Simple Faith, Enduring Legacy: Remembering Sarah Lemon
Photo taken by Greenwood Cemetery Board Member Linda Robertson
One of the most beautiful sculptural memorials in Greenwood Cemetery is that of Sarah Ann Kirkpatrick Lemon, located in Section 1 of the old cemetery. Atop the grave monument for Sarah and her husband George Lemon is a life-size marble statue of a woman in a simple dress, seated on rough stones, resting her head in her right hand in tranquil repose, with her eyes closed as if napping. In her left hand is a wreath of flowers, the symbol of the soul’s immortality, eternal life, and the promise of renewal.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
Sarah Kirkpatrick was born in County Down, Northern Ireland, in February 1841. When she was a young child, her parents immigrated to Richland County, Illinois, a city about 120 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri. When she was 17, she married George Lemon, a native of Belfast, Ireland, and moved with him to St. Louis. Mr. Lemon was connected with the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad.
Before the Civil War, the Lemons moved to New Orleans, where Mr. Lemon was yardmaster for the railroad that was to become the Illinois Central, and from there they moved to Jackson, Mississippi, about 1862. They made their home on Gallatin Street in West Jackson. George Lemon became a popular merchant, advertising a store on Capitol Street.
True to the Public Trust Since 1823
From Pulitzer Prize winners to those who served from the War of 1812 through WWII, Greenwood is a chronicle of sacrifice and success. Help us fund the research, tours, and preservation efforts that bring this history to life. Join us in honoring the depth and complexity of the Mississippi story.
For many years they were members of the First Presbyterian Church, but in 1894 they helped found the West Side Presbyterian Church, later known as Central Presbyterian Church. Sarah Lemon was a charter member and leading spirit of both the Ladies Aid and Missionary Societies associated with the church.
She died in Jackson in August 1909, at the age of 68, leaving her husband and five children to mourn her. Two other children had died as infants. At her death, the ladies of the church eulogized that “her life was an example of humility, true consecration, and simple child-like faith in the promises of God that were so dear to her.”
Do You Have More Information to Share?
Our historical research is never truly finished. Whether you have insights into our antique rose collection or stories of ancestors who rest here, your contribution helps Mississippi’s past come to life.