SILVERGREEN CEMETERY, Goulds, Dade County, Florida File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Michael Mitchell, (gostpiper@aol.com). Compiled by Lydia Walker USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. This file may not be removed from this server or altered in any way for placement on another server without the consent of the State and USGenWeb Project coordinators and the contributor. *********************************************************************** Directions: Take US-1 south from Cuttler Ridge to Coconut Palm Drive. Proceed west or right to 137 Ave., then north (or right again) on 240 Street. At the left hand bend in the road, take the dirt road to the right, and proceed about 800 feet. The Cemetery is located on the left or north side of the road. The cemetery is half way between the canal and 240th Street. History: Gaston Drake (Owner of Drake Lumber Co., Miami, Florida) provided an area of land west of the Quarters (13701 S.W. 240 Street) to be used as a cemetery for his Black workers. Mr. Major Beatty remembers as a member of the Light of the East Masonic Lodge #1 that the Masons acquired the cemetery in the late twenties or early thirties for taxes. It became the permanent burial site for all blacks from Homestead to Perrine. "Opening a grave for burial usually took two days with several men pitching in to help. The land was Coral rock, which required the use of picks, grubbing hoes and shovels to break it up". In January 1919 Johnnie (Catman) Everett's sister-in-Law died of Tuberculosis. He was skilled in the use of dynamite and used it to prepare her grave. Everett became the official gravedigger for the area from 1919-1955 and was able to open a grave in less than six hours. Insurance companies did not seek black policyholders until the thirties, therefore it was seldom enough money to cover the cost of one hundred fifty ($150.00) dollars for the cheapest cloth-covered casket. Door to door collections (passing the hat) were usually made by a friend of the deceased. Contributions were made according to how the donor felt about the collector. When a death occurred, family members notified their Funeral Director (in Miami), the Minister, the Masons, and the gravedigger. The family paid the Masons twenty-five dollars for the grave space and gave the gravedigger five dollars for the opening and closing of the grave. Many times the family could not afford to pay, the grave space and the opening and closing was given with their blessings. Most funeral services were held on Sunday after the 11:00 A.M. service, which lasted until 2:00 P.M. The church was usually crowded for the funeral because of the transportation problem. Many families walked to church and stayed all day until the services were over. However, when a funeral was held, very few people returned to the church for the evening service. The minister depended on the donations and dues from both services for his salary. With the increase of Sunday funerals and the continuous loss of revenue for the church, the ministers notified the funeral directors that funerals would no longer be held on Sunday. The last known burial in Silvergreen Cemetery occurred on 17 June 1955. The Masons sold the cemetery in 1955. BOND, b. No Date d. Jun 10 1954, "Mother, Rand, Olph, Harris, Bond, Au (1?) 1953, (cement, hand carved with stick, hard to read). BYRD, John Thomas, Aug 13 1938 (only date), "FLORIDA PVT. 20 ENGRS., (facing west) EL, Calvin, b. 1913 d. 1954, (vault, with top above ground) JONES, Samuel J., Jul 3 1921 (only date), (only top half of gravestone exists, cement) Interments: ALEXANDER, Willis C. ARMSTRONG, David BANKSTON, Jimmie BECKWITH, James BECKWITH, Lillian BECKWITH, Nancy BOWLES, Gus BROWN, Cassie CAIL, D.D. ? CAIL, Lilla ? CALLOWAY, Addie CALLOWAY, Jake CALLOWAY, Oscar CHEATHAM, Liza CHERRY, Caldonia CHERRY, J. COOPER, Cassie COTTNER, Howard DYE, Beatrice DYE, Georgia DYE, Robert ELLIS, Pal EVERETT, Annie, 1919 EVERETT, James EVERETT, Pearl FERGUSON, Ondine GAMMAGE, Daisy GAMMAGE, John W. GAITHER, Alice GAITHER, David GAITHER, James GAITHER, Rebecca GREEN, Willie Mae HARPER, Roosevelt HARRINGTON, Jasper HARRIS, Zetta HARVEY, E. JOHNSON, Maggie, Jun 17 ??55 JONES, Jim KING, Josh LAGREE, Boise LAGREE, Mattie LEE, Brooks LEE, Martin Sr. LEWIS, Willa MANDY, John MCKINNEY, Katherine MCKINNEY, Joe MCKINNEY, Shedrick PASCHAL, Dennis PERRY, Riley RICHARDSON, Lizzie ROBINSON, Viola ROBINSON, Will SANCHEZ, Columbus SANCHEZ, Ella SASSER, Will SCAVELLA, Lucy SIMMONS, (Midwife) STEPHENS, Dan TANNER, Henrietta WALKER, Mary WALKER, Robert WRIGHT, Gifford WRIGHT, William (disinterred) WILLIAMS, Carrie D.