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The People Who Lived on the Land that is Now Redstone Arsenal, page 338
ELNORA CLAY LANIER A few years ago, Dr. Elnora Lanier telephoned the Redstone Arsenal Cultural Resource Manager (CRM). She wanted to obtain permission from the Army to put a monument on her mother's grave. Since the researcher was interested in meeting people who had ties to the former arsenal communities, the CRM asked her if she wanted to follow-up on the call. Thus, the researcher telephoned Dr. Lanier, and they agreed to meet for lunch. Changing the Name of a Cemetery During lunch, the researcher learned a bit about Elnora's family on the arsenal and about the cemetery. Elnora is the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt Clay, Sr. and Bennie Lacy. Elnora said the Army had put up a monument at the cemetery with the name New Mount Olive Cemetery on it. She said this was not the correct name for the cemetery. The name should be corrected to Jamar Cemetery. She wished to put a stone on her mother's grave there. Her grandmother was a Jamar. She said New Mount Olive was the correct name for the church that had been beside the cemetery; however, the cemetery was not associated with the church. [The request for a change of name of the cemetery name was submitted to the Army, and the change was made to Jamar Cemetery. This is the cemetery listed in the Cemeteries of Madison County, Vol. 1 (1971) as Moore Cemetery and denoted as “Colored”.] Introducing the Jamar/Clay Family of Pond Beat The researcher has drawn from her conversations with Elnora, and the submission of Dr. Theodore Roosevelt Clay, Jr., to The Heritage Book of Madison County to introduce the Jamar/Clay family who lived in Pond Beat. In writing the story, the researcher has drawn diagrams to illustrate the “family tree” of Elnora Clay Lanier. Elnora's paternal grandparents, Octavia and Deliah (“Buddy”) Clay, lived in Pond Beat on the land of Schiffman & Co., Inc. Buddy Clay and Octavia Jamar were married in 1901. Apparently, Elnora's grandfather, Deliah Clay, was not fond of his first name. He was known as “Buddy,” and he signed his name D.L. Clay. Buddy Clay was born in Decatur in Morgan County. He was the third son of Winne Draper Clay and Wash Clay. [The Clay's other children were Cutchie, Ella, Dock, Gurtee, and Emmit.] Elnora's grandmother, Octavia Jamar Clay, was the daughter of Lettie, who served as a cook on the plantation of James Jamar. Lettie had no last name. She was said to be part Indian. She had three children, fathered by James Jamar, “the old master.” They were Octavia (1882), Walter (1876), and Virginia (1879). Elnora Lanier said her Grandmother Octavia was the youngest, and was a baby when her mother [Lettie] ran 338 - (4371)