Lincoln Memorial (African-American) 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: This large (at least four acres) African-American cemetery is located in the Smithville section of Pineville. After crossing the track near Expressway, go South on LA Hwy. 107 for .5 miles; turn right on Mason Street and go two blocks. Cemetery is on the right, is well-kept, and not fenced. There is a driveway beginning at the entrance and curving around to the left. At the entrance on Mason Street are two large brick posts with a marble plaque on each. The left plaque (marble is broken across 1st initial) reads: "Lincoln Memorial Cemetery - 18 September 1927 Williams MWCM AF & AM of LA" The right plaque is cracked, and contains many names, titles, and numbers which cannot be read. Those that were readable: Prof. J.B. Lafague, Dr. F.G. Spellman, Rev. J.W. White, Wm. Kelso, Dr. W.A. Anderson, H.C. Chambers, A.L. Silas, Dr. T.L. Welch, Rev. M.C. Harrison, Wesley Church Recording was begun at the back as most of the stones faced that way. The right side was recorded first from right to left (facing front). Most burials were in vaults, a few were concrete slabs, and the rest were unmarked depressions. At least 50 deep depressions that were obviously burials were visable and these were in rows, all full of water after the rain the night before. How many more were unmarked graves would be impossible to guess. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded by Mary Parker Partain, 29 April 1997. Green, Alvin P. - 5 Oct 1946/24 Dec 1970 Green, Mary Nash - 30 Apr 1920/16 Jan 1994 [2 vaults side by side in an open area] [unreadable], Mrs. Farie Maude - 19 Sep 1889/20 Aug 1982 [vault & funeral marker] [2 unmarked vaults - no information] Oubre, George Horatio - 21 Aug 1893/14 Mar 1990 Tucker, Nathaniel - 25 Mar 1925/25 Oct 1996 [5 vaults in a row] Gonzaque, Murrell Louis - 19 Apr 1927/8 Oct 1985 Colson, Chester Glenn - 1 Jun 1940/24 May 1989 [vault with missing nameplate - no information] Jacobs, Mattie G. - 26 Feb 1916/3 Feb 1993 [4 similar vaults, marble nameplates] Joiner, Mattie G. - 19 Nov 1946/4 Nov 1978 Johnson, Elizabeth Mitchell - 29 Jan 1917/23 Sep 1977 Gauthier, Nettie G. - 18 Feb 1905/27 Nov 1974 [nameplate has "Colson" on bottom] [3 vaults in a row, marble nameplates on front] Gonzaque, B.T. - 3 Jan 1898/30 May 1969 Mitchell, Jul. - 1 Jun 1903/18 Jan 1965 Gonzaque, M. 16 Oct 1903/24 ? 1963 Mitchell, Joa. - 24 Apr 1911/9 Mar 1961 Gonzaque, C. - 31 Dec 1896/15 Aug 1952 [5 vaults, identical to above 3 - all 8 in a plot] LeDuff, Agnes Pearl - 17 Jul 1921/18 Mar 1997 [outside above plot] Dupuy, Ida Bordelon - 5 Feb 1882/17 Jul 1926 [under tree] Roberts, Charles E. - 30 Jan 1909/20 Jan 1966 [under tree] Pimbrooks, Phebia - 1864/1948 [In the center of this section is an area with fence on two sides. A large vault in the corner has no identification.] Williamson, Ames, husband of Lois Williamson - 1897/1943 Johnson, Katie B. Clather - 4 Jul 1913/[no dates] [vault] Anderson, Laura - died 12 Nov 1945 LEFT SIDE - from the back, left to right] Wilson, R.L. - 17 Sep 1931/21 Jul 1991 [vault] [unmarked burials & 2 unmarked vaults in this area - no information] Row 1: Lacour, Clim - age 59 Lacour, Elizabeth - died 1915, age 73 [concrete cross] Lacour, Mrs. ? - 1922/1983 [funeral marker on vault] Dodd, Marion "Buddy" Jr. - 20 Aug 1949/27 Jan 1979 Son Dodd, Marion "Crip" - 15 Mar 1911/1 Sep 1995 [1 unmarked vault - infant - in this area] Row 2: Jacobs, Ameline - 2 Jan 1909/30 Aug 1953 Jacobs, Mildred L. - 19 May 1927/[no dates] Jacobs, Albert S. - 29 May 1918/[no dates] Jacobs, Sidney - 19 May 1886/17 Sep 1981 Father [3 unmarked vaults in this area] Row 3: Oliver, Anthony - 29 Jun 1912/23 Oct 1950 Gauthier, William J. Jr. - 15 Mar 1905/22 May 1963 Gauthier, Mary B. - 31 May 1877/20 Jun 1954 Mother Gauthier, Willie G. - 17 Mar 1880/7 Nov 1954 Father [Identical vaults & tombstones] Moore, Anthony Keith - 12 Sep 1965/27 Mar 1967 Son of Clifford & Vivian Moore Gelate, Laura Dixon - 25 Feb 1900/15 May 1990 Williams, Pearl J. - 16 Jul 1901/27 Aug 1988 [3 unmarked vaults in this row] Row 4: Ellworth, Elizabeth Virginia - 16 Nov 1870/13 Jun 1952 Bradford, Roy - 21 Sep 1960/10 Sep 1988 Alexander, Ilean - 25 Jan 1917/3 Sep 1988 [1 unmarked vault in this row] Row 5: Hickman, Mary Babington, wife of Henry Hickman - 9 Nov 1888/10 Mar 1951 Hickman, Henry, husband of Mary Babington - 5 Nov 1888/21 Jan 1953 Hickman, John J. - 30 Oct 1911/14 Jan 1986 Hunter, Birdia Foreman - 23 Feb 1892/21 Mar 1977 Foreman, Rosina Cass - 17 Jan 1869/24 Oct 1953 Mother Rachal, Susie H. - 9 Dec 1909/23 Dec 1955 Simon, Angela D. - 19 Jan 1962/16 Jun 1988, 26 yrs. Roberts, John Sr. - 3 Aug 1879/23 Nov 1965 Father Roberts, Renee D. - 31 Jan 1893/30 Jul 1981 Moore, General Sr. - 23 Aug 1917/4 Apr 1990 [1 unmarked infant burial in this row] Row 6: Morris, Myrtle Ann - 29 Aug 1904/19 Feb 1995 Morris, Edward Joseph Jr. - 11 Mar 1904/30 Jan 1981 [Double vault, separate stones] Chambers, Wilbert - 1900/1947 Roberts, Ethel Baldwin - 25 Mar 1940/5 Jul 1992 Balchvein, Pompy - 1886/1953 Father Blackwell, Linda Mobbs - 1 Mar 1948/23 Mar 1995 Compton, Bertha - 12 Aug 1904/1 Jun 1979 [4 unmarked vaults in this row] Row 7 & 8: Wright, Wilbert - 11 Mar 1912/26 Mar 1972 Bradley, Carrie - 31 Jul 1877/26 Dec 1972 Wright, Willie Sr. - 1889/1970 Wright, Myrtle - 5 Sep 1919/27 Jul 1964 Smith, Sophia D. - 1896/1958 [6 vaults, 1 unmarked, on a common base] Smith, Edna V. - [no dates] Miles, William Henry - 26 Feb 1932/18 Jul 1985, A1, USAF Korea Collins, Arizona Rich - 17 May 1889/26 Oct 1973 Mother Harris, Mose - 16 Jul 1884/13 Feb 1966 Gordon, Crockett - 1931/1992 Love, Henderson - 15 Sep 1883/7 Nov 1953 White, James Edward - 14 Nov 1949/21 Feb 1952 Reed, Louise Bell - 12 Oct 1892/1 Aug 1990 Jackson, Sallie Stewart - 15 Nov 1888/20 Mar 1956 Brooks, ? - 13 Dec 1926/23 Jan 1958 [unreadable vault] Crittle, Taylor - 19 Jan 1911/31 Jan 1954 Hardy, Hilery H. - 1 Jan 1914/13 Jan 1961 Butler, Mary - 1879/1960, 81 yrs. Mother Clark, Willie - 1897/1962, 65 yrs. Father [2 identical vaults & stones] Clark, Carrie - 16 Dec 1894/18 Feb 1981 Mother Clark, Olive - 24 Jan 1911/4 Feb 1997 [14 unmarked or unreadable burials in these rows] Row 9: Blackstone, John - 18 Jul 1909/14 Apr 1990 Blackstone, Bertha - 16 May 1919/3 Feb 1990 Trepagnier, Celestine G. - 28 Dec 1891/21 Apr 1967 Hall, Ora Lee T. - 28 Dec 1891/10 Jun 1967 Sister Finister, Elise - 27 Jun 1916/6 Feb 1976 Mother/Grandmother [3 vaults & 1 unmarked slab inside plot] Dobson, Arthun Sr. - 10 Nov 1876/19 Nov 1968 Stevenson, Marion - died 10 Apr 1995, 33 yrs. [9 unmarked burials and several sunken areas in this row] Row 10: Norris, Maria - 19 Mar 1885/7 Feb 1965 Norris, Mr. E. - [unreadable dates] Starkes, Alfred M. - 1908/1973 [handlettered stones, hard to read] Constan, Callie L. - 10 Feb 1922/18 Oct 1995 Constan, Sr. - 11 Sep 1917/2 May 1978 Constan, Jr. - 1944/1982, SP4 US Army Hardy, Shirley A. - [no dates] Hardy, Vincent A. - [no dates] [2 infant burials] Row 11: Cole, Irene J. - 1914/1944 Miles, Soloman J. - 22 Jan 1905/12 Dec 1994 Pickett, Lucille Young - 21 Mar 1918/1 Feb 1995 Howard, Latrice Dorena - 31 Jul 1970/18 Sep 1994 [4 unreadable funeral markers in this row] Scattered burials near the street: Pryer, Edward - 2 Nov 1888/2 Dec 1933 Quinney, John Jr. - 29 Mar 1940/16 May 1984 Father/Son/Brother/Grandfather Miles, Paul R. - 25 Nov 1952/30 Oct 1992 Hawkins, Katie N. - 25 Jun 1901/23 Jan 1965 Dorn, Houston - 6 Oct 1937/20 Nov 1987 Welborn, John W. - died 16 Sep 1934 Washington, Irine - 1940/1940 Walker, Brooks - 1892/1949 Louis, Rev. G.J. - Aug 1878/25 Oct 1956 [6 unmarked burials - 2 vaults & 4 slabs - in this area]