East Lake Cemetery

The East Lake Cemetery was a part of the Ruhama Baptist Church and was established in the early 1830's thanks to the donation of one acre by Richard Wood and his wife, Harriet Bradford Wood.

In 1884, Jemison Realty donated several lots to the cemetery before going to a stock company, where shares were bought by several people and interests, including Jemison and Company and Ruhama Baptist Church. The shares were eventually sold in 1900 to W.A. Williams, who looked after the property until 1931. It was then sold twice more before being owned by John Lavender, who is now deceased.

In the cemetery there are 60 Confederate soldiers, one Union soldier, three Spanish-American War and six World War I soldiers buried.

Notable Burials

• George Bayless - first clerk of the Ruhama Baptist Church
• Professor Jacob Baker - first principal of Ruhama Academy (1809-1861)

References

• "East Lake Cemetery" in The Heritage of Jefferson County, Alabama. Clanton: Heritage Publishing Consultants. ISBN 1891647547, p. 137