I Gregory J Hetzler, volunteer photographer #47780555, personally photographed this cemetery on Nov 19, 2013 at Redding Springs AME Zion Church Cemetery, 8410 New Town Road, Marvin, NC 28173.

History

To reflect back on where we began, must cause the memory to draw upon people, events, and circumstances of over
110 years. During those days, the families around the community of Marvin consisted of sharecropping farmers of ex-slaves. This close knit community of black families shared in work, the raising of their children, and the worship of their Lord. Around 1875, Susan Ross, a white woman in the Marvin community, took ex-slave Rosa Howie's son, Bob away from her to live and work for the Ross Family. When Susan Ross died in 1886, Bob continued to live with Susan's daughters, Maggie and Sallie Ross. Bob (now named Bob Ross) and his wife, Alice had a daughter, Mittie Bell in 1887. The Ross sisters Maggie and Sallie, fell in love with Mittie Bell and raised her too. The sisters even sent Mittie Bell to Livingstone College for a few months. Mittie Bell married Tom Houston around 1906 and he became known as the sister's brother-in-law.

The Ross sisters wrote a will on November 20, 1907, leaving Bob and Mittie Bell Houston most of their estate-800 acres of farmland, the organ from their parlor, and their brother's gold watch. When Maggie Ross died in 1920, 109 of their distant cousins, claiming that they were the "natural heirs" – unsuccessfully contested the will in a 15-day court trial in the Union County Seat of Monroe. The climate in the courtroom carried heavy racial overtones. The cousins claimed the sisters should be ruled incompetent and of poor moral character. A jury upheld the will as valid after 45 minutes of deliberation. The Monroe Journal's account of the trail called it the most notable court case in Union County's history. Every member of the Monroe Bar was involved in the case.

Marvinlous Memories: The Turn of the Century
In 1898, Marvin's black community erected the first bush arbor on land located on New Town Road and owned by the Ross family. In 1901, the Rosses deeded the Church the land for $1.00. They also provided land for the community to build a two-room school across from the Church on New Town Road. This two-room school served as the institution that educated most of the children during seasons of the years that did not require their assistance in the field. Later, the community of Marvin also had a high-school, a blacksmith shop, a grain mill and a store. Families only bought what the farm did not produce – snuff tobacco, detergent, kerosene, salt, matches, etc. There was no recreation, only the church and maybe a ball game in the summer. Their mode of transportation was as simple as their day to day lives: old wagons, horse-drawn buggies, or just on foot. They worked the fields raising and picking cotton; and gardened to feed their families and livestock. If neighbors were in need, they shared the little they had with one another.

The church became the center of activity for the community of neighboring black families. In 1917, the bush arbor was replaced by a white wood framed church. Families consisting of: Bob Ross (Alice), Green Ardrey (Margaret), Tom Houston (Mittie Bell Ross Houston), Craig Kirkpatrick, Issac Houston (Nannie Ardrey Houston), Tom Jacobs, Calvin Fetherson (Hattie Cunningham Fetherson), John McFadden (Mary Garner McFadden), Bob Dunn (Ella) Grannie Ann Robinson, Amanda Yabor Houston, and the Crawfords, worked together to organize and construct Marvin A.M.E. Zion's first church structure. The first pastor that can be recalled is the Rev. John Blake (1917). The presiding Elder is remembered as Elder Bennett, and the presiding Bishop is remembered as Bishop George C. Clement. Pastors that followed are remembered as: Rev. Studd, Rev. Fervor, Rev. Coleman, Rev. Yeberton, Rev. Lomax, and Rev. Lilly.
Marvin began its annual Basket Camp Meeting in 1930. This event was held each year in the Marvin Elementary School. Preaching, singing and eating would continue all night.

Rev. Douglas is remembered as the last pastor to serve the wood-framed church in 1939. In the 1940s, Marvin fellowshipped on alternating Sundays with the neighboring Redding Springs A.M.E. Zion Church. Redding Spring is well remembered for its annual Camp Meetings, held the last week of August. The conclusion of each Camp Meeting was the sign that cotton picking days were ahead. This long remember event end in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo destroyed many of the structures at Redding Spring to include their outdoor arbor, the made-shift "tents" where everyone lived all week, and the "stands' where food, refreshment and fellowship flowed abundantly. Marvin's proud frame church was heated early on Sunday mornings by a pot-bellied stove. In the heat of summer, windows were opened wide and paper fans waved. Folks still remember Doc Ingram, the section (janitor) ringing the bell every Sunday to "call" church, funeral services or community emergencies. Wagons would begin to gather and men would congregate under the old trees. Children would run about in the only pair of shoes they had "saved" for Sunday, and in the one or two outfits they had reserved for that special day. Children attended Sunday School and diligently studied their catechism. Sunday also meant no "work" in the fields and fried chicken for dinner.

This frame structure was torn down in the 1940s and replaced with the brick sanctuary that is present today on New Town Road. The construction of this edifice was organized by the next generation of "kin". They included forefathers and mothers to include: Will, Jerry and Isiah Fetherson, James Robert Houston (Lucinda Deese Houston), Cleveland "Clebo" (Emma Lee) Ardrey, Jerome "Shank"(Estelle) Ardrey, and King (Jessie) Ardrey, Plyler (Tossie) Miller, Ed (Ellie) Walker, Rob (Florence Houston) Vinson, John Andrew (Gracie White) McFadden, Richard (Ethel) Robinson, Walter Robinson, Tommie Robinson, Issac Robinson, and DeWitt (Rosanna) Dunn. Pastors to serve in the brick sanctuary on New Town Road have included: Rev. Kemp, Rev. J.M. McCall, Rev. John Joseph Nixon, Rev. Silas Craig, Rev. M.W. Davis, Rev. O.E. Davis, Rev. R. E. Sharpe, Rev. J.H. Finkley, Rev. Derinzer Johnson, and Rev. Henrico D. White.
Under the direction of Rev. Silas Craig, the block community/fellowship building on New Town Road was constructed in the late 1960s. Also, under Rev. Silas Craig, the Pastor's Study and Sunday School room were added to the brick church. In addition to Elder Bennett, past Presiding Elders on New Town Road have included: Elder John H. Blue, Elder W.J.W. Turner, Elder James Robertson, Jr., and Elder J.W.Greene.
http://mamez.org/history.php

I Gregory J Hetzler, volunteer photographer #47780555, personally photographed this cemetery on Nov 19, 2013 at Redding Springs AME Zion Church Cemetery, 8410 New Town Road, Marvin, NC 28173.

I Gregory J Hetzler, volunteer photographer #47780555, personally photographed this cemetery on Nov 19, 2013 at Redding Springs AME Zion Church Cemetery, 8410 New Town Road, Marvin, NC 28173.