February-April 2020: Cemetery: Members of the community assisted in identification of archival records. Cemetery property secured. Records moved to Unity Cemetery Preservation Project’s new home at Imperial Centre for the Arts and Science’s education building.

May-December 2020: Unity Cemetery Preservation Project recruits volunteers and sets up operations.

March 2021: Rocky Mount City Council votes to provide financial support for Unity Cemetery Restoration and Preservation Project.

November 2021: Genealogist/Historian Nadia K. Orton and Heritage Researcher Hap Turner join Unity Cemetery Restoration and Preservation Project

January 2022: Project staff meets and engages descendants and family members during cemetery site visits.

1. Battle, Bradford: Born about 1851, Edgecombe County, to Dorsey Battle, Sr. (born about 1810), and Winnie Battle. Husband of Mary Ann Boddie Battle (ca. 1858-1884), and Emma Ricks Battle (1850-1911), and father of eight children. Bradford worked as a general laborer, transfer worker, and expressman, and lived on W. Thomas, Beal, and Gay streets, Rocky Mount. Bradford passed away on March 25, 1926, and is interred in Unity Cemetery.

2. Boddie, John D.: Born about 1856, the son of Robert Boddie (ca. 1834-1922), and Leah (born about 1830), of Nash County, North Carolina. John was the husband of Pinne (ca. 1849-1909), and father of their two children, Hattie Boddie Williford (1878-1956), and Marion D. Boddie (1887-1920). John worked as a painter and was listed as a partner in the firm of Simpson & Boddie in 1912. He lived at 318 Pennsylvania Avenue, and 324 W. Thomas Street, Rocky Mount. After Pinne’s decease, John married Miss Ellen Alston (born about 1870), on Christmas Day, 1911, First Baptist Church, Rocky Mount. John D. Boddie died on March 3, 1914, in Speed. His burial site is unrecorded.

3. Boddie, Thomas H.: Born about 1856, Edgecombe County, to Britton Boddie (ca. 1812-1880), and Nelly Boddie (born about 1828). Thomas’ siblings included Frances (born about 1855), Carter (born about 1862), Georgianna Boddie Sessoms (1864-1943), and Wiley (ca. 1866-1900). Thomas married Miss Anna Battle (ca. 1860-1929), on November 14, 1878, in Edgecombe County. Anna was the daughter of William Battle (born about 1824), and Helen Westry Battle (born about 1830). Thomas and Anna were the parents of Willie Ann Boddie Sessoms (1883-1964), William Preston Boddie (born 1887), Elijah Boddie (1889-1914), and Oscar Boddie (ca. 1890-1921). Thomas worked as a drayman, grocer and merchant, and lived on Goldleaf Street, Shearin Street, and Myrtle Avenue. He died on July 1, 1933, and rests in Unity Cemetery

4. Cooke, Jerry (Jeremiah) Jasper: Born on June 11, 1860, near Louisburg, Franklin County, North Carolina, the son of Bryant Cooke and Dilsy Mitchell Jerry married Franklin County native Miss Maggie M. Malone (ca. 1865-1925), on April 14, 1888, Franklin County. Maggie was the daughter of Charles E. Malone (ca. 1842-1918, trustee of Rocky Mount’s Cedar Hill Cemetery) and Frances Yarborough Malone (ca. 1848-1923), both of Franklin County, North Carolina. Jerry and Maggie were the parents of two sons, Samanna (Samana) Jasper Cooke (1887-1960), and Charles Edward Cooke (1889-1914). Jerry was elected to one term on the Rocky Mount Board of Commissioners, 1900-1901, and served as President of the Unity Cemetery Association in 1902. He lived on N. Pearl Street, Rocky Mount, and worked as an insurance agent. Sometime between 1903 and 1908, Jerry and family moved to New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. Jerry Jasper Cooke died on June 24, 1913, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, New Bern.

5. Joyner, Jason W.: Born in 1852, Nash County, to Paul Joyner (born about 1829), of Franklin County, North Carolina. Husband of Ann Joyner (born 1850), and father of eight children. Jason worked as a general laborer and brick mason in Rocky Mount and lived on Thomas Street. Jason W. Joyner died on December 31, 1913, in Henderson, Vance County, North Carolina, and was buried in Unity Cemetery on February 2, 1914.

6. Lawrence, Richmond: Born about 1856, Edgecombe County, to John Lawrence. Richmond married Carolina (ca. 1854-1932), daughter of Venus Pittman (born 1831), on May 21, 1874, Edgecombe County. Richmond worked as a general laborer, farmer, and fireman for the railroad, and lived on North Howell Street. He was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, and bequeathed most of his real and personal property to the trustees of the church. Richmond passed away on July 7, 1935, and is interred in Unity Cemetery.

7. Sessoms, James Ennis, Jr.: Born on September 17, 1858, Nash County, son of James E. Sessoms, Sr. (born about 1834), and Willie Boddie James married miss Georgianna Boddie (1864-1943), on January 5, 1881, Nash County. Georgianna was the daughter of Britton Boddie (1812-1880), and Nelly Boddie (born 1828). She was also the younger sister of Unity Cemetery trustee Thomas H. Boddie (ca 1856-1933), brother-in-law of James Ennis Sessoms, Jr. James and Georgianna were the parents of Evangeline Sessoms Gray (1871-1976), James E. Sessoms (1881-1940), Bessie Sessoms Bryant (1884-1981), Charlie Sessoms (born 1886), Ellwood B. Sessoms (1893-1925), Esther Sessoms (1898-1914), Blanche Sessoms Hines (born 1900), Daisy Viola Sessoms (1902-1995), and Maxton B. Sessoms (1914-1914). James worked as grocer and merchant (the Sessoms Company) and resided on Raleigh Road. James passed away on February 25, 1936 and is interred in Unity Cemetery.

8. Simpson, Frederick: Born in 1871, Halifax County, North Carolina, to John Simpson and Ann (Eliza) Pope Simpson (born about 1848). Frederick married Mamie Elizabeth Spicer (1875-1950), on March 21, 1896, Nash County, North Carolina. Mamie was the daughter of James Spicer and Phyllis Todd Spicer, and the sister of Rev. Charles Edwin Spicer (1868-1962). Frederick and Mamie had one child, daughter Lillie Mae Simpson, born about 1905. Frederick lived on Howell and Thomas streets, and worked as a painter, decorator (office in the Douglas Building), and later as an undertaker and funeral director (Sorrell and Simpson), located at 211 N. Main Street. Frederick served as Secretary and President of the Unity Cemetery Association. He passed away on March 28, 1928 and is buried in Unity Cemetery.

9. Wells, Isaac C.: Born about 1865, Nash County, to Dennis Wells (born 1816), and Clara Smith Isaac married Mary Della (1871-1933), on January 4, 1889, Nash County. Isaac and Mary Della were the parents of thirteen children. Isaac and family lived on Thomas and Howell Streets. Between 1902 and 1916, he worked with the railroad and as a brick mason. Isaac C. Wells passed away on August 12, 1919 and is interred in Unity Cemetery.

10. Young, Robert Edwards: Born February 16, 1873, in Granville County, North Carolina. He was the son of Solomon Young (born about 1835), and Eliza J. Young (born about 1850). Robert married Ella Davis on April 13, 1896, in Nash County. Robert worked as a storekeeper for the railroad, painter, porter, general laborer, and for the Rocky Mount Furniture Company. He lived on Thomas and Howell streets in Rocky Mount. Robert passed away on September 10, 1912 and is interred in Unity Cemetery.

If you have additional historical or genealogical information about these individuals, please contact Unity Cemetery Preservation staff member Nadia Orton via email at nadia.orton@rockymountnc.gov.