A Visit to the CoonHoundCemetery

My wife, Dekie received a “thank you reward” from using her visa card and decided to use it for a September birthday trip for me. More specifically, she decided to use it for a room in a fancy hotel in Florence, Alabama. We enjoy adventuresome road trips together, and I am always happy when the lady takes me across a state line. Dekie researched the area and decided that we should visit the Helen Keller birth place and a home that had been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. After a little more research she found out that it would only be a hell of a lot more trouble to go to Cherokee, Alabama and visit the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard. You see, we’ve had a registered coon hound to enhance our relationship since its beginning. Our coon hound, Speck is getting older but still kicking. Here’s a picture from a few years ago:

John and Dekie with Speck the coon hound — John, Dekie, and Speck on the Berry College campus, 2008

Now don’t take this travelogue lightly. One does not just drop in on the coon hound cemetery. It is located just a little past the other side of nowhere after turning off from the main road near Cherokee. The name of the location, though is cut in granite:

Chiseled in stone--The marker for the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Garden — Chiseled in stone–The marker for the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Garden

A sign on a tree lets you know that neither you nor your cocker spaniel are welcome to be buried here.

Sign for Coon Hound Cemetery — I guess your Shih tzu ain’t gonna be buried in this HERE cemetery

And I would be remiss if I didn’t show you the lovely plaque from the Friends of the CoonDogCemetery:

Dedication plaque from the Friends of the Coon Dog Cemetery

The feeling of love and caring that someone put into this headstone done tore at my heart. I bet Lulu Belle was a wonderful dog.

Here Lies Lulu Bell, Prize champion coon hound. Born 1945 — Here Lies Lulu Belle, Prize champion coon hound. Born 1945

Dekie enjoyed walking around and reading the messages that paid tribute to all of the wonderful late coon hounds

Sweet Dekie paid her respects to hundreds of coon dog heroes that day.

Ruff was another special stone, name, and memory.

Here lies Ruff Redbone, a most special and loving coon hound.

I enjoyed the feeling of love and caring as I looked over the head stones, and the flowers in the cemetery.

Looking over the well tended graveyard tugs at the strings of one's heart. — Looking over the well tended graveyard tugs at the strings of one’s heart.

I’ve seen a lot of things cast in concrete but this was the first time I ever saw cement coon hounds barking up a tree.

First time I ever saw cement coon dogs barking up a tree.

To be specific, Speck is a “treeing Walker coon hound” named for Mr. Walker who started the breed. We tried telling Speck about the cemetery but she just said, “that’s interesting, can I have a treat now?”

Speck the coon hound speaks: "It's time for my treat now." — Speck the coon hound speaks: “It’s time for my treat now.”

Thank you for visiting John the Plant Man.

As usual, I would just love for you click here to go to Amazon and purchase the ebook edition of my wonderful book, Requiem for a Redneck to go on your Kindle. I have also noticed that Amazon now has a free Kindle app for iphones and tablets. Is that cool or what?

Published by John P.Schulz

I lost my vocal cords a while back due to throat cancer. The laryngectomy sent me on a quest to find and learn to use my new, altered voice. I am able to talk now with a really small and neat new prosthesis. My writing reflects what I have learned in my search for a voice. My site johnschulzauthor.com publishes a daily motivational quote and a personal comment. I write an article a week for my blog, johntheplantman.com which deals with a lot of the things that I do in the garden. I am also the author of Requiem for a Redneck and the new Redemption for a Redneck--novels portraying the lives and doings of folks around the north Georgia hills. I have an English Education degree from the University of Georgia and very happily married to the lovely Dekie Hicks. You may enjoy my daily Quotes and Notes at http://johnschulzauthor.com/ View more posts

4 thoughts on “A Visit to the CoonHoundCemetery”

I love this post. Dekie told me about the Coon Dog Cemetery and it is good to see the pictures. Since 1937 the number of coon dogs finding their way to that lovely memorial spot is amazing. Do you plan to bury Speck there? I sure would be fitting.