Greensboro in Greene County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Mary Irving
(1740-1828)
A Very Interesting Slab in the Old Greensboro Cemetery
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2024
1. Mary Irving Marker
Inscription.
Mary Irving. There is another grave in the Greensboro Cemetery that has caused a lot of speculation on account of a snake that is carved on the slab that covers the grave. Tradition says that the lady who was buried beneath the slab died from the bite of a snake. In fact this story has been told so often and so long that it's hard to refute the legend. The inscription reads as follows:
In Memory of Mrs. Mary Irving. , Barn in 1740 Died in 1828. , Aged 78 Years., She was a Mother in Israel
. A crooked line is chiseled the full length of the slab, and is supposed to represent a path leading to a spring. Beside the path is carved a snake partly coiled and ready to strike. The story is that the lady was bitten by the snake while on her way to the spring, and that she died before reaching home. ,
June 2013 Update:. If you are looking for this slab today, the inscription has changed but the carving of the serpent, path, and house are clearly visible. The new inscription reads:
Our Precious One , Taken Away , Mary Irving , 1828
.
There is another grave in the Greensboro Cemetery that has
caused a lot of speculation on account of a snake that is carved
on the slab that covers the grave. Tradition says that the
lady who was buried beneath the slab died from the bite of a
snake. In fact this story has been told so often and so long
that it's hard to refute the legend. The inscription reads as
follows:
In Memory of Mrs. Mary Irving.
Barn in 1740 Died in 1828.
Aged 78 Years.
She was a Mother in Israel
A crooked line is chiseled the full length of the slab, and is
supposed to represent a path leading to a spring. Beside the
path is carved a snake partly coiled and ready to strike. The
story is that the lady was bitten by the snake while on her
way to the spring, and that she died before reaching home.
June 2013 Update:
If you are looking for this slab today, the inscription has
changed but the carving of the serpent, path, and house are
clearly visible. The new inscription reads:
Our Precious One
Taken Away
Mary Irving
1828
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1828.
Location. 33° 34.867′ N,
Click or scan to see this page online
83° 10.866′ W. Marker is in Greensboro, Georgia, in Greene County. It can be reached from Richland Avenue east of Memorial Drive, on the left when traveling east. It is in Row M of Greensboro City Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 East Richland Ave, Greensboro GA 30642, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Antebellum Trail and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2024
3. Mary Irving's Tombstone
Credits. This page was last revised on March 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 193 times since then and 67 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 8, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
