April 15, 2019

Dear Family and Friends,

         We would like to thank each of you for your generous contributions to Walnut Grove Cemetery.  We could not maintain our beautiful sacred grounds without your continued support.  We have enclosed a chart to honor all our faithful supporters.  As we begin our fund drive for the maintenance of the cemetery, we ask that you join us again in this endeavor.  Please make your tax deductible donation to the Walnut Grove Cemetery Association, c/o Janice Mitchell, 1464 Welcome Home Rd, Hector, AR  72843 or to any other board member listed in this letter.

         We hope you enjoy all our recent projects that your donations have made possible: (1) Memorial plaques are still available to be added to the Memorial Bridge at $100 each.  What a great way to honor a loved one. (2) We are happy to announce that we have a concrete, handicap accessible walkway from the Memorial Bridge up the hill to the circle drive. This will allow easier access from the parking lot to sections on the hill. (3)  We still need volunteers to help with the Headstone Cleaning Project.  Please contact David Williams if you can help.  (4) The Peter section located in the Southeast corner of the cemetery is still being developed. (5) We have placed ‘listing boxes’ at each section in the cemetery and at the pavilion.  The section listing boxes contain a list of all graves in that section and the listing box at the pavilion contains a list of all graves in the cemetery and where to locate them. The box also contains a veterans list. The mural map in the pavilion will help visitors locate graves. (6) Family group pictures will be displayed in the pavilion of each family that has presented the Decoration Day Program since 2013.  (7) Donor Charts will also be displayed in the pavilion for each year since 2014. This is our way of recognizing our faithful donors. We thank each one of you.

           The Walnut Grove Cemetery Board continues to work hard to keep our cemetery looking good and your comments are always welcome.  Each member brings their own special talents and abilities to the group and that makes for a good team.  

          We have started replacing the flags on Veterans graves and we will finish this project on May 11.  The Decoration Day Program will be on Sunday, May 26 at 2:00 p.m.  The Petty family will be honored this year. Petty family members will provide the program with singing, family talks, picture displays, a devotional and handouts.  A video of the program will be made as well as a Petty family group picture will be taken.  It will be exciting to hear about the Petty Wagon Train that brought many settlers to Pope County, Arkansas. I know it will be a good program and we are excited to hear all about the Petty family. In 2020, the Barnhouse Family will be presenting the Decoration Day Program.

         Our Maintenance Fund balance as of April 15, 2019 is $5,126.33. We are hoping for another good fund drive this year.  A detailed financial report and a copy of our recently updated cemetery guidelines will be available upon request at the Decoration.

          Thanks again to our families who help us keep Walnut Grove Cemetery a beautiful resting place for our loved ones. The Walnut Grove Cemetery board members and their contact information are listed at the bottom of this letter.  On the back, you will find the names of those buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery from April 15, 2018—April 15, 2019 and also a disclosure of accounts that are past due. Please feel free to contact any of our board members with your concerns or comments.  Thanks again for your support.

          Remember to check out our website at www.walnutgrovecemeteryofhector.org and ‘like’ us on facebook at Walnut Grove Cemetery of

              *Listed in 2018 Decoration Day Program but not in 2018 annual letter.

  Petty Family

The Pettys moved to Hector in the 1850s and settled in an area known as Petty Town.  They came from Tennessee on one of seven wagon trains guided by wagon master William Petty.  Guilford Petty was one of the first to settle in Petty Town along with other Hector families like Coffmans, Storys, and Tripps.

     One of the earliest Pettys buried at Walnut Grove Cemetery is William Green “Uncle Billy” Petty.  His first wife was Elizabeth Caudle Petty and his second wife was Mary Anne Curtis Petty who is buried beside him.  William Green Petty fathered 10 children, all of whom were born in Hector.

         Some of the first Pettys in Pope County and Hector (Petty Town) were brothers, Guliford, Joshua and William Petty. They came from Henry County, Tennessee before 1842 because it is recorded that Joshua’s fifth child, Sarah Louisa was born in Arkansas in 1842.  William was the Wagon Master of the wagon train, know as the Petty Wagon Train. Guliford’s children that came to Hector (Petty Town) with him were Wyatt and his family, daughters Susan, Rachel, Catherine, and Mary (also called Polly). His daughter, Rebecca Petty married William Herman Coffman and they had 8 children.  She was a widow in 1857 and later traveled to Arkansas with her children on the wagon train from Tennessee with two of her sisters. Guilford’s wife must have died as she is not in the 1860 Arkansas Census.  Wagon Master, William Petty and his family continued on to Titus County, Texas.

PROGRAM

Presented by the PETTY FAMILY

Opening Song and Welcome by Rick Pruitt

Petty Family Welcome by Nancy Petty Fleming

Opening Prayer and song by Jay Petty from Arizona

Petty Family History by Nancy Petty Fleming

Song by Rayburn Petty, Brian Petty and

sons Logan and Warren Petty

History of Petty Wagon Train

By Brian Petty

Song by Leatha Myers

Devotional by Jay Petty

Honoring Pettys buried at Walnut Grove Cemetery

Songs by Rayburn Petty

Petty closing prayer by Ervin or Jim Petty

Memorials and Business

Recognize oldest

“Beulah Land” by Rick Pruitt