Summer Slendor! Suzanne Anderson, owner of "Black Bear Cottage" on Mountain Ridge Rd., cultivated a magnificent arrangement of wild flowers this past summer. The array of color was amazing!
More Deerwood Beauty, by Andy Brown
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Family of homeowners David & Tana Frye are seen here having a little fun on their private pond. The Fryes have done a great job of turning their pond into a beautiful sight for the whole community to enjoy. Thank you David and Tana!
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More From Around Our Community...
Old Graves in Deerwood Give Us a Glimpse
Into Who Was Here Before Us
Most of us have seen the old cemetary that is positioned on a knoll on Tessi Circle, in the Enclave. From one marker that is still readable, we know that Lillia McMillan, and probably other members of her family, are buried there. We are fortunate to have a bit of the past carved in stone, allowing us to step back in time and imagine the people who lived in our area so long ago and what their lives might have been like.
Have you ever looked at the headstone and wondered just who Lillia “Lilly” McMillan was? Here’s what we know: Lilly was born in 1864 to James “Bucky” McMillan and Rosa Stamper. She married James Monroe Smith and had four children, one who passed away at birth or sometime soon afterwards. Lilly passed away at the age of 31. From the available records, it appears her husband James may have been married to another woman at the same time, Mary Magdalene Cole, who lived to be 85 years old and bore nine children with James. James outlived both his wives, passing away at 91.
Records indicate that Lilly’s father, Bucky McMillan, was a confederate soldier and even served time in a prison camp that was established by the Union Army at Point Lookout, Maryland. Lilly’s mother, Rosa, is believed to have been of Native American ancestry.
Off to the right of the knoll, on State Park property, remnants of a partially assembled stone chimney can be seen. It’s not a far stretch to think the crumbled stone might be a part of a home where Lilly, James, and possibly Mary, lived and raised their children. Let's take care to always preserve this little part of our community’s history.
Have you ever looked at the headstone and wondered just who Lillia “Lilly” McMillan was? Here’s what we know: Lilly was born in 1864 to James “Bucky” McMillan and Rosa Stamper. She married James Monroe Smith and had four children, one who passed away at birth or sometime soon afterwards. Lilly passed away at the age of 31. From the available records, it appears her husband James may have been married to another woman at the same time, Mary Magdalene Cole, who lived to be 85 years old and bore nine children with James. James outlived both his wives, passing away at 91.
Records indicate that Lilly’s father, Bucky McMillan, was a confederate soldier and even served time in a prison camp that was established by the Union Army at Point Lookout, Maryland. Lilly’s mother, Rosa, is believed to have been of Native American ancestry.
Off to the right of the knoll, on State Park property, remnants of a partially assembled stone chimney can be seen. It’s not a far stretch to think the crumbled stone might be a part of a home where Lilly, James, and possibly Mary, lived and raised their children. Let's take care to always preserve this little part of our community’s history.
An old tombstone tells a story of who walked the grounds of Deerwood centuries ago.
Lillia McMillan's parents: James "Bucky" McMillan and Rosa Stamper.
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