Friends of the City Cemeteries
Villa Rica, Georgia
CONNER
Richard Anderson Conner
Born: April 22, 1827, Walton County, Georgia
Died: February 27, 1885, Carroll County, Georgia
Age: 58
Married: Martha Elizabeth Tidwell
Military Service: Private, Co. A 2nd Georgia Calvary State Guards, Confederate States of America
Connor family plot March 2023
L-R: Martha Conner, Richard Anderson Conner, and Nancy Conner.
March 2023
Conner's predominance in the area was evident by his death being announced in
The Atlanta Constitution on March 1, 1885.
The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) March 1, 1885
A condensed version of Mr. Conner's obituary appeared in
The Carroll Free Press (Carrollton, Georgia) on March 6, 1885.
The Carroll Free Press (Carrollton, GA) March 6, 1885.
A more extended version of Mr. Conner's obituary appeared in The Carroll Free Press (Carrollton, Georgia) on April 17, 1885. This version detailed Mr. Conner's life and remembered him as a man who was able to keep the peace among his brethren at Villa Rica Baptist Church.
Discrepancy note: The longer obituary, from April 17, gives Conner's first name as 'Andrew' instead of Anderson. It also omits his first name, Richard.
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Family relations have been recorded as correctly as possible.
Please alert us to any genealogical errors you see.
HeadstoneS:
Andrew Conner has two stones.
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Style:
#1 is a government-style flat marker from the SCV
#2 is a double rooftop obelisk companion monument.
Conner shares the obelisk with Nancy C. Conner and Martha E. Conner.
CONNER is in all caps on the obelisk base.
The plot is outlined with bricks.
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Symbols:
Iron Cross on the SCV marker
Square & Compass: Freemasonry symbol
Swirls and flowers at the top of the obelisk.
October 2019
The Carroll Free Press (Carrollton, GA)
April 17, 1885.
Anderson's footer
October 2019
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
Epitaph on Anderson's headstone
Copyright © Newspapers.com
In the April 17, 1885 issue of The Carroll Free Press, notification was given that J E Conner had applied for letters of administration to handle Anderson's estate. Anderson's wife, Martha, had preceded him in death.
May 2019
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October 2019
Martha Elizabeth [Tidwell] Conner
Born: January 3, 1833, Meriwether County, Georgia
Death: August 7, 1894, Villa Rica, Georgia
Age: 61
Married: Richard Anderson Conner, 1848
Children: Martha and Richard had 8 children, listed below as noted
on Find A Grave.com.
Mary Elizabeth Conner Ward
1850–1934
Barbara Ann Conner Hilderbrand
1852–1936
John Earl Conner
1860–1939
Sarah J. Conner Bagwell
1864–1943
Henrietta Conner Hamilton
1868–1942
Nancy Carrie Conner
1869–1875
Martha L. Conner Belcher
1872–1960
Hattie Eugenia Conner Smith
1873–1962
March 2023
March 2019
Martha lays on the left.
October 2019
Martha's footstone with her initials, M. E. C.
May 2019
Resting in hope of a glori-
ous resurrection
Epitaph on Martha's headstone
The word glorious is continued onto the next line as typed.
Nancy Carrie Conner
Born: July 28, 1869, Meriwether County, Georgia
Died: May 13, 1875, Carroll County, Georgia
Age: 5
Nancy Carrie was the daughter of Richard Anderson Conner
and Martha Elizabeth Tidwell Conner.
Nancy Carrie was 5-years-old when she died.
Nancy lays on the right.
October 2019
March 2019
The fairest flower we
fondly love.
How soon it fades and
dies!
Epitaph on Nancy's headstone
Nancy's foot-stone with her initials, N. C. C.
May 2019
Fannie S. [Floyd] Conner
Born: August 6, 1864
Died: September 8, 1886, Carroll County, Georgia
Age: 22
Married: John E. Conner
Fannie died 12 days after giving birth to her daughter, Nellie.
Fannie's father was John Stovall Floyd.
Fannie's sister was Sallie Floyd Chambers.
March 2023
Fannie's obituary appeared in the Carroll Free Press. Below Fannie's obituary is a short mention of Frank Ragan. Frank is also buried at the Old Villa Rica Cemetery.
The Carroll Free Press (Carrollton, GA)
September 17, 1886.
Headstone:
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Style:
Fannie is buried beneath one of two false tombs at the cemetery. Fannie's plot is near Nellie Conner's, but both are set apart from the bricked-off area occupied by Anderson, Martha, and Nancy Conner.
At the north end of Fannie's tomb is a small concrete slab. It's not clear the purpose of the slab. Conservators have speculated that the slab was to support an additional monument that was never put into place.
I know that my
redeemer liveth
Epitaph on Fannie's crypt
The sudden postponement of the wedding between John E. Conner and Fannie Floyd played out in the newspapers like a soap opera.
February 18, 1885, The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA)
February 21, 1885, The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA)
February 27, 1885, The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, GA)
February 27, 1885, The Carroll Free Press (Carrollton, GA)
Fannie's false crypt has paid the price of vandals and curiosity seekers. Many assume that if they move the top piece aside, they'll see bones inside. This is incorrect.
This type of false crypt or box tomb does not contain a body. The body was buried in the ground.
As you can see from the pictures, continually moving the top of the crypt caused the entire structure to collapse in less than two months.
March 2021
Due to the repeated moving of the top ledger, the end support fell away, allowing access to the inside of the crypt. As you can see from the picture below, only dirt and roots are visible.
April 2021
In less than two months, the crypt had collapsed.
September 2021
Joey Fernandez of Preserving Our Georgia Cemeteries, LLC, spent two days at Old Town Cemetery to put Fannie's crypt together.
Nellie F. Conner
Born: August 27, 1886
Death: September 8, 1886, Carroll County, Georgia
Age: 27 days
Parents: J. E. Conner and Fannie S. [Floyd] Conner
Nellie died 15 days after her mother, Fannie S. Conner died. Nellie was alive for 27 days. Nellie is mentioned in her mother's obituary.
Headstone: ​
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Symbols: Lily - flower representing virginity, purity, and innocence
March 2023
Nellie was buried between her mother, Fannie.
