Neame Cemetery - Vernon Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Jane McManus ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Directions: Take US Hwy. 171 South from Leesville toward Rosepine. From the junction of LA Hwy. 10 East in Pickering, go 2.5 miles. Turn right (West) onto Cryer Cemetery Road, and go approximately .5 miles on dirt road until road ends at a sawmill chip plant. Another road intersects to the right, but at this point, continue straight onto the company road (the road is blocked by a gate as it is on a hunting lease now and permission must be acquired to go farther). You can park here and walk 1.0 miles on foot, following the gas line. My guide on this date was Elton Jackson, Jr., who lives in the area, and he gave me a history of the sawmills that operated in Pickering in the early 1900's. Many of the people who are buried in this cemetery were from families who worked in the sawmills, and when the lumber business moved to other locations this cemetery was abandoned and no longer used. An alternate route to the cemetery would be to continue down US Hwy. 171 past Cryer Cemetery Road. Take the first right turn onto Gil Jeane Rd. (dirt road), and go approximately .2 miles, and take the first right turn onto an unimproved dirt road. Go .3 miles on this road, on top of a slight hill; a dirt trail leads off to the right. The cemetery can be seen from the road at this point. Turn in and park here. One note of caution: Gil Jeane Rd. is on posted property, and an iron gate blocks entrance from US Hwy. 171. On occasion when the logging company is working in the area, the gate is opened in the morning and closed in the evening. Only at that time is it passable through the locked gate. This large abandoned cemetery, approximately 1-1/2 acres, is located on the East side of the road on a slight rise, approximately 100 yards up a dirt trail. An old wire fence surrounds the property, however, it has collapsed in several places and the gate is no longer present. A large wooden sign over the entrance indicates this is the Neame Cemetery, however, the letters are so faded it is barely readable. There are large pine trees inside the fenced area, and the brush and grass and weeds are about knee-high. Although there were several obvious unmarked burials that we included with this inventory, there was room for many more under the brush and weeds. In 1992, Billy & June Parker of Simpson, LA inventoried this cemetery and recorded several tombstones which we did not find in 1996 because of the overgrown condition of the weeds, brush, & briars. At that time, they also verified several sunken depressions that indicate lost graves in this cemetery. The information taken in that inventory was provided by Billy Parker, and is included in the appropriate location in this inventory. Unmarked burials recorded in 1992 are also included. Some of the tombstones had fallen over and broken in many pieces, but Elton patiently put these back together like a jigsaw puzzle until I could read the information. We found one tombstone propped across a fallen log just outside the front entrance. During the inventory we discovered this stone obviously belonged inside a small iron fence just to the rear of the cemetery, however, the stone was too heavy for the two of us to move. The inscription information will be placed with the group of burials where it belongs in this write-up. Tombstone inscriptions were recorded 12 March 1996 as found from inside the front gate on the left side, from the West fence to the North Fence to the East Fence, to the South Fence by Jane P. McManus with assistance from Elton Jackson Jr. Submitted August 10, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coward, Daniel E., son of Virginia A. & Wm. T. Coward - 19 Jan 1891/18 Jul 1898 [Next to a footpath in cemetery] [Note: William Coward, born Nov. 1862 & wife Virginia A., born Sep. 1866, were married ca. 1885 and lived in Ward 4 in the 1900 Vernon Parish Census, # 519/526.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coward, ?Giriltatia? - 22 Apr 1897/27 Jan 1899 Daughter of Virginia & W. T. Coward [This burial located here in 1992, tombstone wasnot found in 1996] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terry, Claud Leaon, son of J. W. & S. R. Terry - 8 Apr 1898/10 Jul 1898 Terry, Edmond E., son of J. W. & S. R. Terry - 15 Aug 1896/10 Jan 1900 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boulware, Blanche Bertrue - 10 Apr 189?/26 Nov 1899 Daughter of R. W. & C. E. Boulware [Stone broken across birthdate] [Black iron fence around single burial - "R. W. Boulware" on gate] [Note: Robert W. Boulware, born Dec. 1860 & wife Clara E., born Feb. 1872 were married ca 1894 & lived in Ward 4 in the 1900 Vernon Parish Census, #287/291 with one child Charley Boulware, born Aug 1896.] Russell, Clifton - 1911/1913 Hollcraft, Charles W. - [no dates], 38 yrs 3 mos 6 das Penninton, B. F. - 11 Feb 1875/4 Apr 1899 [These 3 burials were located here in 1992, not found in 1996.] [Toward the Northeast corner]: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minnick, G. W. - 23 Mar 1867/16 Oct 1899 [Masonic Emblem] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fraser, Edgar - 6 Jan 1898/7 Jun 1902, 4 yrs 6 mos 1 da Son of Israel & Martha A. Fraser -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hodges, Wayman Derrick, infant son of G. B. & L. B. Hodges - 31 Aug 1899 [These 2 burials located here in 1992, not found in 1996.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delaney, George D. - 10 Mar 1897/23 Oct 1922 [Masonic Emblem] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Wooden Marker with large shrub in front - no information] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [2 Burials with concrete mounded on top, initials at foot "J.E.E. & A.L.M."] [These two burials located here in 1992, not found in 1996.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ?Sirm--?, Amanda - 18 ? /13 Jun 1900 [Headstone broken, but burial located in 1992, not found in 1996.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Toward the South along the East Fence area]: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Sunken unmarked burial next to the Knight burials - no information] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knight, S. H. [Samuel Houston] Sr. - 24 Feb 1869/22 Mar 1930 Father Knight, Mrs. S. H. [Sarah Messine Hunt] - 11 Feb 1872/31 Mar 1924 [Note: Samuel Houston Knight Sr., son of Francis Day Knight Sr. and Silvey Turo Pope, married Sarah Messina Hunt, daughter of James Henry Hunt and Elizabeth Groves Bass, on 24 February 1892. There were 12 children born to This couple, including 3 sets of twins. Houston Knight was a Methodist Minister, and also worked in the sawmills in this area.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [South of above burials, inside black iron fence]: Williams, Mary Elizabeth, wife of G. N. Williams - 15 Jan 1835/9 Mar 1925 [Footstone in place "M. E. W."] [This tombstone is broken and lying against a log near the front gate; however, the bottom half with the epitaph perfectly matching the top & a footstone with initials are located inside this iron fenced area.] [Note: Mary Elizabeth Williams, a widow, was living with her son Jason Williams in Ward 4, 1900 Vernon Parish census, # 290/294.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Williams, Mary Jessie - 19 Oct 1872/8 Sep 1948 [This is the only tombstone not broken, still upright inside fenced area] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Williams, Penolar Asby, wife of Jack Williams - 2 Nov 1867/12 Apr 1906 [Tombstone broken in pieces, put together by Elton Jackson Jr. so that I could record the information] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Williams, Jack - 7 Jul 1864/14 Oct 1922 [Masonic Emblem][Tombstone broken in Pieces, put together by Elton Jackson Jr. so that I could record info.] [Note: Jack & Penolar Williams were married ca 1890, & lived in Ward 4 in the 1900 Vernon Parish Census, # 332/336] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [3 graves marked with bricks at head & foot were here in 1992, not found in 1966, no information] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vickers, Infant son of H. P. & W. P. Vickers - b&d 6 Jan 1908 [Outside the fenced area to the South] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Unmarked burial with only a wooden stake at head & foot - no information] [next to the Middle South Fence] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- McDonald, Infant daughter of C. C. & M. A. McDonald - 13 Nov 1912