Zion Memorial Gardens
Zion Memorial Gardens (also called Higgins Cemetery) is a 26-acre cemetery located at 501 Tarrant-Huffman Road, with a second entrance at 201 93rd Street North in Birmingham's Zion City neighborhood.
The area was first used for burials by Mt Zion Baptist Church in the mid-1800s, and the Mt Zion Cemetery occupies the southwest corner of the enlarged property. The cemetery was given its present name after it was purchased on June 2, 1970 by New Grace Hill Cemetery Inc., a subsidiary of A. G. Gaston's Booker T. Washington Insurance Company.
Ownership of Zion Memorial Gardens passed to Cedric McMillian in 2015. Over the next year numerous complaints from area residents and family members of people buried at Zion Memorial Gardens were relayed to Birmingham City Council District 4 representative William Parker. He held public meetings and submitted a resolution that was passed by the Council in September 2016 formally requesting that McMillan carry out repairs and maintenance. Parker coordinated a drive to pass complaints to the Alabama Department of Insurance which oversees the operation of cemeteries in the state.
Notable burials
- Ivor Brooks (1956-2015), former Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service chief
- Jefferey Farrow (1977-2005), former Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service firefigher and U.S. Army Reservist
- John Henry Mealing (1908-2007), railroad worker and "Gandy Dancer"
- Bert Miller (1959-2012), former Birmingham City Council member
- Charles "C. J." Render (died 2012), one of the victims of the 2012 Ensley Highlands murders
- Ronnie Render (died 2012), one of the victims of the 2012 Ensley Highlands murders
- Demetrius Sanford (died 2012), one of the victims of the 2012 Ensley Highlands murders
References
- Chambers, Jesse (September 30, 2016) "Birmingham City Council wants fix for troubled Zion Memorial cemetery". Iron City Ink
- Chambers, Jesse (October 11, 2016) "Councilman says efforts continue to force repairs at Birmingham cemetery". Iron City Ink
External links
- Zion Memorial Cemetery on Findagrave.com