Antioch Primitive Baptist Church

Antioch was constructed in 1885. For over one hundred years, its congregation was, and is, made up of local farmers and mill hands from Banning. The cemetery at Antioch has been the spiritual resting place for many families employed at Banning, including: the Stitchers, Dukes, Pates, Holders, Loverns, Horsleys, Pattersons, and Thompsons.

Antioch Primitive Baptist Church as it appears today

Partial Inventory of the graveyard at Antioch Primitive Baptist Church

 

Auther Milard Stitcher, March 15, 1916 – Feb. 28, 1918
Albert Neal Stitcher, Nov. 8, 1909 – July 25, 1910
Henry W. Duke, 1899 – 1957
Maude A. Duke 1902 –
Ella Mae Pate, Feb. 14 1887 – Sept. 1, 1976
Sarah E. Thompson, May 29, 1890 – April 15, 1968
Richard H. Holder, March 4, 1934 – June 10, 1934
Raymond Stitcher, April 4, 1911 – June 6, 1926
Florice Elizabeth Patterson, July 14, 1937 – Aug. 14,1937
Samuel Pate, May 8, 1861-Nov. 30, 1932
Henry A. Holder, Aug. 14, 1876-Aug. 1, 1962
Louvenia G. Holder, Dec. 18, 1876-March 24, 1968
Henry Lovern, April 22, 1836-Nov. 18, 1907
Luvenia R. Horsley, April 24, 1907-Aug. 17, 1988
Julie A. Patterson, Sept. 3 1882- Nov. 25, 1973
Leila R. Stitcher, March 24, 1893-Dec. 18, 1986
Elizabeth Lovern, May 30, 1835-July 18, 1903
Mary Marjorie Milam Feb. 10, 1918-Feb. 5 1941
Harvey W. Pate, July 8, 1887-March 1, 1948
H. Clifton Stitcher, May 6, 1893-Oct. 11, 1922
Arther L. Sticher, Jan. 28, 1882- Sept. 2, 1964
Ella Sticher, April 2, 1878-Dec. 21, 1936
Joel R. Thomas, Dec. 18, 1892-? 7, 1971
Mary A. Thomas, Dec. 5, 1892
Elder William A. Thompson, April 6, 1890-Oct. 24, 1974

 
Elder William A. Thompson
In an interview with Minnie Brown, she recalled the important role her father, W. A. Thompson, played at Antioch. “He joined Antioch Baptist Church when I was ten years old. He was a pastor of that church for forty-one years. He got in a nursing home because of his kidneys and . . . he would come home and go to church. Somebody would take him back to the nursing home on Monday morning or Sunday night. When he died he was still a pastor at that church. And after he died, they got them a new preacher. But they always said that preacher Thompson would do. They wouldn’t get nobody [else]”.

 

 

Top: W. A. Thompson with granddaughter, Charlotte Fuller. Right: Grave of W. A. Thompson at Antioch.
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