The Resting Place

The Resting Place. Hatfield Cemetery. , While this cemetery is famous as the final resting place of William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, he was neither the first nor last individual laid to rest here. Also buried with Anderson are his wife, children, some of his siblings, and other relatives, by blood and marriage., In fact, there is more than one Hatfield family cemetery in the area, illustrating just how deep the Hatfield lineage runs in the Tug Fork Valley. The first recorded burial here was Susanna Howard Vance, Anderson Hatfield's maternal great-grandmother in 1860. The most recent burial was Pauline Kennedy Luh in 2019., The famous marble statue of Anderson's likeness marks his grave and his wife's, Levicy, buried next to him in 1929. In addition to the two Hatfield cemeteries, the monument itself was added to the Na- tional Register of Historic Places in 1980., [Sidebars] , Grave-Houses , Shelters built over and around graves, sometimes called grave-houses, can be found in many Appalachian cemeteries. Similar to the vaults and mausoleums of more modern cemeteries, these coverings provided a grave with further protection from exposure to natural elements such as sleet, snow, rain, and sunlight, as well as disturbances from wild animals., Appalachian Cemeteries , Unlike the cemeteries of more urban areas , which are often large with a staff to care for them , earlier rural Appalachian cemeteries are often smaller and more intimate, usually cared for by family members and volunteers., While the location of this Hatfield cemetery may seem unusually isolated, the hillside on or near the family property was often the most practical placement for burials among the early settlers of the area. Funeral homes and larger, park-like cemeteries, though in existence, were not yet established in 19th century rural Appalachia., Funerals and burials were often personally organized and undertaken by family, friends, and neighbors. Therefore, it made sense to have their loved ones interred nearby. They could remain close to them, and tend to their graves regularly. The hillside was also a more secure location for a cemetery, making use of the difficult terrain as a deterrent for vandalism or theft as well as reducing the risk of flood damage due to poor drainage.