jul 31, 1899

Lula
Daughter of S. & M.J. Pressley
Born Jan 11, 1869

Died Oct 2, 1890
Kind angles watch her sleeping dust
Till angles come to raise the just
Then may she wake to sweet surprise
And in her saviors image rise

John Presley
Born Aug 25, 1880
Died May 16, 193?

Elmer Hawkins
Son of Mr. & Mrs Arthur Virgil Francis
Born Oct 1, 1915
Died May 9, 1934

Hoyle Simpson
Born Sep 1, 1927
Died Mar 25, 1928

 Pressley family members known to be buried in the cemetery but the markers were either never placed or were destroyed by vandals:

Arthur Pressley – Infant son of Sanford and Fannie Pressley.

Andrew C. Pressley – d. 1921.