Valentine Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Jane Parker McManus

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VALENTINE CEMETERY - Rapides Parish

This old African-American cemetery is located in the woods near Marco (North
Rapides Parish), LA.   My guide for the day was Litton Nugent, a resident of
this area for many years, and he also provided a brief history of the burial
practices in this cemetery.  

In this two or three acre area there are more than 100 depressions which
represent unmarked and lost burials.  In the event of high water every few
years, Litton and his sons would bring the body from the lower road up to the
higher elevation of the cemetery in a wagon which was only way into cemetery. 
Hearse would have to stop at beginning of the high water, where mourners would
carry coffin through high water by hand until they reached Litton's wagon. 
Only the immediate family went to funeral because that's all that could ride
in the wagon.  Litton was willing to help out when needed.  Tombstone
inscriptions recorded by Mary Parker Partain in 1990, and submitted by Jane
Parker McManus  

[3 unmarked graves with fresh flowers - no information]
[6 graves, recently cleaned with dirt mounded, & fresh flowers - no
information]
[2 unmarked graves, one with wooden marker - no information]

Allen, Mrs. Olivia H. - 20 Jan 1909/25 Jan 1968  [wife of Jeff Allen]
Harris, Lucinda - 1872/1948

[2 unmarked graves - no information]

Miles, Charlie - died 2 Nov 1918    Father

Burns, Rev. Lick R. - [no dates]       Father
Ross, Idamae - 12 May 1936/27 Nov 1966   [funeral marker only]
Burns, Laura D., wife of G. Burns - 1856/1908
Burns, Paul - 7 Nov 1876/25 Mar 1953

Swafford, Mrs. Mariah - 28 Feb 1964   [only date]
Matthews, Joshua - 2 Jan 1872/13 Feb 1922,  Colfax Temple 2804, Colfax, LA
Clark, Aaron - 6 Feb 1882/9 Nov 1943

[unreadable adult marker, concrete base - no information]

Clark, Robert - 186?/Jul 1925
Gallman, Beatrice - 15 May 1908/10 Nov 1929

[in same area, 15 depressions which are obviously graves, in rows]
[4 unreadable funeral markers - no information]

Valley, Joe - [unreadable funeral marker at vault]                       [

[unreadable funeral marker - no information]

Anderson, Martha, wife of Henry Anderson - 10 Jun 1871/9 Aug 1936
     Mother of Ella Raymon & Orealea Iles

[several more depressions]
[about 200 yards away - 2 large unmarked vaults - no information]
[several small unreadable markers - no information]

Burns, Sallie D. - 10 Oct 1876/19 Apr 1950  [Wife of Hamp Burns]

Group of Burials:
Valley, Virginia A. - 18 Feb 1887/3 Feb 1943   [older marker indicates birth
date is 1878]
Valley, Edd - 6 Sep 1907/24 Apr 1948  
Father of 12 Childerns [sic] 6 boys 6 girls wife was V. Valley
Hamilton, Mary - 11 Apr 1903/9 Oct 1948, aged 40 yrs.  "Mother of 14 children
10 girls 4 boys"
White, Gloria - died 15 Sep 1923, aged 74

[2 depressions for obvious burial - no information]

White, Isabelle Alexander, wife of E. M. White - 11 Dec 1890/28 Nov 1938

[2 depressions for obvious burials - no information]

Burns, Austin T. - 22 Jun 1875/5 Jul 1963 [funeral marker]       
Burns, David - [unreadable birthdate]/12 Jul 1981    [funeral marker only]

[sandstone marker with iron bar - no information]
[broken marble slab - no information]

McCall, David - 1811 South Carolina/15 Sep 1880     "A citizen of this state
for 22 years"
Starks, Rollow Woodor, Son of T. & E. J. Starks - 1891/1 Jun 1897  
[handlettered stone]
     
[10 depressions for obvious burials in same area - no information]

Note:  There was no attempt to count the number of depressions for lost
burials, there were too many in this large cemetery.  MPP.