First Bethlehem Baptist Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana (African-American Cemetery) Submitted by Jane Parker McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Directions: In Alexandria, turn on LA Hwy. 496 (Bayou Rapides Road) and go 3.1 miles. Cemetery is on the right beside a pretty, white frame church with white steeple in the center. An obvious sign of the times, the church has iron bars on the windows. A plaque on First Bethlehem Baptist Church reads: "First Bethlehem Baptist Church built in 1939 by W. C. Grimble, solicited funds, and lumber from sawmills. Schoolboard donated windows, doors, and coverings. Deacons: S. Madison & P. Bullins; W. J. Grimble, Secretary; B. Grinstard, Treasurer; Rev. D. Smith, Pastor." Both the church and burial ground are well maintained by the small African- American congregation. The cemetery spreads from the front of the church to the back and across to the other side with the church right in the center. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded from the front fence toward the back on the left side in zigzag rows by Mary Parker Partain, May 1992. Submitted by Jane P. McManus * * * Jones, Gertrude - 15 Nov 1901/4 Apr 1964 Mother Young, Sarah (Sister) - 1901/1956 Williams, Ada - 22 May 1885/3 Aug 1959 Grandmother Brooks, Gary - 7 Apr 1960/25 Nov 1980 Lair?, Rosane - died 7 Sep 1954, 68 yrs Haines, Elizabeth Winchester - 5 Feb 1916/3 Aug 1987 Smith, Virgie - 1880/1958 Whale?, Juleis - died 1952, 71 yrs Smith, George - 1 Jul 1861/1 Mar 1934 Smith, Robert - 22 Nov 1893/13 Apr 1936 Feaz, James A. - 30 Sep 1928/8 Jan 1935 Hunter, Julia (Mrs.) - 10 Jan 1954, 91 yrs Nelson, Dave Sr. - 1 May 1886/6 Dec 1954 Texada, Mary Madison - 5 Jun 1919/16 Feb 1990 Texada, Willie - 23 Apr 1917/9 Oct 1978 Cooper, Nemire - [unreadable dates, infant burial] Matthews, Phillip - 2 Feb 1892/14 Apr 1956, LA Pfc. Co. D 307 Labor BN QMC WW1 Green, Willie - [unreadable dates] Culbert, Augusta Innis - 8 Mar 1891/9 May 1966 Culbert, Henry Sr. - 2 Mar 1864/11 Apr 1956 [open area with no burials] Dorsey, Lenora - 23 Jun 1936/7 Mar 1968 Blake, Edwina - 10 Feb 1905/8 Dec 1981 Williams, Daisy Spike - 14 Jul 1914/21 May 1984 Welch, Lou - 29 Nov 1895/2 Jun 1984 Addison, Nora Sr. - 8 Nov 1905/16 Jul 1985 Cary, Sarah Ann - died 10 Oct 1917, 86 yrs Green, Charles - 29 Jun 1920 [only date] LA Pvt. 9 Cav. Bailey, Sarah - 15 Mar 1880/6 Aug 1929 Mother Dorsey, Mary - 16 May 1880/5 Jan 1951 Madison, Lela - 1888/1955 Madison, Alice - [unmarked concrete vault, name in pencil] Holton, Almeater - 20 Jan 1924/27 Mar 1929 Baylor, (Mrs.) ? - died 1948 [unreadable concrete marker] Jones, James - 1898/1946 or 1949? Dunbar, Steve - 1864/1945 Father Joseph, Louise - [unreadable dates] Mother Joseph, Joe - 12 Jul 1900/20 Oct 1971 Father Dunbar, Frozine - 1944, 74 yrs Mother Joseph, Joe Sr. - 1945, 72 yrs Father Dorsey, John Douglass - died 9 Nov 1991, 53 yrs Overton, Mamie Shorter (Mrs.) - 16 Sep 1920/3 Oct 1990, 69 yrs Reynor, Earnest - [no information] Gray, Rosie - [unreadable dates] Davis, Anna - died 13 May 1902, 21 yrs Mother Joseph, Joe - died 5 Feb 1945 [no inscription on top vault] [Double vault - back left corner] Green, Joe - [unreadable dates] Adams, Alex - died 1 Apr 1903, 23 yrs Mathews, C. - 1880/1953 Welch, Cornelius - 25 Dec 1890/4 Nov 1960 Summerville, Charolette Gilder - 7 Sep 1901/4 Aug 1981 Winchester, Len (Rev.) - 7 Mar 1897/20 Oct 1979 Alexander, Clementine Culbert - 1855/1940 Mother Tyler, Elease S. - 30 Nov 1917/9 Dec 1984 Shorter, William - 28 Oct 1929 [only date], LA Pvt. 161 Depot Brig. Balque, Kendrick & Derrick - 2 Feb 1989 Madison, Rosa Lee H. - 5 Dec 1913/14 Nov 1983 Hans, Adeline J. - 4 Feb 1892/2 Jul 1980 Hans, Alfred - 27 Nov 1890/3 Jul 1965 Madison, Alfred - 1933/1966, LA Pfc. US Army Korea Shorter, Beatrice M. - 5 Sep 1909/16 May 1973 Madison, Sam Sr. - 1882/1969 Brown, Lelia M. (Mrs.) - 1 Apr 1935/26 Mar 1968 Haines, Alfred Jr. - 2 Jan 1917/31 Oct 1977, Pfc. US Army WW2 Grimble, Thomas W. Sr. (Rev.) - 1878/1950 Grimble, Rachel - died 1939 Small, Lee - 4 Jul 1875/12 Apr 1936 [Note: On the left in front of the Church next to the road there are three concrete vaults made of old used brick that appear to have been here a long time. There is no information on the vaults. Behind these tombs and the rest of the cemetery, there are many depressions, which indicates that this was once a very, very large cemetery, however, but most of the burials are lost now. A rough count of depressions would be over 100, with at least 65 unmarked vaults and unreadable stones. MPP] First Bethlehem Cemetery