Rev. John Green Carver, Vernon Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Belford E. Carver, March 2002
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Rev. John Green Carver
(1880 - 1966)
Submitted by Belford E. Carver
August 2001
Some time around the end of 1989 or early in 1990, I was 
visiting Elwood Richardson, formerly from Springfield, who
was living in New Orleans. He had on his coffee table a 
large book entitled LIVINGSTON PARISH HISTORY. It caught
my attention and I, half jokingly said, " Let me see if my
Grandpa Carver's name is in it!" In 1953 when my couisn, 
Harlan, and I were driving from Shreveport to Hammond to
attend Southeastern, I recalled that my grandpa told us to 
be sure to look The Lone Pine Church of God just outside
Albany on Hwy 190. He said he had helped to build this
building. Yes, to my surprise, there was an article on page
173 (C110) about the church and his name was recorded on 
page 174, "Other early preachers were John (Preacher) 
Carver...". (I purchased a copy of this book on April 1, 1990.)
His wife Lillie McGee Carver, kept a birthday dairy from 
October 1881 (her 7th birthday) until October 16, 1952
(her last one). The entry for October 16, 1921, when she 
was 47, mentioned the following: "John is at Albany, La.,
helping build a church house." (They were living in Leesville,
LA at this time.)
J.G. Carver was born in Livingston Parish on November 23, 1880.
His father was Calvin Green Carver and his mother was Mary
Elizabeth Westmoreland. He died in Shreveport, LA, June 11, 1966
and was buried in Welcome Cemetery, Vernon Parish, June 13, 1966.
The family had lived in Simpson and he and Lillie had pastored
the Church of God there. She was also buried at Welcome Cemetery.
Parents of Calvin were Robert William (1820-1896) and Sarah Ann
Russell (1825-1900). Parents of Mary were George Washington
Westmoreland (1832-1906) and Adaline Julia Brown (1839-1864).
I have been unable to find out very much about the grandparents 
of John. According to my grandpa John, Robert ran away from
Duck River, TN when he was about 17 years of age, and headed 
south. Sarah was supposedly part Indian and could speak the 
language of her tribe. On July 3, 1850, somewhere in MS, Calvin
was born to Robert and Sarah. Martha was born to them around 1863;
place unknown at this writing. Apparently some time after 1863, 
moved into Livingston Parish. They may have had other children, 
but these two lived to adulthood. Research by me and other family
members so far has been futile for this "run-away" from Duck River.
(There was a Ned Carver in that area at one time who was a 
blacksmith/gunsmith.) Parents of Sarah are also unknown.
Martha married a Plez (Hesakiah) Rayborn Feb 9, 1887 in Livingston
Parish. She died some time between 1892 and 1905 as a result of
a falling tree. Supposedly she was buried at the historic
Macedonia Baptist Church, north of Holden, but to my knowledge,
there is no cemetery connected with this church. She and Plez
(or Hess/Hez) were members of this church. His parents were Henry
and Lucinda Rayborn (1870 census). (There are a variety of 
spellings for this last name!) To my knowledge, no children were
born to this couple.
Calvin married Mary Elizabeth Westmoreland on Oct 21,1872, 
probably in Livingston Parish. The Westmoreland family had moved
into this area in the area in the early 1800s. The Carvers and 
Westmorelands apparently were neighbors and they also attended
the Macedonia Baptist Church.
Other children born in Livingston Parish to Calvin and Mary were:
Julia Ann (1873-1944), George Robert (1875-1956), Tom Ellis (1876-
1962), Francis (Fannie) Cornelia (1878-1956), with John being the
last in 1880. Between 1880 and 1883, the Carvers and Westmorelands
moved to Vernon Parish. Children born in Vernon Parish were: 
Marshall Rite (1883-1959), Willie Theodore (1885-1978), Isaac
Monroe (1887-1960) and James Williamson (1897-1954).
Calvin Green returned to Livingston Parish about 1895 to get his
parents and take them to Vernon Parish. The trip was by wagon
drawn by two oxen, taking about a month to make the some 300 mile
trip, with many hardships and dangers along the way.
Calvin had land in Livingston Parish near the Macedonia Church
which he sold to Moses P. Hinson, husband of Mary's sister, Nancy
Eudora Westmoreland. This writer has not found where Robert and 
Sarah owned any property in the parish, or where they lived during
this period of time.
Children born to John Green and Lillie Emily in Leesville were:
Cecil Clyde (1903-1985), Viola Maud (1904-1976), Everett Iles
(1906-1989) and Herbert Leon (1910-). The writer is the son of
Herbert who is living in Shreveport, LA.
John and Lillie started teaching Sunday school classes in their
home in North Leesville in 1905. John became active in preaching 
in 1906. They were born members of two different Baptist churches
at this time. However, since they became involved with the holiness
teaching of the Church of God, their membership in the Baptist
churches were removed. John and Lillie also ran a store in Leesville
which at one time housed the post office, and a laundry pick-up.
The two laundries, one located in Beaumont, TX, and the other in
Shreveport, LA, were Youneeda Laundry and Ineeda Laundry.
John, when he was about 18, was affliliated with the Pine Hill
Baptist Church in Leesville. He and George Washington Westmoreland
served on one committee together "...to see those that lay off from
the church." He was elected as an alternate delegate to the
association and another time as delegate. His father, C.G., went
in his place in 1901. (He and Lillie were married on November 28,
1901 [Thanksgiving Day in 1901]. This may have been the reason
he didn't attend as a delegate.)
In the early days, the Carvers returned to the Hammond area a 
number of times to attend Church of God camp meetings located
on White Street. Two of his sons married women from this area,
E.I married Viva Dee Williamson (1906-1993) and Cecil Clyde
married May DeLee Jackson (1898-1967). The former are buried
in Houston, TX, and the latter at the Loranger Church of God
cemetery in Tangipahoa Parish.
John and Lillie were both ordained Church of God ministers. 
They pastored churches in Leesville, Simpson, and Shreveport.
They later became affiliated with the church headquartered in 
Anderson, IN. John preached in a number of other churches and 
was instrumental in helping to establish other congregations
in the state. In her younger days, Lillie was also a school 
teacher. In fact, she was John's teacher at one time which 
didn't sit well with the school officials since he was about
20 years of age, and she was about 26. So, John's education
was cut short and he went to work in one of the saw mills. He
devoted a lot of time to become self-educated, especially in
studying the Bible and related church literature. They both had
some poetic ability, and she could do chalk-talk illustrations.
One of his favorite sports was baseball and softball. He was 
good at being an umpire at local neighborhood and church related
ball games. Another talent was his carpentry skills.
After his second wife, Gladys Harris Sherrard, became ill and 
was institutionalized, and later when his own health failing,
he told my father that he didn't want to be a burden to his 
family and the Lord would take him home in three days. And, it
was so. He died on June 11, 1966 in Shreveport, LA and buried 
on the 13th in Welcome Cemetery, near Simpson, Vernon Parish,
LA, next to Lillian "Lillie" Emily McGee, his first wife.
If any readers have additional information on the Carvers
when they resided in Livingston Parish, please let me know
at bcarver@i-55.com.
-BEC-