johnsonmaddoxgoldsmithcemeterypage

The Johnson Maddox Goldsmith Cemetery is on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain, Georgia, just east of Stone Mountain Ford and Stone Mountain Chevrolet. Due to road widening in 1970, the cemetery is on a little hill in the parking lot of a shopping center, Memorial Center. The tombstones are visible from the front of the cemetery on Memorial Drive, but not from the sides or back, because of the shrubbery. Park in the parking lot in the back and walk around to the entrance steps, just off the sidewalk on Memorial Dr.

By the early 1990's the cemetery was a tangle of weeds, brush and litter. Fortunately, someone from the State called Hazel Britt Mitchell, my mother, regarding $1,000 that they had for the estate of Benjamin Veal, a Johnson descendant who was the last owner of the cemetery. Since he had moved to Texas in the 1880's and never returned, the check was sent to Hazel to distribute among the heirs. Realizing that everyone would receive only $8.00, she felt the money would go a long way toward rehabilitating the cemetery. She requested and received approval from each of the heirs to use the entire sum for repairs and improvements.

Seven new tombstones were purchased for William I, Andrew, Elizabeth, young Thomas (son of William II), Emily, Lucretia and her husband William Goldsmith. Hazel and a volunteer went to work cleaning and clearing the old shrubbery, hauling stumps and debris. Gallons of week killer were sprayed. Many bags of garbage, glass etc. were picked up and removed from the cemetery and sidewalk. One of the reasons for the amount of litter was the MARTA bus stop. After a complaint was made to MARTA officials, the bus stop was moved away from the cemetery.

After all the improvements were made, the cemetery looked very good, requiring only a weed-spraying every year. This was done until about 3 years ago, when the volunteers became older and unable to do the work required. The cemetery is once again in need of some physical labor to remove brush and spray weeds.

Many Johnson, Maddox and Goldsmith descendants probably don't know about this cemetery. Stone Mountain residents only know there's a cemetery in a shopping center on Memorial Drive. We must not let this historic cemetery fall into great disrepair again. Please, go by this cemetery and take a look at the new tombstones and pull some weeds!

Ginny Brewton