Carver Memorial Gardens

George Washington Carver Memorial Gardens is a 70-acre cemetery located at 1020 Minor Parkway in Minor.

The cemetery opened in the 1950s.

In September 2013 the cemetery closed and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. At the time the cemetery had approximately 22,000 graves and 1,000 unsold plots. The property also included an undeveloped forested area of 9 acres.

Judge Tamara Mitchell presided over the case and approved an $18,000 offer from Cedric McMillian, owner of Majestic Memorials in Fairfield, to acquire the assets and obligations of the cemetery in February 2014. McMillian planned to cut timber on the undeveloped portion to restore the cemetery's perpetual care fund and to work with lot owners to protect their investments.

Notable Burials

• Henry Blankenship (1926–1994), jazz musician
• Sam Frazier Jr (1942–2021), blues musician
• Virgil Ware (1949–1963), murder victim

References

• Faulk, Kent (November 8, 2013) "Carver Memorial Gardens cemetery bankruptcy trustee says four groups have shown interest in operating the cemetery." The Birmingham News