The Cantrell Family Cemetery is said by descendants to be more than 125 years old and contains about 25 gravestones inside an enclosed fence off Indian Cave Road within Champion Hills private golf and community club.
Nine of those stones have legible inscriptions.
The oldest grave is that of Elizabeth Cantrell Shepherd, who died in 1825. She was the wife of Nimrod Shepherd and daughter of Samuel Cantrell, 1785-1873, who is also buried in the cemetery.
Jacob and Samuel Cantrell were brothers who settled in the Big Willow area between 1816 and 1820.
Jacob Cantrell was a Baptist minister who was pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church from 1830 to 1834. He was also the first pastor of Crab Creek Baptist Church from 1834 to 1839. (The grave site of Jacob Cantrell is in Gilmer County, Ga., where he moved in 1849 and founded Goshen Baptist Church)
His brother Samuel Cantrell was born about 1785 and married Mary Giles of Buncombe County about 1816. He died in July 1873 and his wife died in 1861. Samuel Cantrell remained in the Big Willow community, along with his descendants.
One broken stone states only the following “A member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church” with the dates 1811-24 Apr 1887.
In 2005, five field stones were located outside the fenced area. This brings the total of field stones to 30.
The cemetery was preserved by the Branigar Organization and is located on .06 acre. There are maintenance issues with the cemetery. Descendants want to set up a regular maintenance schedule. The area outside the fenced area appears to be in danger of encroachment. There are parking issues and access issues to the cemetery.