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Located just south of the 27/63 intersection in Huntsville, just outside the state highway right-of-way and enclosed in chain-link fencing, is the Rose Family Cemetery. Dating back to the mid 1950s, this well-kept cemetery is small, consisting of only seven graves, and not necessarily active; only two burials have been added to the cemetery since 1980, and none since 2009.
It started with a baby’s grave
Like so many cemeteries in Scott County and, really, just about anywhere else, this cemetery started with the burial of a baby.
In 1955, Sharon Kay Stephens died less than one month before her second birthday. Her headstone reads, “Our Little Angel.”
Sharon Kay was the daughter of John Estle Stephens (1932-2001) and Norma Jean Rose (1932-2009). Her parents are the two burials that have taken place at the small family cemetery since 1980.
Tragedy struck the Stephens family again in 1956, when baby Michael Ray died. He was Sharon Kay’s brother, born and died on Aug. 28, 1956.
The Stephens family
John and Norma Jean would have five more children who survived: sons Rick, Mike, and Terry, and daughters Sue and Patty. At the time of Norma Jean’s death in 2009, they had 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Most of their children moved away from Scott County, but Terry and his wife, Veronica, still live in Oneida. Daughter, Sue, later returned to Oneida, as well.
John Estle Stephens, born Sept. 8, 1932 in Scott County, was the son of Louis Stephens and Mildred Goad. Norma Jean Rose was born Jan. 19, 1932 in Pennington Gap, Va., the daughter of Walker Freeman Rose and Gola Kidd.
The Rose family
The small family cemetery at the 27/63 intersection took on the name of the Rose family, and that’s where Norma Jean’s parents, Walker Freeman and Gola Kidd Rose, would both be buried.
Walker Freeman Rose, born in 1895, was a World War I veteran and a career coal miner. The son of Milford Rose and Parlia Warman, he was born in McCreary County. His parents were actually married in Scott County in 1884. But they lived most of their lives in Kentucky, in the Parkers Lake area of northern McCreary County.
Walker met and married Gola “Goldie” Kidd in Scott County on Oct. 15, 1919. Born in 1899, she was the daughter of William Marion Kidd and Sarah L. Strunk.
Walker worked as a farm hand as a teenager, but soon went to work in the coal mines after reaching adulthood. It was work in the mines that took him from his native McCreary County to Virginia, where he worked as a machine hand. That’s where Norma Jean, the fifth-oldest of seven children, was born.
Walker eventually was promoted to mine foreman, and had the opportunity to come back home. The family had settled in the Straight Fork area of eastern Scott County by 1940, with Walker overseeing operations at a mine there. And it was in Scott County that Norma Jean and John met. They were married on July 23, 1952.
The family cemetery
The Rose Family Cemetery began with the deaths of Sharon Kay Stephens in 1955 and Michael Ray Stephens in 1956.
Walker died on Dec. 5, 1968 and was buried next to his grandchildren. Goldie died on April 7, 1980 and was buried there, as well.
On Aug. 22, 1980, Estal Rose died at age 65 in Texas. He was returned to Scott County for burial in the family cemetery. He was a son of Walker and Goldie — Norma Jean’s brother.
That was the last burial at the cemetery until 2001, when John was buried there. Norma Jean was buried there in 2009.
View the complete Sacred Ground archive on the Encyclopedia of Scott County.
The schedule for Saturday’s ‘Haunting in the Hills’
ONEIDA | The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area’s 33rd annual Haunting in the Hills Storytelling Festival is set for Saturday in the Bandy Creek area of the national park. The festival will include a full day of stories, heritage and music.
The Knoxville Dulcimer Club will lead free workshops during the day, inviting visitors to try the dulcimer. A flute circle will also perform throughout the day.
As the evening begins, concerts will take place on the main stage. Crazy Chester will perform at 6 p.m., featuring banjo player Paul “Hoss” Davis and guitarist Kenny Gilreath performing a mix of folk, classic rock and Americana. At 7 p.m., Gerald Hanright, a musician from Rugby, will perform blues, jazz and rock.
Other events throughout the day include a guided bird walk led by Dr. Charles Nicholas at 8 a.m., an old-timey toys display from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., craft vendors from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and, of course, storytelling.
The storytelling schedule includes Anne Rutherford at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Karin Amano at 11:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., Norm Brecke at 12 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and Tamara Green at 12:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. There will be additional storytelling from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the main stage.
The event is free and family-friendly.
Here is the complete schedule:
8 a.m. - 9 a.m.: Guided Bird Walk (Dr. Charles Nicholas).
10 a.m.: Dulcimer Workshop Class.
11 a.m.: Dulcimer Workshop Class.
12 p.m.: Dulcimer Workshop Class.
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.: Old Timey Toys.
10 a.m. - 7 p.m.: Crafts Vendors.
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Demonstrators/Exhibits.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Smokey Mountain Flute Circle.
11 a.m.: Anne Rutherford (storytelling).
11:30 a.m.: Karin Amano (storytelling).
12 p.m.: Norm Brecke (storytelling).
12:30 p.m.: Tamara Green (storytelling).
2 p.m.: Anne Rutherford (storytelling).
2:45 p.m.: Karin Amano (storytelling).
3:30 p.m.: Norm Brecke (storytelling).
4:15 p.m.: Tamara Green (storytelling).
6 p.m.: Crazy Chester.
7 p.m.: Gerald Hanright.
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.: Haunting in the HIlls tales.
ABOUT THE STORYTELLERS
Karin Amano: Originally from Japan, Karin was trained in Japanese traditional song, dance, and theater. In 1991, she moved to New York City to study Educational Theater at NYU and performed in off-off-Broadway productions. She was a full-time storyteller and actor at Walt Disney World for 11 years, where she still performs annually at Epcot’s Japan Pavilion for the International Festival of the Holidays. She has been telling Japanese folktales in various settings, including cultural festivals, schools, and libraries throughout the U.S.
Norm Brecke: Before becoming a full-time storyteller, Norm Brecke was an award-winning teacher. Norm’s playful and frequently laughter-peppered tales come from many traditions, be they folktales, personal, historical, scary, or original stories. He often sings and accompanies himself on guitar as well. Norm has performed in festivals across America, most recently at the 2024 Kansas Storytelling Festival. He and Anne Rutherford were tellers-in-residence in Jonesborough, TN, in 2023. He’s written a children’s book, The Man Who Loved Dragons and co-authored 52 Story Jokes: Anyone Can Tell and 52 Animal Story-Jokes: Anyone Can Tell with Anne. His 2020 CD, The Rough Edge of the Ocean, was an award-winner. Online, he co-produces quarterly Good Liars Club Shows and is a member of the TBD Storytellers group.
Tamara Green: Raised in Memphis and rooted in Odessa, Florida, Tamara Green is a master storyteller who discovered her passion through the vivid tales shared by her father. What began as daily storytelling grew into a lifelong mission to inspire, entertain, and foster empathy through narrative.With a love for African folklore, urban tales, spooky stories, Florida legends, and history, she crafts performances that resonate with audiences of all ages. As an educator and mentor, she’s led workshops and guided young storytellers to national stages, including the National Storytelling Showcase in Utah. Her storytelling has been featured at major festivals and institutions such as the Zora Neale Hurston Festival, Miami Book Fair International, Cracker Storytelling Festival, and universities across Florida. Wherever she speaks, she brings laughter, insight, and a deeper connection to the shared human experience.
Anne Rutherford: Raised between a graveyard and a cow pasture, Anne Rutherford developed a love for spine-tingling tales, quirky characters, and a good laugh. She’s an award-winning storyteller known for her funny and heartfelt performances that blend personal adventures, West Coast folklore, and prize-winning tall tales. A five-time champion of the Northwest Folklife Liars Contest, Anne’s stories ring true, even when they’re full of malarkey.
DISCOVER MORE AT DISCOVERSCOTT.COM
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