Stafford Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana Submitted by Jane Parker McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** STAFFORD CEMETERY - Rapides Parish Directions: From Alexandria, go south on US Hwy. 71, and just before reaching the town of Cheneyville, turn left onto a tree-lined driveway. The Stafford cemetery is located just to the left of an older home, under large live-oak trees. The property was the original home of the Stafford family of Rapides Parish. A 6-foot wall of old handmade bricks, broken in several places, surrounds the well-tended burial ground. In the center of the cemetery is a 4-foot urn with initials "L.A.S." Several of the stones were moved to the wall by a caretaker in later years wall for ease in mowing, therefore, the exact burial locations may never be known. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded by Mary Parker Partain, April 1993, and submitted by Jane P. McManus, July 2000. Angelique Kraushaar provided a brief history of the Stafford family and the small cemetery. Additional genealogical information not on tombstones is shown in brackets and was also provided by Angelique who is a descendant of General Stafford. History: Leroy Stafford and his first wife, Rachel Providence Audebert, acquired land between 1818 - 1820 on the right descending bank of Bayou Boeuf about a mile West of Cheneyville and built their plantation "Greenwood." In 1861 the plantation contained 1,457.89 acres. Although the original house is gone, the old magnolias and oaks remain today. Rachel Stafford died on 25 Sep 1820 and is probably buried (but unmarked) in the Stafford Cemetery. Leroy Stafford married second, Elizabeth Susan Calliham. She was born 29 Apr 1788 in South Carolina, and died 20 Aug 1866 in DeSota, Illinois, but the body was returned to Greenwood and buried beside her husband. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, Leroy - 19 Apr 1783 Beaufort, SC/10 Apr 1835 in this parish -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, David Theophelus - 4 Jan 1826/13 Aug 1849 born in this parish/died Cruces Isthmus of Panama [son of Leroy & Elizabeth S. (Calliham) Stafford] [10' obelisk is engraved with roses, daisies, tulips & ivy leaves -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, Susie - 9 Aug 1862/11 Sep 1867 Daughter of J. M. [James Madison] & Laulette Stafford -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, James Madison - 27 Feb 1833/1 Mar 1873 [8' obelisk off its base] [son of Leroy & Elizabeth S. Stafford] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [no information] - "Our little Betty" [upright square marker with 3-foot column obelisk] [no information] - "Our little Neal" "Our short-lived flower returned again to God" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Irion, Kate Keary Stafford, wife of Clifford H. Irion - 16 Dec 1863/15 Jul 1895 [daughter of Leroy Augustus & Sarah Catharine Stafford] "Hers was a beautiful Faith" [7' obelisk off its base] Irion, Rosa Catharine - 10 Jun 1889/10 Sep 1890 Daughter of Kate Keary Stafford & Clifford H. Irion "Suffer little children to come unto me" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, Sarah Catharine Neal - died 20 Mar 1896, 35 yrs Wife of J. W.[Wright] Stafford "As a wife, devoted: as a mother, affectionate; as a friend, ever kind and true" [born 1 May 1861, Bible Records V3, LA Gen. Society] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, Sarah Catharine - died 5 Oct 1896, 70 yrs "In loving memory of our mother" [born 26 Aug 1826 North Bend Plantation near Cheneyville, daughter of Dr. Jesse Durastus Wright & Sarah Robert Grimball, married to Leroy Augustus Stafford] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, Leroy Augustus - 24 Sep 1860/7 Dec 1902 Youngest son of L. A. & S. C. Stafford -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stafford, Leroy A.[Augustus] - [died] 8 May 1864 "Sacred to the memory" "Brig. Genl. CSA. Fell at the Wilderness 5 May and died 8 May 1864 and died 8 May 1864 in Richmond, VA aged 42 yrs & 25 das" [son of Leroy & Elizabeth S. (Calliham) Stafford] [10' square obelisk] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------