This site displays photographs of the cemetery made starting c. 1960. The cemetery is located in Montgomery County, Virginia, south of the town of Riner, just off of State Route 8 on Route 602,
N37° 1' 16.98", W80° 25' 1.56"
his old cemetery is the resting place of John Lester (1752-1825) and his wife Catherine Plickenstalver (1759-1833). They had 11 children, 6 sons and 5 daughters. The only one of their children buried here is their youngest son, Hulen (1795-1888) who established his home near John and Catherine's. John II, James T., Abner A., William S., Susannah, Rhoda, Pamelia, and Catherine all moved nearby to what is now Floyd County. Mary married Isaac West and moved to Tennessee. Samuel married Nancy Cox and moved to Tennessee and thence to Alabama.
Six of Hulen's children are buried here: Ira H. and wife, Amanda Ann Guy; Joshua P. and wife, Catherine Peterman; John Floyd and wife, Susan Chafin; Charles D. and wife, Mary E. Wright; Ellen; and James W.An infant granddaughter of Ira and Amanda Lester, Banie Lester, is buried beside Amanda. She was the third child of Albert Lester and Susan Altizer. A grandson, Augustus Lester, who died the day he was born is also buried here. These are the only know descendants of Ira and Amanda buried in this cemetery, but there are many illegible tombstones near Ira and Amanda that could also be their descendants.
Additionally, Helm T., son of Joshua P., and Montie E., grandson of John Floyd, and Montie's first wife, Bertie Gay Richardson, are buried here. Posie Inez Lester, and Ida M. Lester, daughters of Charles D. and Mary Lester are also buried here.
Octavia Lester, first wife of Hulen B. Lester, son of John Floyd Lester, and their son, Ottis S. are buried here. Octavia's twin sister, Sarah Malinda Lester, is also buried here. Octavia and Sarah are the daughters of Leftwich Lester and Christina Bishop. Leftwich was the son of James Lester, the second child of John Lester and Catherine Plickenstalver.
I counted 46 grave sites of which 14 have unmarked stones or stones which are illegible. (Number 30 was skipped.)
The last person to be buried here was Mont E. Lester in 1962.
See the List of Tombstones. Also, See a map of the tombstones (use your browser's Back button to return here.)
ohn and Catherine Lester had 11 children, 83 (known) grandchildren, and 460 (known) great-grandchildren. Their descendants migrated to West Virginia, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Idaho, Texas, Oregon and other states and number in the thousands.
A view of the cemetery - 1999 I have prepared this information out of a sense of commitment to my father, James Curtis Lester, deceased May 23, 1988. He took a special interest in this old cemetery and instilled that interest in me long ago. Jerry Curtis Lester
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Last updated 7-10-2009