Freestone County, Texas Cemeteries Sessions Cemetery (near Kirvin, Freestone County, Texas) African American cemetery ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGS Map: Kirvin Quadrangle Submitted by: Eric Bonner Wood Status: Active Historical Marker: "This cemetery is the largest of three slave graveyards which local tradition indicates were established in the area in the early 1850s. It was named for delegate to Texas' Constitutional Convention of 1875 and prominent local citizen Gustavus Adolphus (G. A.) Sessions (1827-1902), who donated the land. The oldest burial here is believed to be that of Anderson Carter, who died in the 1850s. The cemetery is closely associated with the nearby Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church and contains the grave sites of many notable former area slaves and their descendants.-1993-" Location: Just barely north east of Kirvin at the intersection of FM 80 and CR 1080. Description: Presently the cemetery is surrounded with a chain link fence and has an arched entryway that says "Session Cemetery 1850". Directions: Go north from Kirvin on FTM Road 80 about 2/10 of mile. On right hand side of the road. At intersection with County Road 1080. Oldest Marked Grave: 14 Nov 1906 John Price USGS topographical map: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=31.77153&lon=-96.3301&s=48&symshow=n&u=4&datum=nad27&layer=DRG [This listing blends the Cox Family Cemetery (south and east) with the Session Cemetery. Cox Cemetery began as a seperate but adjacent cemetery, but is now considered part of Sessions Cemetery.] Latitude: 31.7707214 31° 46' 14.6" N Longitude: -96.3219207 96° 19' 18.9" W ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brown, Deborah Leola 01/27/1954 - 09/04/2009 Bunton, Lovella J. 11/01/1896 - 01/30/1962 Bunton, Dell N. 10/05/1890 - 08/05/1962 Busby, Evins 11/25/1895 - 03/16/1919 Pvt C 170978 Co G Butcher, A. Consulla 09/02/1902 - 06/09/1944 Butcher, Melvin Lee 01/31/1948 - 08/01/1980 Sgt US Army Butcher, Rev. Richard C. 08/04/1898 - 12/03/1974 Butcher, Richard N. 04/16/1923 - 04/01/1967 Butcher, Rodrick LaJuan 09/22/1971 - 06/09/2008 s/o Aaron & Ethel Carter, Taft Sr. 10/13/1909 - 11/19/1987 Carter, Ethel Willie 06/15/1891 - 03/13/1956 Carter, Jenkins H. 1863 - [09/01/]1956 *D* Carter, Gertrude 01/01/1907 - 01/03/1970 Carter, Alice 04/12/1861 - 12/23/1915 Carter, Johnnie 09/02/1879 - 10/08/1964 Carter, Virginia 03/27/1882 - 08/21/1929 Carter, Lula Bell 02/02/1908 - 01/17/1979 Carter, Eddie Jewel 08/22/1937 - 09/19/1968 Carter, Vera D. 02/13/1934 - 03/26/1934 Carter, Jenkins H. Jr. 04/12/1889 - ? Carter, Aquila 02/07/1872 - 02/09/1970 Carter, Lee 09/24/1889 - ? Carter, Annie 1879 - 02/06/1900 21 yrs Carter, A. C. 02/08/1862 - 12/28/1912 Chambers, Jesse 11/09/1886 - 03/21/1977 h/o Mineola Chambers, Vianna 1889 - 1973 "Rest, my mother, in eternal sleep - Joanna" Chambers, Lealer [Carter] 09/15/1859 - 03/17/1949 [concrete; d/o Steve and Vinnie Carter; tombstone name is Lealer while death certificate says Lelia.] Chambers, Mineola 01/21/1894 - ? w/o Jesse Cormier, Sadie P. 12/25/1944 - 05/17/1996 [Cox, Anty ?-04/28/1923] *5* [Cox, Anty 04/24/1928 - 04/28/1928] *5* Cox, B. C. 12/26/1901 - ? h/o Izilla Cox, Bessie Mae 09/13/1943 - 01/23/2000 *triple stone w/ James and Ophelia * Cox, Birdie 1903 - ? w/o Claud; [picture] Cox, Boney Sr. 02/21/1869 - ? h/o Eliza; [never filled death date in] Cox, Boney C. Jr. 12/26/1900 - 09/07/1978 *D* Cox, Carlton 11/11/1926 - 06/11/1928 [hand carved on concrete] Cox, Catherine 05/05/1901 - 10/06/1983 *2 markers*; [picture, "darling, we miss thee"] Cox, Catherine 05/05/1904 - 10/06/1983 *2 markers*; m 1934; w/o Rev. Willis Cox, Claud 1904 - 1974 h/o Birdie]; [picture] Cox, Eliza Ann 11/10/1879 - 06/26/1955 *D*; [d/o Antley & Mary Willis Livingston]; w/o Boney Sr. Cox, Fred 1908 - 1974 Cox, infant son 08/05/1897 - 08/08/1897 s/o B.C. & E.A. Cox, Irema Faye "Ruby" 02/02/1950 - 05/25/2002 *triple stone w/ Pauline and J. C. * Cox, Izilla (Brooks) 08/08/1902 - 01/28/1974 *D*; [d/o Spence & Susan Mathonican Brooks]; w/o B.C. Cox, J. C. 03/14/1923 - 02/16/2009 funeral marker Cox, J. C. 05/27/1937 - 03/15/2002 *triple stone w/ Pauline and Irma * Cox, James 04/12/1904 - 11/26/1994 *triple stone w/ Bessie Mae and Ophelia * Cox, Mrs. Jessie Bonner 07/10/1887 - 04/04/1959 *3*, *D*; d/o Luckus & Lucy Bonner; m Jonas Cox, Johnny Walter 10/17/1903 - 05/27/1956 [handwritten] Cox, Jonas 05/16/1890 - 09/22/1963 *1*; *D*; m Jessie Cox, Lefonia 05/22/1932 - 07/08/1936 *D*; [d/o B.C. & Izilla] Cox, Martha Ann 08/22/1850 - 08/17/1945 *2*; *D*; [d/o Boney & Ann Moffett Cox] Cox, Ophelia 06/27/1912 - 05/26/1988 *triple stone w/ Bessie Mae and James * Cox, Pauline 02/28/1848 - 03/14/2001 *triple stone w/ J. C. and Ophelia * Cox, Sodonner 02/08/???? - 05/10/???? [old broken stone] Cox, Spillar 03/12/1867 - 09/16/1909 Cox. Thomas 1835 - 08/13/1910 aged 75 years; "asleep in Jesus" Cox, Venal 12/08/1895 - 07/11/1911 Cox, Willie D. "Sonny Baby" 06/12/1934-04/19/2002 Cox, Rev. Willis 10/30/1901 - 11/12/1983 m 1934; w/o Rev. Willis Cox-Cormier, Ocie 02/15/1936-09/02/1996 Culton, Lucaddie 02/18/1888 - 11/12/1976 Davis, David 01/08/1892 - 12/11/1957 h/o Pearlie Davis, Donald Steven 06/27/1957 - 11/22/2007 *O* Davis, Rev. Lee Arnold Sr. 01/04/1923 - 07/08/2007 military marker and normal marker; h/o Maggie Davis, Lee Arnold Jr. 03/06/1950 - 01/23/1999 "devoted husband & father" Davis, Maggie M. 08/07/1927 - 04/15/1975 w/o Rev. L. A. Davis, Mary Jane 02/09/1912 - 12/26/1976 w/o Stephen Davis, Pearlie 09/23/1892 - 01/08/1962 w/o David Davis, Stephen 07/04/1874 - 07/23/1949 h/o Mary Jane Dillard, Alice M 02/28/1918 - 04/10/2006 Dixon, Rev. Mrs. Bedellia 07/29/1886 - 11/12/1976 "on business for ..." Earl, Claudia Jewel West 1922 - 1973 Ferrell, Prebbie 1868 - 1895 Foreman, Sam 1886 - 04/11/1941 age 45 Fosler, John 12/04/1874 - 10/11/1950 Foster, Alvin 1860 - 1947 Hamilton, LaRuth (Artella Davis) 12/30/1917 - 06/14/1977 Harris, Harvey Jr. 11/28/1938 - 01/11/1966 Hatcher, Marcus Duane 02/14/1980 - 10/28/2009 *O* Hicks, Kim Cox 10/28/1966 - 08/09/2007 *O* Horn, Addie Mae 12/28/1900 - 12/15/1982 Jefferson, Lillian 01/16/1903 - 04/25/1980 Jefferson, John 04/03/1900 - 03/21/1985 Jefferson, Eliza 02/24/1880 - 10/06/1953 Jefferson, Lee Roy 02/22/1891 - 02/08/1912 Jefferson, Evins 01/07/1853 - 11/18/1918 father; s/o Evins Lewis, ? ? - ? Lewis, David M. 10/15/1944 - 03/31/1973 Lewis, Milton 1910 - 1982 Lewis, Parlie 07/07/1899 - 06/30/1950 Livingston, Sarah 03/09/1868 - 05/10/1950 Moffett, ? ? - ? Moffett, Annie 1877 - ? Moffett, Gertha Davis 11/06/1900 - 03/27/1981 Moffett, Minnie ? - ? age 77 Moffett, Vinie 1869 - 12/05/1942 Myles, Clifton 02/16/1902 - 07/26/1948 Osborne, Lula Ann ? - 1992 *O* Osborne, William David ? - 06/16/2010 Palmer, Mattie 11/19/1892 - 06/25/1970 Price, John ? - 11/14/1906 (age 45) Randle, Early J. 01/16/1910 - 06/20/1973 Ransom, Luesettie 09/03/1915 - 10/05/1963 Raven, Cleo D. 04/16/1915 - 05/19/1963 [Could be Ranen] Roberson, John R. 10/06/1916 - 10/03/1972 Roberson, Annie 05/10/1865 - 03/15/1920 Roberson, Mary 12/22/1880 - 07/17/1965 Roberson, Minnie 01/06/1929 - 01/07/1949 Roberson, Ed 1867 - 1965 Ross, Charlene "Jackie" 07/20/1958 - 06/11/1981 Smith, Maragret 1864 - 1945 Smith, Annie Lee 1890 - 1963 Spates, Tammy 01/05/1970 - 01/14/2011 *O*; d/o James Stephen & Pauline Cox Starling, Bernice J. 03/10/1925 - 09/24/1950 Taliworth, Bulah Bell 03/03/1916 - 08/07/1922 Thompson, Lou Fred 09/08/1913 - 12/10/1966 Pvt US Army WWII Walker, Herman 03/04/1912 - 11/10/1950 Walker, Mary 05/14/1880 - 05/25/1943 Warren, Phalesta Woods 09/27/1927 - 05/25/1970 Washington, Cornell Jr. 02/07/1954 - 12/07/1983 West, Claude W. 12/22/1891 - 03/29/1981 West, Harold D. 06/04/1929 - 12/18/1982 Sgt US Army Korea West, Lounetta 11/11/1894 - 11/18/1982 West, Sanford Lee 01/27/1918 - 06/22/1986 WWII William, Johnny 09/10/1904 - 07/15/1973 [death year could be 1978] William, Mammie E. 06/01/1889 - 10/13/1972 Williams, Doris D. (Jones) 1948 - 1988 Williams, Cullin Howard 04/04/1916 - 01/15/1968 Woods, Susie M. 09/13/1903 - 02/05/1984 Yeldell, Aubrey Lee 12/19/1946 - 05/19/1990 ============================================================== KNOWN UNMARKED GRAVES: Cox, Jonas 11/06/1946 - 02/02/1951 *D*; s/o James & Ophelia Cox ============================================================== NOTES: *1* = Some sources list his birthdate as 04/19/1865. Went by death certificate. *2* = Source list her dates as 08/22/1820 - 08/17/1942. Went by death certificate. *3* = Sources list her dates as 02/15/1883 - 04/14/1959. Went by death certificate. *4* = Source conflicts. ============================================================= LEGEND FOR CEMETERY LISTINGS: *O* = Obituary listed elsewhere on this site *D* = Death Certificate listed elsewhere on this site *B* = Biography listed elsewhere on this site *P* = Photo of tombstone on this website *S* = Social Security death index listed elsewhere on this site *C* = Calculated date based on death date - age given in years and months and days. *U* = Unmarked grave y = year; mo or m = month; d = day(s); h/o = husband of; h1/o = first husband of; h2/o = second husband of w/o = wife of; w1/o = first wife of; w2/o = second wife of m = married to d/o = daughter of; s/o = daughter of ? = unknown birth date or death date (based on position) x2 marker = single marker for two graves, typically married couples TX = Texas; Cav = Cavalry CO = Company; Reg = Regiment; WWI = World War I; WWII = World War II; CSA = soldier in the Confederate States of America; SAW = Spanish American War f.h. = funeral home marker h&f = husband & father H of FC, Vol I: History of Freestone County, Volume I