Green (African-American) Cemetery, Rapides Cemetery Louisiana Submitted by Jane Parker McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Directions: From Alexandria, go west on LA Hwy. 28 for about 6.2 miles past the Crossroads Coliseum, and turn right onto Belgard Bend Road. After crossing the FIRST bridge, bear to the left (Belgard Bend Road is a loop). Go .4 miles and turn right onto Texada Road. Cross bridge bearing to the right and continue for another .9 miles. Cemetery is on the left, near the road, but not always visible (just BEFORE the brick house at the end of Texada Road). There are three burials in a row located outside the farm fence, not more than 10 feet from this farm-to-market road. Others are inside the field in two straight rows. Most of the burials are covered with concrete vaults similar to those in most African-American cemeteries in the South. Inscriptions were recorded by Mary Parker Partain, March 1990. History The cemetery was first known as the Dawson Graveyard because it was on the Dawson plantation. Slaves were buried in typical fashion - wooden markers soon rotted, if marked at all. After the slaves were freed, Dawson gave the small piece of land to the surviving family members. As far as is known, however, no descendants of these slaves still live nearby or were buried there. The Green family moved here to work on the farm, and all marked burials are from this family or their spouses' families. Since no one knows exactly where the slaves were buried, gravediggers have unearthed human bones several times. There is a sharp contrast here, the lost slave graves, the neglected and lost graves in the tall weeds of the turn-row at the edge of the field, and the well-kept, well-marked vaults under the large pecan trees. Grass outside the fence had been cut and fresh flowers were present. Where are the descendants of the slaves buried there? Do they wonder where their roots are? What are the children told when they ask their doctor or lawyer or teacher or "domestic" parents - "Where did I come from?" Does the parent just say their ancestors are probably buried on a plantation down south? Don't you suppose the children wonder? The local resident I interviewed was educated; he had a beautiful brick house overlooking Bayou Rapides, and his grandchildren were teachers and doctors. He spoke of his own ancestors, buried somewhere. He didn't know where. We watched the big trucks across the bayou on Highway 28 West, a group of jets flew over, just a few miles away is England Air Force Base . . . life goes on. [MPP] * * * [outside the fence] * * * Coaty, Thomas Sr. - 16 Aug 1909 / 10 Mar 1983 Jackson, Joe - died 23 Feb 1970, 80 yrs. 5 mos. 17 das. [concrete vault & funeral marker] Smith, James Big Boy - 9 May 1922 / 27 Jul 1986 * * * * * * [inside the fenced cemetery] * * * Boss, Alfred Jr. - 23 Sep 1916 / 28 Nov 1979 Smith, Baby - Oct 1984 [funeral marker] Boss, Alfred Sr. - 16 Jul 1886 / 10 Jan 1971 Boss, Sallie G. - 12 Mar 1883 / 30 Aug 1985 Lloyd, Camile Boss - 7 Aug 1909 / 18 Jun 1989 Smith, Maria - 12 Feb 1882 / 30 Oct 1928 Rosenthal, Mattie - 4 Aug 1889 / 30 Oct 1928 Green, Lora, wife of Alex Green - died Apr 1924, 72 yrs. Green, Alex - 1853 / ca 1935 Green, Lallie G. - 8 Apr 1885 / 27 Mar 1972 Johnson, Gregory W. - 16 Feb 1962 / 11 Feb 1990 Cooper, Cora T. - 28 Nov 1896 / 19 Mar 1969 Turner, Eva - 5 Mar 1895 / 20 Jan 1953 Wife / Mother Hollingsworth, Roosevelt - 6 Sep 1907 / 1 May 1976 * * * [Six or seven members of the Innis/Ennes family are also buried outside the fence. There are no visible signs of burial sites, but the grass is kept clipped.] Innis, Ashnes - died ca 1970, 75 yrs. Innis, Ella - died ca 1950, 50 yrs. [wife of Ashnes Innis] [4 or 6 members of the Innis family, all related to the Green family] * * * [Two vaults are in the weeks, not visible from the road with no markers or dates available] Hicks, Alice, wife of Joe Hicks - [no dates] Hicks, Joe - [no dates] * * * [Other burials in this same general location, but actual sites are unknown]: Lokens, "Ninnie" - [no other information] Bolton, "Junior" - [no other information] * * * This additional information on lost burials was provided by Mr. Robert Lloyd whose wife, Camille, is buried in this Green Cemetery. He is 83 years old; his memory was good. When he could not give me ages or more names for unmarked or lost graves, he apologized, saying "I'm old, you see." He also provided the history related above.