Page 394, Vol. G CONVEYANCES OF DESOTO PARISH LOUISIANA 1854-1860 E. ETHERIDGE TO BAPTIST CHURCH AT GROVE HILL LAND JULY 8, 1859 DeSoto Parish Louisiana July 5th 1859 Be it Remembered that on this fifth day of July of the day and date above mentioned I Elizabeth Etheredge, do for an in consideration of the sum of twenty dollars to me in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged do hereby bargain, sell and in these presents do bargain sell and deliver to the Baptist Church at Grove Hill and their officers and their successors in office the following described land to wit: Ten acres commencing at the East and West line of the South Half of the North East quarter of Section eleven in Township eleven of Range twelve east of the Spring branch thence running North far enough to take the pool now used for Baptising and spring thence running west far enough by running South to the same east and west line to make the ten acres all of which is situated in the Sate and Parish aforesaid. The title of which I bind 'myself and my heirs to warrant and defend against all claims whatsoever in witness whereof I have set my hand and affixed my seal this the day and date above mentioned.) Elizabeth Etheredge her x mark Attest Witness F. M. Wade. D.C. Etheredge. - I certify the above a true record from the original Field & Record- ed July 8th 1859. S. F. Smith, Recorder.
GROVE HILL CEMETERY IN THE DOLETTE HILLS OF DESOTO PARISH LOUISIANA Ema Lee Tipton The first Sunday of May every year, descendants of Dolette Hills' early settlers hold a reunion in the old Baptist Church Building across the road from Grove Hill Cemetery with Church services, a talk on early history of the area and a big dinner spread under the trees near the Cemetery entrance. Mr. Will Henry Robertson of Mansfield, La. has been one of the major supporters of this event and in care of the cemetery and church building. Of course, many others have contributed much time, work and money to this project.
Mrs. Willie Mae (Wilson) Weaver, descendant of several early Dolette Hills families compiled the cemetery records, indexed the Roster of Bethel Methodist Church and copied the Zurell T. Polk deed giving 5 acres of land to the Methodist Conference after it came under their jurisdiction in 1894. It had been a Circuit Church since 1863, and the old log building was probably erected as a community church in the late 1840's or early 1850's. Only a few decaying foundation timbers now mark iS site, just east of the cemetery.
Records of the early settlers are incomplete. Many unmarked graves in the cemetery may never be identified and no one knows who was first buried here or when. Once a part of Pierre Dolette's Spanish land grant dating back to the late 1700's, records refer to claims of his heirs as late as 1884.
Heavy migrations into the area began circa 1845-50. Records show those who settled here filed to purchase the land they settled on with the Natchitoches District U.S. Land Office. Records show an unusual number of cancellations and relinquishments in the Grove Hill area beginning in 1879, with purchase price often refunded. The DeSoto Parish Highway map shows the old Baptist Church building in the very north east corner of Sect. 11, Tshp 11 N. R 12 W. and the Cemetery in the north west corner of Sect. 12 with a portion extending into the south west corner of Sect. 1. No complete abstract is available.
Tradition that part of the cemetery land was donated by a Mrs. Etheredge is probably true. She sold the 10 acres to the Baptist Church in 1859 and some of the oldest tombstones in the cemetery mark the graves of her grandchildren - children of D.C. and S.A. Etheredge. This Mrs. Elizabeth (Williams) Etheredge is No. 1 on the James Williams family group sheet following the cemetery records.