A grave dedication involves a ceremony, the placement of a SAR plaque at the grave site which acknowledges his patriotic service during the Revolutionary War and placement in the SAR Patriot Grave Registry.
Dedication of the Grave of Elijah Clarke
Elijah Clarke Grave
Georgia Society SAR President, Wayne Brown
Dedication of the Grave of Thomas Maxwell
The Atlanta Chapter along with the Samuel Elbert and Button Gwinnett Chapters of SAR and the Stephen Heard Chapter of NSDAR were sponsors of the grave marking for Thomas Maxwell on September 2, 2017 in Elbert County, GA
THOMAS MAXWELL was born in Virginia and was a prisoner during the reign of [religious] persecution [against anyone who preached a religion other than the Church of England or Anglican religion]. Maxwell was apparently arrested by Culpeper County, VA authorities while in the very act of preaching at his church, as attested to by the following historical excerpt. ” Thomas Maxwell, who was a Baptist preacher in the days of persecution in Virginia…was taken from the pulpit and thrust into prison for preaching the gospel of the son of God.” He preached much through the grates of his prison. MAXWELL FAMILY TRADITION said that Patrick Henry himself defended Thomas Maxwell in his trial for preaching a religion in conflict with the state religion. He settled in Elbert county, in Georgia and died in 1837, aged ninety-seven years.”
Grave of Thomas Maxwell
NSSAR President General Larry Guzy from the National Society
Former Atlanta Chapter President Al Adams and descendant of Thomas Maxwell addresses the crowd on behalf of the Atlanta Chapter
Dedication of the Grave of Compatriot Thomas Fisher Craft
Fisher Craft served the SAR in a variety of officer and committee leadership positions, including Vice President General, Trustee of the Switzerland Society, Georgia National Trustee, Georgia Society State President (1996‐1997), and Atlanta Chapter President (1993). From 1993 through 2017 he was awarded no fewer than 18 SAR medals and Oak Leaf Clusters, including the National Minuteman Medal in 2003 and the Georgia Patriot Medal in 2003. He was active in numerous other lineage societies and was particularly active within the SAR as a Registrar and in programs supporting the SAR National Library, the Washington Memorial Genealogy Library in Macon, the Atlanta History Center Library, and other genealogy collections in Georgia.
Fisher Craft Grave Presentation of the Colors, GASSAR Color Guard Taps Musket Salute
