2026 Q1 Newsletter

Letter from the Editor

Dear Friends of LOFC,

The beginning of 2026 roared like a lion with a massive storm moving across large swaths of the country. Snow and ice left widespread damage across northern Mississippi, affecting 47 of Mississippi’s 82 counties. Both Holmes County and Lexington experienced widespread power failures as well as disruptions to their water supply. Many have compared this storm to the ice storm of 1994. Although the grounds of LOFC suffered from downed trees and fallen limbs along the fence line, our groundskeeper, Toddrick Brooks, has already restored the cemetery grounds to its pre-storm condition.

Thanks to your generous response to our 2025 autumn fundraising letter, we have sufficient funds not only to meet our budget for the coming year but also to cover unexpected expenses, such as the recent ice storm. We are extremely grateful to everyone who answered our call and contributed. The generosity shown by the LOFC community every year motivates our Board and plays an essential role in helping us maintain and preserve our historic cemetery. Though many have moved away from Lexington, Holmes County, or Mississippi, a lasting bond remains with our former home and ancestral resting place.

Recently, I read an insightful and thoroughly researched book about Holmes County entitled “Borrowed Land, Stolen Labor, and the Holy Spirit,” by Diane T. Feldman. If you have not yet read it and wish to learn more about the history and settlement of Holmes County, I highly recommend it. Holmes County, established in 1833, was named in honor of David Holmes. He was the first governor of the Mississippi Territory and later became the inaugural elected governor when Mississippi achieved statehood in 1817. Holmes, originally from Pennsylvania, previously served as a Virginia Congressman, and President Thomas Jefferson appointed him as the first governor of the newly formed Mississippi Territory.

Native American communities lived in Holmes County for about ten thousand years before European settlers arrived. Feldman notes that native history is evident in the mounds that remain, projectile points often found in fields and streams, and in place names such as Tchula, Yazoo, and Mississippi—which means “big river” at the river’s headwaters in the language of Native people.

I gained a wealth of knowledge about Holmes County and its history from Feldman’s scholarly work. I plan to use it as a resource for future newsletters. In the meantime, I hope you will obtain a copy of her book, read it, and share your personal insights with me.

Once again, we are grateful to everyone who generously donated to LOFC last year or during January 2026. Many first-time donors, especially younger individuals, are contributing. You can view the list of donors by clicking https://LexingtonOddFellowsCemetery.com/donors. If you would like to add your name to this all-star list, you may click on https://LexingtonOddFellowsCemetery.com/giving or mail a tax-deductible check to LOFC, P. O. Box1213, Lexington, MS 39095.

With kind regards, I am

Amanda Povall Gibbs

To Donate by check

Please mail your tax-deductible checks to:
Lexington Odd Fellows Cemetery, Inc.
PO Box 1213
Lexington, MS 39095-1213

To Donate online

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR ONLINE DONATION

To Join the LOFC Maintenance Club
(Make a monthly recurring donation for ongoing maintenance)

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MAINTENANCE CLUB

Lexington Odd Fellows Cemetery, Inc. is a 501(c)13 organization, and your gifts are deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.