Jozye Church and Cemetery

Jozye Church and Cemetery. . , Mormon Missionaries came to this part of Madison County in 1907 and were kindly received by families here, in what was then known as the Center community. The first baptisms occurred in 1907-08. In December 1908 a Sunday School was organized with meetings held in member homes. On June 14, 1909, Joe Shannon donated one and a half acres of land at this site tor a church building. Additional land to a cemetery was acquired three years later. A meetinghouse was completed in September 1909, but was burned by arsonists in December. A new structure was completed February 1910 and remained for over 50 years. A branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was formally organized November 10, 1910 with A. Stiles Beeler as Branch President. Establishment of the branch brought more families to the area and by February 1911 there were over 100 members. Early families were Adams, Bartee, Beeler, Clark, Culbreth, Decker, Donaho, Dye, Eby, Foster, Goodrum, Grice, Harless. Hoke. McDonald, Montgomery, Pender, Peveto, Puckett, Sims, Stone and Strend. The branch was named the Shannon Branch, later the Utah Branch and in 1915 the Jozye Branch. A severe drought in 1917 caused many families to move to other areas. Samuel H. Foster served as Branch President 1919-1957. By 1957, only a handful of members remained; therefore, the branch was dissolved and the church building eventually torn down, A present branch of the church, organized in 1978, exists in Madisonville. Burials in the cemetery include several of the early area families and their descendants., Marker placed September 2007