First Evening Star Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana Submitted by Jane Parker McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** FIRST EVENING STAR (African-American) CEMETERY - Rapides Parish Directions: From MacArthur Drive in Alexandria, turn west on LA Hwy. 496 (Bayou Rapides Road) and go 5.3 miles. This large cemetery is on the left, behind the Church. A plaque on front of the building reads: "First Evening Star Baptist Church, organized 5 Jun 1868, Rev. Robert Cleveland, Pastor." The cemetery was probably here before 1868 and includes some of the oldest Black families in the area. Although the original Church building was built in 1868, the inside has been restored in modern times. The two double belfries and church pews are original. A beautiful antique frame holds photographs of past ministers of the church. There could be 100, possibly 150 unmarked graves (depressions in ground), and at least 100 vaults or slabs with no identification. We regret that we have so little information about the many families who are not identified. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded by Mary Parker Partain, May 1992, and submitted by Jane P. McManus, July 2000. [Back right corner to front]: Curry, Alice Piper - 25 Feb 1903 / 10 Jul 1948 Unco - 1948 [unreadable stone] Quiney, Wash - 1895 / 1948 Buckner, George - died Mar 1940 Green, Ellen - 2 Apr 1914 / 21 Jul 1974 Smith, Sarah Ann - died 3 Jan 1936, 71 yrs. Mother Howard, Rev. B. J. - [concrete vault] Howard, Gisteever (Mrs.) - 25 Feb 1937 [only date] [5 brick vaults enclosed in hurricane fence, white bricks with red brick tops] Quinney, Coby - 5 Jan 1899 / 6 Jul 1974 Scott, Sarah Ann Quiney - 3 Apr 1960, 47 yrs. Daughter Quiney, Lucille - died 28 Jun 1935, 20 yrs. Daughter Quinney, Carrie Smith - 1 Apr 1892 / 7 Dec 1978 Quinney, Rig - 29 Feb 1890 / 19 May 1987 Quinney, Eleanor T. - 1 Mar 1892 / 9 Jun 1932 Mother Lowe, Abe (Mr.) - died 1 Jun 1932 William, ?Marvin or Martin? Lowe (Mr.) - died 1932, 33 yrs. Jackson, Wash - 1852 / 1927 Father Harris, Jane - 1878 / 1928 Mother Quiney, Willie - died 30 May 1927, 31 yrs. Hun??, Elizabeth - 1856 / 1949 [unreadable stone] Hunter, Ed Jr. - 1905 / 1925 Dorsey, Pearl - 9 Mar 1898 / 1926 Baylor, Rachel - died 3 Jul 1907, 50 yrs. Morris, Houston - ?1887 / 1922? Smith, Julia (Sister) - died 5 Feb 1925, 35 yrs. Smith, Beatrice - 3 Nov 1898 / 21 May 1964 Mother Smith, Eligha Sr. - 27 Feb 1905 / 20 Jan 1970 Father Stafford, Mack Henry Sr. - 23 Feb 1926 / 1 Apr 1989 [toward the road, there were a few broken stones scattered around - no information] Walker, Rosana - 1903 / 1904 [broken stone] Boden, Hannah - died 1903 [broken stone] Morris, Sam - died 24 Apr 1914, 38 yrs. Brewer, Clarissa - 5 May 1943 / 18 Apr 1916 [unreadable stone] - 1841 / 1917 [large area, probably many lost graves here] [Behind the church]: Green, James - died 28 May 1918, 65 yrs. Overyal, Corneulis - 12 Aug 1856 / 1 Feb 1948 Humphrey, Rev. W. (Pastor) - 13 Mar 1905 / 27 Feb 1967 Williams, Lucy T. - 13 Oct 1901 / 10 Sep 1980 Coleman, Bernard Jr. - 2 Mar 19961 / 25 Jan 1981 Winchester, Alfred Sr. - 7 Jun 1919 / 8 Jul 1981, US Army WW2 Gordon, Armstead - 1896 / 1981, US Army WW1 Duncan, Salley - 14 Oct 1900 / 1 Apr 1985 Mother Liggins, Samuell Sr. - 22 Apr 1905 / 25 Feb 1982 Quinney, Beatrice - 12 Oct 1916 / 27 Jul 1983 Roberts, Daisy Lee - 25 Nov 1917 / 29 Apr 1986 Mother Gray, Stella - 3 Jul 1877 / 5 Sep 1987 Green, Phillip Sr. - 30 Oct 1898 / 7 Jun 1987 Father Thompson, Jimmy - 14 Jan 1951 / 6 Dec 1987 Stafford, Bobbie Jean - 14 Apr 1960 / 15 Sep 1990 Hardison, Mykesha Lafaye - 17 May 1988 / 29 Jun 1988 Chew, Chatherine [sic] M. - 9 Sep 1907 / 24 Nov 1987 Quinniey, Irene - 15 Aug 1894 / 27 Sep 1946 Jackson, Jessie - Feb 1881 / Dec 1949 [concrete slab] Jackson, Susann - 1878 / 1952 Fields, Judia - 28 Dec 1911 / 10 Nov 1952 Dunbar, Neal - 1880 / 1954 Berry, Mack Sr. - 1899 / 1966 Father Standfield, Joe - 1897 / 1955 Quinnie, Sam - Mar 1878 / Nov ?1955?, 76 yrs. Kelly, Otis (Mrs.) - 12 Feb 1886 / 14 Sep 1963, Married John Kelly Mar 1904 ?, Daisy - died 1963 Mother [almost unreadable concrete slab] Hunter, Essie - 17 Oct 1916 / 25 Apr 1966 Green, Lula - 28 Oct 1906 / 23 Jan 1965 Price, Jim (Rev.) - died 1955, 74 yrs. [former pastor] Duncan, George - 25 Dec 1890 / 15 Mar 1966, Pvt. Co. A 530th Engrs. WW1 Montgomery, J. M. - 1887 / 19??, 75 yrs. Marrioleerall?, ? - 1892 / 1961 Duncan, Sudie E. - 10 Feb 1897 / 25 Apr 1966 Chew, Sam - 15 Aug 1906 / 25 Mar 1963 Liggins, Rosa Lee Piper (Mrs.) - 25 Jul 1905 / 8 May 1969 Quiney, ? - 15 Aug 1890 / 20 Apr 1969 Lowe, Emline L. - 25 Oct 1878 / 17 Jan 1969 Montgonery, [sic] Adline P. (Mrs.) - 23 Oct 1889 / 12 Mar 1968 Roberts, Charles Waddell - 9 Jul 1944 / 21 Sep 1967 LA Sgt. Co. G 2nd Bn. 4th Marine/3rd Marine Div. Vietnam BSM-PH & GS Lair, Matt - 1897 / 1967 Lowe, William - 25 Aug 1910 / 5 Jan 1970 Price, Mary - 15 May 1892 / 13 May 1971 Berry, Rosa Love (Mrs.) - 20 Jan 1906 / 28 Aug 1971 Dilbert, Leman - 25 May 1922 / 21 Jul 1972 Lowe, Fred - 7 Mar 1917 / 26 Sep 1978 Brown, John - 3 Apr 1905 / 20 Sep 1977 Brown, Rosa - 2 Mar 1907 / 2 May 1979 [above 2 burials have double stone] Stewart, Richard - 10 Sep 1908 / 3 Jun 1977 Lowe, Buddy - 22 Jul 1918 / 17 Dec 1976 Helaire, Emily H. - 1 Dec 1898 / 31 Aug 1976 Green, Rosa Reed - 23 Dec 1898 / 31 Dec 1975 Hunter, Leola - 5 Aug 1902 / 2 Nov 1974 Hunter, Fanny - 12 May 1915 / 26 Aug 1974 Hunter, Joseph - 1919 / 1980, Pfc. US Army WW2 Ross, Leon Sr. - 26 Feb 1933 / 2 Nov 1990 Harris, Willie Sr. - 10 Feb 1914 / 2 Jan 1984