Finley Creek Baptist Church & Cemetery

Finley Creek baptist Church stands just east of the Bonetown/Sage area along Finley Creek for which it is named. The creek itself is named after the Finley family which is well represented in the adjacent cemetery. The Finley Family was among the first to move to Izard County having arrived in 1814 according to Samuel Thomas Taylor, Isaac Finley's grandson.
James Finley, who is buried here, enlisted twice in the CSA during the War Between the States. Both terms of service were served with the 27th Regiment of the Arkansas Infantry, first in Company H, then Company G. He enlisted both times as a private and was eventually paroled at Shreveport Louisiana in June, 1865. Accounts of the struggles of making their way home after the Civil-War have been recorded by other Izard County veterans of that conflict and one can imagine James Finley's was likely similar.

Another Finley of a later generation, Aubrey Finley (photo from marker), died in Germany only a little over a month before the Victory in Europe. He served as a Private First Class in the 19th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 14th Armored Division which crossed the Rhine River on Easter Sunday of 1945 only two days before he died. The unit faced heavy to moderate resistance during its push into Germany.

For a photo of the old John Finley homeplace and genealogical information about the family, visit this helpful page.