Catholic (Old) 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, go toward Holloway on LA Hwy. 28 East, and turn right onto LA Hwy. 1207. Go 1.5 miles and turn right onto E. Paul Road (behind a large church). Bear to the right and continue for .8 miles and turn left at the sign "Old Catholic Cemetery - Mission Site 1835" and go .4 miles. The cemetery cannot be seen from E. Paul Road. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded by Mary Parker Partain on June 1992, and submitted by Jane P. McManus, April 17, 2001. On 12 June 1992, a group of teenagers vandalized this historic old graveyard. Most of the stones were damaged in some way; many were broken, some beyond repair; and many of the larger stones were turned over. The fence was broken and general damage was estimated in the thousands of dollars. Through the efforts of the Board of Directors and especially one of its members, Audrey Vandersypen, funds were raised from the families, the community, and with some restitution from the culprits, the cemetery was restored. A beautiful arch over the main gate with the date of "1835" has been repaired. Mrs. Audrey Vandersypen, who is a descendant of the Deville family was instrumental in identifying many of the unmarked burials, and supplied many of the dates found in family Bibles or other family genealogy. That genealogical information is included in brackets and should be used as a clue for further research or when contacting Mrs. Vandersypen in person. HISTORY - by Audrey C. Vandersypen (1986) Historical records show this settlement of French Creoles was established in the early 1800's. In 1834, the Reverend Father Robert Doogan, first pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church in Alexandria extended service to this newly developed settlement on Holloway Prairie. As there was no chapel, services were held in the Chevallier home. In 1853, a small chapel was built on this site while Father Dangles was pastor at St. Francis. Father Gergaud, a young priest, visited every other week. In 1867, Reverend Father J.B. Avenard, pastor at St. Francis, reported catechism classes were well organized in this area. In 1880, the population shifted to the Big Island area. St. John's Catholic Church was built and a cemetery established on Buckeye Hill. After many of the Catholic community moved to Big Island and a new church was built at Buckeye, less attention was given to the Old Catholic Cemetery. It is interesting to note even though Michel Deville was instrumental in organizing St. John's Catholic Church and Cemetery at Buckeye, he and his wife, Lucy Dupuis Deville, were later buried in this old cemetery. This leads the researcher [Audrey Vandersypen] to believe Michel's parents, John T. Deville & Felicity Jannot, both born at Post de Rapides, are also buried in this Old Catholic Cemetery. Through the years, the iron crosses on many of the graves were collected for the war effort. Forest fires took a heavy toll as many wooden crosses were burned. As a result, many of the older graves are no longer marked. Several interested families built individual chain-linked fences around their own family plot. These families are to be commended. They have kept the cemetery alive. The Reverend James Foster, a young priest assigned to St. John's Catholic Church, at what is now called Deville, in the early 1980's, alerted his congregation to the bad state of repair in this cemetery. On a designated Saturday, many of the community cut trees, cleaned graves, and brought a renewed attention to this lovely resting place of our ancestors. This five-acre plot of land, sold or donated through the years by various settlers, is to be used by the inhabitants of this community. Many natives of Post de Rapides are buried here in unmarked graves. These brave settlers blazed the trails for our freedom in this community. They lie in hero's graves. Descendants of these first settlers decided something constructive should be done. So with community effort in 1986, the Old Catholic Cemetery was incorporated. A fund was generated to assure perpetual care. A land survey was made of the cemetery and was recorded in the Rapides Parish courthouse. A chain link fence is to be erected around the five-acre plot. A memorial plaque and early community documents are displayed. Many people have become aware of this lovely spot that our ancestors chose for their final resting place. We, the committee, encourage everyone who has taken the time to read this to install in his or her children for future generations always to revere this chosen resting place. Donations can be sent to: Old Catholic Cemetery, 35 Maryland Avenue, Alexandria LA 71301. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 1 - fenced area]: Johnson, Ruben M. - 18 Mar 1896 / 6 Jun 1977 Daddy Johnson, Virginia Hope - 8 Feb 1923 / 24 Feb 1923 Johnson, Mike - 2 May 1854 / 4 Dec 1922 [Masonic Emblem] Johnson, Sarah C. - 17 Sep 1855 / 10 Jul 1885 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chevalier, Lizzie -[no dates] [burial inside small iron enclosure] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 2 - fenced area]: Paul, John Elvin - 19 Nov 1917 / 3 Sep 1989, Cox US Navy WW2 Paul, John Alton - 25 Jun 1947 / 19 Sep 1989 Paul, Martha Ellen - 22 Feb 1920 / 23 Sep 1962 Huffman, Zadie Adline - 26 Jul 1893 / 2 Oct 1950 Huffman, Eli Clemon - 2 Jan 1883 / 13 Feb 1939 Chevallier, Nancy J. - died 30 Dec 1918, 58 yrs. Mother Chevallier, Anthony A. - 14 Feb 1867 / 17 Dec 1927 Father [Double Stone] Chevallier, Mary E. Crooks - 7 Mar 1874 / 11 Aug 1912 Mother Chevallier, Edward D. - 1 Jan 1859 / 3 Feb 1940 Father [Double Stone] Taylor, Clara Jane [Huffman] - 2 Apr 1913 / 23 Mar 1979 Mother [Eastern Star Emblem] Taylor, Francis Harbin - 29 Sep 1900 / 16 May 1979 Father [Masonic Emblem] [Double Stone] Cross, Lottie [Huffman] - 26 Jun 1922 / 29 Jul 1972 Mother -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [old iron enclosure under large pine tree - no visible burials] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deville, Vallery - 20 Sep 1799 / Middle 1800's Deville, Elizabeth Huffman - 26 Jul 1796 / Middle 1800's [2 separate stones in the vicinity of above iron enclosure] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deville, Martha A. - 1852 / [29 Dec] 1912 Daughter of John T. Deville Jr. & Mary Crooks Deville Deville, Mary A. - [5 Dec] 1883 / [3 Dec] 1887 Deville, John R.[Russell] - [17 Apr] 1886 / [20 Apr] 1896 Deville, Adrian J.[Jefferson] - [9 Sep] 1894 / [7 Sep] 1896 Deville, James M.[Madison] - [14 Mar] 1898 / [3 Aug] 1898 Deville, Jessie J. - 1906 / 1906 [should be: 27 Jan 1904 / 27 Jan 1904] Deville, Martha M.[Minerva] - [7 May] 1902 / [16 Sep] 1907 Deville, Alpheus [Mitchell] - [29 Nov] 1903 / [29 Jan] 1908 [The above 7 children were sons & daughters of Thomas Jefferson Deville & Margarette Mahila Johnson. The above 8 names were on one stone, near the above iron enclosure.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Deville, John T. Jr. - 27 Jul 1829 / 20 Sep 1856] [Deville, Mary Crooks, wife of John T. Deville Jr. - 1828 / 19 Nov 1864] [These 2 burials have no tombstones, but they could be in the iron enclosure above as that is known to be part of the DeVille family, and they were buried here.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sanson, Martha Letitia - 2 Jan 1880 / Sep 1891 Sanson, Margaret Archangel - 2 Sep 1882 / 7 Feb 1892 [small enclosure with 2 burials; sisters of Peter Sanson] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 3]: Reeves, Louis - 8 Nov 1881 / 11 May 1967 [death date should be 14 May] Reeves, Laura Jane - 26 Dec 1875 / 15 Apr 1959 [death date should be 5 Apr 1950] Reeves, Margret Ellen - 4 Nov 1892 / 1 Jan 1941 Reeves, Joseph F. Sr. - 18 Jun 1848 / 28 Jul 1928 Ryland, Roena Reeves - 23 Mar 1880 / 26 Jan 1897? Wife of L.[Lavoisa Lacombe] Ryland [stone is mended across death date] Reeves, Robert R. - 1878 / 1886 Reeves, Jake A. - 1886 / 1909 Reeves, Margaret J. - 27 Jan 1854 / 23 Jan 1938 [birth year should be 1851] Reeves, Charles E. - 19 Apr 1888 / 29 Nov 1934 [death date should be 1924] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 4]: Wiggins, Sarah J.[Jane O'Neal] - 22 Jan 1871 / 22 Apr 1950 Mother [birth date should be 2 Jan] [D/O J.B. & Margaret O'Neal] O'Neal, Margaret Ryder - 18 Nov 1844 / 30 Jun 1931, 86 yrs. 7 mos. 12 das. Wife of J. B. O'Neal [death day should be 20 Jun] O'Neal, J.B.[John Baptiste] - 19 Nov 1843/14 Jun 1903, 59 yrs. 6 mos. 26 das Wiggins, Milton - 1 Jan 1896 / 18 Sep 1900 Wiggins, Moab - 19 Apr 1902 / 14 Nov 1905 O'Neal, Auguste Sr. - died at Holloway's Prairie Apr 1857, 74 yrs. [Augustus born 1783, married Sarah Irving, born in Scotland] [O'Neal, Dorothy Belgard - 3 Aug 1795 / 1860, 1st wife of Augustus O'Neal, tombstone missing, but burial identified by relatives.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chevalier, Jervy - 1859 / 1923 [burial outside above O'Neal plot] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 5 [ fenced]: Chevallier, Cad - [Jan 1852] / 14 Nov 1921 [married Dorothy O'Neal 14 Feb 1878] Chevallier, Dorothy O'Neal - 8 Dec 1861 / 31 Jan 1891 [W/O Cad Chevallier, D/O Augustus O'Neal & Sarah Irving] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chevalier, Wm. A. Jr. - 1850 [only date] Chevalier, Mary Archangel - 1850 [only date] Mabou, Joseph - 1844 [only date] Mabou, Jeanette Chevalier - 1840 [only date] [partial name on tombstone - unreadable] Gutheria, Martha C. - 1857 [only date] Gutheria, T. H. - 1855 [only date] Huffman, Jane C. - [no dates] Chevalier, W. Augustus - 1810 / 14 Jun 1878 Chevalier, Louise - 1820 / [broken & mended, unreadable] [Double Stone] - [stone outside the Chevalier plot in same row] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miller, Henry - 1848 / 1878 [born PA} Miller, Cecilia Chevallier - 1852 / 1902 [white cross with double nameplate in rear section near Chevallier plot] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [iron bars from 2 crosses, similar to others in the cemetery, leaning against a tree - no information] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnson, Lee - 1886 / 1891 [small iron enclosure] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [large white timber cross against oak tree with large rocks piled around it; inscription on base of cross is: "Beaubouef" It was erected in memory of the following family members, who have no other stones in this cemetery: Beaubouef, Ives Hypolite - 24 Jul 1800 St. Nicholas France / 1878 Beaubouef, Denise Belgard - 1802 / 1848 Beaubouef, Daniel - 1860 / 1885 Beaubouef, Marie Victoria - 1863 / ca 1868 Beaubouef, Caroline - ca 1866 / 1870 Beaubouef, Sylvester - 1835 / 1855 Beaubouef, Hypolite Jr. - ca 1839 / ca 1858 Beauboeuf, Denise - ca 1841 / ca 1865 Beauboeuf, Pierre - ca 1846 / ca 1868 Beauboeuf, Genevieve - ca 1848 / ca 1885 Beaubouef, Gabriel - [no dates] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Oldest marked burial in cemetery]: Latchey, Margaret - who died 30 Jun 1855, 74 yrs. [this broken stone is leaning against tree] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnson, Rosanna - 28 Sep 1855 / 22 Mar 1877 [iron enclosure, 1877 on brick slab, restored after vandalism] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [2 small iron crosses under cedar tree - no inscription] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 6 - iron fence] Deville, Michael [Michel] - 12 Nov 1821 / 11 Mar 1891 [S/O John T. Deville & Felicity Jannot] Deville, Lucindia [Du;ius] - 17 Nov 1823 / 11 Apr 1908 [Double Stone] - Erected by their heirs [Deville, John T. - 15 Feb 1785 Post de Rapides LA / 1850-1860] [Deville, Felicity Jannot - 31 Dec 1794 Post de Rapides LA / 1850-1860] [W/O John T. Deville] [no visible stones for these burials, but they are inside this Deville plot] Scoffie [Escoffie], Ellen [Dupius] - 7 Dec 1825 / 2 Aug 1909 Erected by the heirs of Michael Deville. Your friend J.J.D. [W/O Lamothe Escoffie who died in Civil War, sister to Lucindia Dupius] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deville, Lourant [Laurant] - 27 Feb 1857 / 21 Jun 1928 Deville, Susan - 12 Jun 1857 / 23 Jan 1922 [broken & mended stone] Deville, Alius - 27 Aug 1885 / 12 Aug 1907 [handlettered stone] Remembered by daughter Maria Morace Deville, Mary Madgeline, daughter of M&M Lourant Deville - [no dates] Deville, Zebedie, son of M&M Lourant Deville - [no dates] [Deville, Ben - no marker, no dates] [Above 6 burials are just outside Deville enclosure above] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Plot No. 7 - large area with fence]: Roberson, Annie C.[Crooks] - 17 Sep 1896 / 24 Dec 1974 Mother Roberson, James A. - 14 Nov 1886 / 31 Mar 1964 Father [Double Stone] Crooks, Cypran [C.] - 15 Sep 1850 / 26 Oct 1929 Crooks, [Mary] Artanges Price - 1860 / 11 Jul 1929 [broken stone] Wife of C.C. Crooks [D/O William Perry Price & Tellazie Jane LaPrarie] Price, [Tellazie] Jane [LaPrarie] - 14 Dec 1840 / 31 Oct 1924 [W/O William Perry Price] [Price, William Perry - 27 Jul 1833 England / 20 Mar 1887] [no stone] [Crooks, Henry - no dates, unreadable funeral marker, identified by family] [Crooks, Infant - no dates, no stone, identified by family] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A small wooden structure with a center wall that displays notices is in the center of the cemetery. Copies of old papers pertaining to this cemetery and the area around the Deville community are posted on both sides of the wall. A sign on the end of the building: "In memory of Clara E. Maddox Morrow - 1931 / 1986 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following burials had no stones or markers, but were identified by family members: Poston, James M.D. - 1820 Graveton [near Brenton TX] Talley, Jane Chevallier, wife of Joseph Talley - 1803 / unknown Talley, Joseph Louis - 1803 / unknown Paul, Jacob - [no dates] Paul, Harriet Deville - [no dates] Paul, George - [no dates] Price, Infant son of W.R. & Veronica Price - b&d May 1901 Price, Lennie - 22 Dec 1901 / 18 Feb 1905 O'Neal, Sarah Jane Ryder - [no dates] [this may be Sarah Jane O'Neal Wiggins] Jolly, George - 1853 / 1934 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------