Big Island Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana Submitted by Jane Parker Mcmanus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Directions: From Pineville, take LA Hwy. 28 East, and turn right on Parish Road 1207. Go past Buckeye School to Deville and turn right on LA Hwy. 115. Continue for about 1.4 miles, and turn left on Parish Rd. 1206. Go an additional 1.6 miles to cemetery that is on the right, across the road from New Hope Free Methodist Church and Cemetery. A sign at the cemetery reads: "Big Island Memorial Gardens Cemetery founded May 15 1970 by the following families: Mattie Paul, Roy Miller, C.E. Smith, Sam Wilson, Harriett Smith, Edgar LaPrairie, H.G. Belgard, O.K. Paul, Sarah Verhayden, A.N. Floyd, A.R. Morace, Charlie Gardner, A.L. McNeely Sr., W.D. Fisher, Odron Fisher, K.M. Floyd, Monroe Woodson." This cemetery is divided into plots with the names on each fence. The area is well maintained, about two acres in size, and fenced. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded from the right, next to the front fence by Mary Parker Partain, 14 September 1996, and submitted by Jane P. McManus April 16, 2001. RIGHT SIDE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 1 - S. Verhayden plot] McNeely, Glen D. - 4 Apr 1933 / 17 Oct 1991 Daddy [Mac on funeral marker] McNeely, Ruth Deville - 13 Aug 1937 / [no dates] Mama [Double Stone] - Married 10 Jul 1954 Verheyden [sic], Jerry "Buddy" - 16 Dec 1964 / 2 Apr 1993 Verheyden [sic], Herman J. "Jerry" - 11 Aug 1941 / 15 Mar 1986 Verhayden, Louis G. - 15 Oct 1909 / 9 Apr 1982 Verhayden, Sarah Fisher - 28 Aug 1904 / 20 Dec 1981 [Double Stone] McNeely, Haywood - 10 Oct 1930 / 18 May 1977 McNeely, Mandy L. - 14 Mar 1936 / [no dates] [Double Stone] Verhayden, Willie Leo - 6 Sep 1940 / 14 Oct 1970 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 2 - E. LaPrairie plot] LaPrairie, Edgar H. - 13 Jun 1905 / 9 Mar 1980 Father LaPrairie, Aurelia Fisher - 31 Dec 1915 / [no dates] Mother [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 3 - E. Smith plot] Smith, Charles Everett - 9 Jan 1914 / 17 May 1976 Smith, Evelean Dodge - 18 Jan 1921 / [no dates] Mother [Double Stone] Dunn, Barney Eugene, I - 31 Oct 1943 / 20 May 1991 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 4 - R. Morace plot] Thompson, Bobby B. - 25 Jun 1935 / 2 Jul 1988 Cole, Bud - 11 Jun 1930 / 27 Jan 1987 Daddy Kleman, Edward Joseph - 19 Jan 1916 / 13 May 1996 [Funeral Marker] Morace, James Huey - 10 Mar 1933 / 11 Aug 1996 [Funeral Marker] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 5 - M. Woodson plot] Woodson, Greggory A. - 16 May 1959 / 7 Jan 1982 Woodson, Monroe Jervis - 7 Sep 1903 / 4 Jan 1995 Daddy Woodson, Tressie Belgard - 26 Aug 1910 / [no dates] [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 6 - O. Paul plot] Paul, Olive K. - 23 Aug 1910 / 22 Aug 1990 Daddy Paul, Eva Lois - 29 Nov 1917 / [no dates] Mother -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crawford, Melvin J. - 8 Apr 1913 / 12 Sep 1990 [In open area between plot # 6 & # 7] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 7 - W. Fisher Sr. plot] Wilson, Tammie Marie - 15 Nov 1963 / 13 Jan 1971 Daughter of Clifford & Mary Wilson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 8 - A. McNeely plot] Vercher, Orvil Wayne - 5 Feb 1944 / 31 Jul 1983 McNeely, Alvin L. Sr. - 12 Aug 1906 / 2 Sep 1971 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [plot with no name or number] Wilson, Margaret K. - 26 Feb 1920 / [no dates] [Eastern Star Emblem] Wilson, Benjamin F. - 30 Apr 1917 / 1 Nov 1971 [Eastern Star Emblem] [Identical Stones] Hughes, John F. - 22 Apr 1897 / 19 Jun 1974 Hughes, Jesse M. - 30 Oct 1899 / 9 Jul 1974 [Identical Stones] Gardner, Jack - 4 Mar 1910 / 28 Sep 1978 Gardner, Elaine G. - 31 Jul 1920 / [no dates] [Double Stone] Price, J. W. - 3 Jul 1917 / 10 Jun 1971 Briggs, Luther L. "L.L." - 23 Feb 1912 / 17 Mar 1991 Briggs, Lovie J. "Josie" - 5 Sep 1922 / [no dates] Mother [Double Stone] - Married 3 Sep 1941 LaPrarie [sic], L. J. - 1929 / 1971 Sadly missed by Mother & 2 sweet little boys & daughter Morace, Willie Everet - 30 Sep 1912 / [no dates] Morace, Ruby Mae - 28 Feb 1918 / 9 Jun 1981 Mama [Double Stone] Kilpatrick, John B. Jr. - 25 Mar 1918 / 22 Jan 1995 Kilpatrick, Bertie M. - 31 Sep 1921 / 16 Dec 1982 [Double Stone] Deville, Calvin C. - 15 Dec 1905 / 20 Sep 1991 Deville, Minnie N. Morace - 12 Sep 1909 / 8 Feb 1995 [maiden name off funeral marker] [Double Stone] Knapp, Ruby Morace - 9 Sep 1915 / 20 Aug 1992 Maw-Maw Knapp, Rev. Mack L. - 21 Mar 1909 / 6 Nov 1992 Paw-Paw [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEFT SIDE [Back Fence toward Front Fence]: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 17 - K. Floyd plot] Miller, William H. - 2 Dec 1906 / 10 Mar 1977 Floyd, Tishie Mae Cook - 29 May 1905 / 27 Jun 1987 Floyd, Infant son of Harold & Billie Floyd - 11 Nov 1972 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 16 - H. Smith plot] Smith, Lois Stockwell - 9 Jun 1926 / [no dates] Smith, Willard W. "Pete" - 5 Aug 1927 / 20 Jun 1979 [Double Stone] LaPrarie, Annie Lee - 22 Nov 1925 / 24 Sep 1995 LaPrarie, J. Howard - 1 Jan 1918 / 7 Jan 1978 [Double Stone] Smith, Joseph Leonard - 9 Dec 1916 / 3 Jul 1972 Father Smith, Ethelyn Hughes - 13 Jun 1920 / [no dates] Mother [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 15 - M. Paul plot] Judd, Willard Edward - 14 Jan 1953 / 12 Aug 1980, Sgt. USAF Vietnam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 14 - O. Fisher plot] Fisher, Leona Cole - 27 Dec 1917 / 19 Apr 1983 Mother Fisher, Odron P. - 17 Dec 1917 / 8 Feb 1989 [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lucas, Aaron Blake, son of Chuck & Ramona Lucas - 18 Oct 1993 [burial between plot nos. 14 & 13] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 13 - O. Gardner plot] Gardner, James Wallace - 25 Dec 1938 / 26 Sep 1980 Gardner, Orris S. - 26 Jan 1949 / 23 Sep 1983 [Masonic Emblem] Gardner, Estelle W. - 12 Feb 1919 / [no dates] Gardner, Charlie G. - 31 Jan 1916 / 29 Mar 1993 [Double Stone] - Married 19 Dec 1934 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 12 - S. Wilson plot] Wilson, Grace S. - 11 Nov 1907 / 6 Jul 1977 Wilson, Samuel M. - 14 Jul 1904 / 14 Nov 1988 [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 11 - R. Miller plot] Miller, Roy S. - 23 Jan 1909 / 1 Feb 1979 Father Miller, Hattie L. - 22 Jan 1911 / 15 Jun 1978 Mother [Double Stone] Floyd, Infant son of Harold & Billie Floyd - 11 Nov 1972 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 10 - N. Floyd plot] Floyd, Augustus Newton - 7 Aug 1889 / 26 Oct 1979 Father Floyd, Louella Aycock - 23 Aug 1906 / 1 Oct 1992 Mother [Double Stone] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [No. 9 - H. Belgard plot] Belgard, Harry G. - 7 Jul 1912 / 27 Aug 1992 [Double Stone - 2nd stone missing] Fisher, Robert Lance - 5 Sep 1984 / 18 Feb 1986 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Burials since cemetery copied: Deville, Albert H. "Doc" - died 10 Nov 1996, 71 yrs, US Army --------------------------------------------------------------------------------