Rhode Island Cemetery

 

by Carol McGee Anthony, Wilbur Thirkield (Bill) Bonner-Titus, and Eric Bonner Wood

Status: Still Active

Location: North of Fairfield. Near Stewards Mill.

Directions: Northward on I-45 down from Fairfield towards Dallas. Go right FM 833 (about 7 miles north) going eastward and
the first cemetery on the right next to a trailer is the Rhode Island Cemetery. The cemetery is at the corner of FM 833 and county road 161.

Cemetery Description: There is no sign. It is enclosed with a chain-link fence and is on an irregular shaped lot.

Background: Written by "Bill" Bonner-Titus, "The Rhode Island Cemetery of Fairfield is located in the Stewards Mill Community on FM 833 and CR 161, and has been in existence since the late 1800s. The exact date of its establishment is not known. However, on March 20, 1891, G. T. Bradley deeded the Rhode Island Methodist Episcoal Church an acre of land for the church. Albert Cyrus, Jesse Averhart and Dave Clark were the church's trustees involved. At the time of this writing, research hasn't found the date of the beginning of the cemetery site. Thus it is assumed that the cemetery was established after the founding of the church.
During this period of our history, it weas custom for the church to take leadership in the affairs of the African American community. Rhode Island Methodist Episcoal Church was no exception. Following Emancipation, the cemeteries of the freed slaves were simple imitations of the cemeteries of their former masters. Each grave was kept with a mound of soil heaped over it. Few had tombstones. Stakes were placed at the the head and foot of the grave and large objects, such as a wagon or buggy wheel, a peculiar large stone or whatever the family could think of was used to mark the spot where the person was buried. Smaller beautiful objects were placed on the grave to decorate it. Most cemeteries were fenced with barbed wire.
The care of the cemetery was a community social affair, and the people of the community looked forward to it. Church officials would choose a day to "work the cemetery" and every household would prepare a "dinner", carry hoes and other tools and flock to the cemetery. They would remove the ornaments, chop the weeds and remove fallen leaves, then they would replace the
ornaments. The day ended with a feast. In the mid nineteen hundreds, we note a chnage in the care of Rhode Island Cemetery, brought about by the movement of people in search of better jobs, and by use of machines in cemetery care. In order to use machines in the cemeteries, the graves were flattened and the decorative artifacts were eliminated. Headstones became more
affordable. Upright ones became popular. Later, flat ones became fashionable. Some graves that had no headstone were lost.
Rhode Island Cemetery was partically fenced with chain link fencing and the remainder with barbed wire. When Rhode Island Methodist Church was merge with Jones Chapel United Methodist Church of Fairfield, Texas, the Rhode Island Cemetery Association was formed to administer the affairs of the cemetery. Some of the leaders of the church and presidents of the association were Albert Cyrus, Ned Craw, Gertrude Gabriel Land, James I. bonner, Eulasea Perkins, Minion Bonner Jr., Carlton R. Rischer, and Wilbur Thirkield Bonner-Titus.
Ruby Jean Keeton Ford served more than twenty years as the secretary of the association, and Boykin Lee served the same number of years as treasurer. He has served as mover of the cemetery lawn for nearly as long."

Oldest Marked Grave: 1889 Andrew Jackson

Transcription Date: July 4, 2006

Notes - I would note that this graveyard has an unusual number of headstones covered with dirt that obsure dates or other data. It is almost like the cemetery is on sinking land, even though it looks stable. Could be dirt that is blown in from the nearby dirt country road.

Ones indicated as "unmarked" are recorded in the History of Freestone County, Vol II, but the marker was not found. It could have been overlooked. Ten unknown markers were found.

?, H. C.
    age 75
    HC is assumed to be the first name
1869 1964
?, Lousia
    In Memory of
    dates are buried
   
Averhart, Dollie
    unmarked
1872 1947
Averhart, Irene
    unmarked
1880 1950
Bonner, Anna
    Mother
1885 19??
Bonner, Annie Bell
    In memory of our mother
    At Rest
Feb 4, 1912 Feb 6, 1980
Bonner, Arthur ? Nov 27, 2003
Bonner, Autless
    Loving Husband
Mar 15, 1903 Mar 27, 1970
Bonner, Cecilia Marie
    unmarked
1959 1981
Bonner, Fayette
    his picture is visible
Apr 3, 1889 Nov 13, 1968
Bonner, James I.
    Pvt US Army WWII
Jan 21, 1892 June 18, 1980
Bonner, Lady (Jones)
    dau of Smith & Priscilla (Thurman) Jones
1863 Mar 10, 1956
Bonner, Lucille
    dau of Jas & Sarah
Aug 2, 1923 Sept 2, 1923
Bonner, Mattie Lou
    Our Darling
1927 1954
Bonner, Minyard Aug 10, 1885 ?? 21, 1949
Bonner, Oliver
    At Rest
June 18, 1884 Mar 10, 1947
Bonner, Sarah A. Dec 20, 1891 Mar 10, 1948
Bonner, Steave Nov ??, ???? ?? ??, 1922
Bonner, Sylvester
    Tec 5 US Army WWII
Aug 18, 1925 Jan 22, 1993
Bonner, Willis C.
    Our Son
July 3, 1918 Nov 17, 1961
Bonner, Willis 1859 Nov 28, 1934
Carter, James D.
    US Navy
Dec 17, 1940 Oct 19, 1979
Carter, Mary Jewel
    Precious Memories
Oct 5, 1908 Sept 15, 2002
Coleman, Charlie
    Father
1886 1921
Coleman, Clifton
    US Army WWII
Dec 26, 1926 Aug 10, 1979
Coleman, Fannie
    Mother
1892 1963
Coleman, Joush David
    Capps Funeral Home Marker
1913 1961
Coleman, Louis
    TX Pvt 13, Co 165 Depot Brig WWI
Nov 23, 1890 Oct 25, 1965
Coleman, Paul
    Asleep In Jesus
May 2, 1916 Sept 26, 1982
Compton, Maggie
    unmarked
1888 1944
Craw, Earl
    At Rest
1927 1966
Craw, Henrietta Kelley Feb 7, 1906 Nov 24, 1988
Craw, Lula D.
    Mother
1882 1978
Cyrus, Benjamin Fisher
    Pvt US Army WWI
June 5, 1895 July 9, 1975
Cyrus, Clara E.
    Emanuel Funeral Home of Teague, TX
Sept 12, 1908 Jan 24, 2006
Cyrus, Ella Apr 13, 1870 Apr 21, 1925
Cyrus, Kattie
    dashed years
1868 1937
Cyrus, Sie
    dashed years
1866 ????
Daniels, Elvria
    Beloved Mother (chain)
1902 1971
Daniels, Jim Frank
    TX Pvt US Army WWI
1892 1966
Davenport, Keveron T.
    In His Hands
    Baby picture
Oct 19, 1989 Nov 25, 1989
Davis, Bettie Oct 15, 1883 Sept 30, 1978
Davis, Boston Sr.
    At Rest
Feb 20, 1916 Sept 7, 1988
Davis, Guy
    At Rest
Oct 27, 1884 Sept 27, 1934
Davis, Joyucery
    unmarked
    unreadable headstone with 1884 visible
1884 1947
Davis, Ora Belle Gabriel
    Mother
May 28, 1928 Dec 4, 1982
Dunbar, Annie
    At Rest
1869 1957
Dunbar, Brazula
    unmarked
1898 1952
Dunbar, Will
    TX Pvt HO Co 24 Inf Regt WWI
May 14, 1890 July 16, 1970
Evans, A. H. Jr.
    unmarked
1901 1928
Evans, A. H. Sr.
    Have Peace on Earth & Rest in Heaven
July 25, 1879 Dec 25, 1943
Gabriel, Bishop Simpson Dec 3, 1907 Apr 20, 1933
Gabriel, John J.
    double stone with Sallie
    Mason
Apr 25, 1865 July 28, 1932
Gabriel, John L.
    m. 1920
1869 1979
Gabriel, Lenora C.
    m. 1920
1901 1980
Gabriel, Sadealia
    Gone but not forgotten
Feb 12, 1904 Feb 17, 1916
Gabriel, Sallie Bell
    double stone with John H.
Apr 15, 1876 Mar 17, 1949
Gafney, Rafer
    unmarked
1913 1982
Gafney, Virlee
    unmarked
1912 1977
Goolsby, Ammie
    unmarked
1845 1935
Goolsby, Nan
    dates currently buried
1875 ?
Goolsby, Nettie
    unmarked
1893 1957
Gross, Monica Evette
    Little Angel of Joann & Eddie Gross
Dec 19, 1972 Apr 30, 1975
Hailey, Roberta
    Gone but not forgotten
    Lot No 381
June 8, 1892 Aug 31, 1967
Hamilton, Lillian
    unmarked
Apr 4, 1921 Mar 15, 1985
Hart, Daughter
    Daug of T. ??? Avery
    age 1 mo
    Gone But Not Forgotten
no dates no dates
Hart, Infant
    Infant of Avery
    age 5 mo
    Gone But Not Forgotten
no dates no dates
Hunter, Len E.
    In Loving Memory
Oct 20, 1944 Mar 20, 1990
Jackson, Andrew
    In Memory of In God We Live
    currently broken in half
1812 1889
Jessie, Bessie May 1, 1894 Dec 8, 1979
Jessie, Patricia
    half buried with right side buried
Dec 10, 1959 Feb 2?, 1972
Johnson, Mary Lee Dec 16, 1894 Dec 5, 1985
Jones, Mack
    At Rest
1881 1967
Jones, Maria
    At Rest
    Mother
1886 1970
Jones, Mary Aug 19, 1886 May 7, 1981
Jones, Rainer
    dates are buried
1889 19??
Jones, Willia M.
    unmarked
1909 1981
Jones, Wilma
    unmarked
1909 1977
Keaton, Beulah Belle
    m. 1940
Feb 1, 1913 Apr 25, 1987
Keaton, Bonner B. Jr.
    Pvt US Army
Feb 26, 1954 July 5, 1993
Keaton, Bonner Bault Sr.
    m. 1940
    Marker for Capps Memorial Chapel
Nov 20, 1911 June 30, 1985
Kelley, Samuel Jr.
    unmarked
1902 1935
Lampkins, Angeline
    Gone but not forgotten
Mar 15, 1884 Oct 14, 1947
Lampkins, Cadle?
    Gone to Rest
Feb 20, 1864 May 13, 1920
Lampkins, Infant
    infant of C. ? A. N.
    Sleep Little One within The Tomb
no dates no dates
Lee, Jossie
    At Rest
1884 1978
Lee, Laura (Coleman) 1918 1971
Lee, Mr. J. T.
    My Darling Husband
Mar 31, 1910 Sept 20, 1975
Lee, Mr. Leslie
    Unusual letter stickers
Apr 17, 1905 June 11, 1978
Lee, Mrs. Caldonia Nov 12, 1911 June 14, 1983
Lee, Primous 1886 1940
McCain, Kaie
    unmarked
1894 1972
McDonald, Mr. Justin
    Baker Funeral Home of Ft. Worth
June 3, 1983 Feb 10, 2006
McMullen, Annie Jan 20, 1900 June 12, 1996
McMullen, Ed
    At Rest
Apr 10, 1862 Jan 10, 1947
McMullen, Frank
    Brother
June 6, 1906 May 15, 1998
McMullen, Hillery
    unmarked
1865 Aug 26, 1961
McMullen, Mary
    At Rest
Feb 2, 1867 Jan 27, 1942
McMullen, Walter
    unmarked
1888 1889
Mitchell, Morris L.
    double stone with blank
Apr 5, 1932 Sept 21, 1998
Norris, Elize Jane
    Mother
July 10, 1889 Nov 15, 1947
Norris, Irma Geen
    Sister
May 10, 1914 May 20, 1951
Norris, Jessie
    Father
June 6, 1885 Apr 27, 1978
Norris, Raydo Wilson
    unmarked
1912 1962
Norris, Whitaker "Hoss"
    Brother
Nov 1, 1915 Dec 27, 1980
Packer, Daniel
    double stone with Mizellia
1903 1985
Packer, Mizellia
    double stone with Daniel
1909 1999
Perkins, Corin B. (Bonner) July 17, 1912 Sept 6, 1997
Perkins, Eulsea C. Jan 26, 1918 Mar 29, 1989
Powell, Littie Apr 4, 1874 Jan 17, 1947
Presley, Rev W.M.
    Gone but not forgotten
May 7, 1879 Feb 23, 1960
Rischer, Anthony
    cement like stone
1899 1976
Rischer, Antie
    double with Henrietta
Nov 23, 1863 Oct 24, 1916
Rischer, Berneather
    Beloved Mother
    double with Sylvester
Sept 8, 1915 Feb 9, 1986
Rischer, Eunice E.
    PFC US Army WWII
Aug 20, 1922 Nov 27, 1980
Rischer, Henrietta
    double with Antie
Oct 20, 1867 Apr 23, 1926
Rischer, James Alvin July 4, 1948 Jan 2, 1972
Rischer, James
    unmarked
1879 1957
Rischer, Joe
    Father
Jan 18, 1884 Nov 7, 1918
Rischer, Katie Mae Nov 8, 1920 Dec 27, 1981
Rischer, King Loyd Aug 6, 1940 Apr 18, 1972
Rischer, Lillian
    hard to read
June ?, 1894 Aug 2, 1896
Rischer, Loyd
    S2 US Navy WWII
Dec 7, 1907 Dec 10, 1985
Rischer, Manervia
    Mother
    duplicate stone
Oct 5, 1886 July 21, 1965
Rischer, Roosevelt
    hard to read
May ?, 1902 ?? ?, 1905
Rischer, Sylvester
    Beloved Father
    double with Berneather
Dec 10, 1908 Jan 2, 1986
Rischer, Virlee
    unmarked
1950 1962
Roberts, Ederiti 1800 1900
Roberts, James "Jim"
    Grandfather
1869 1941
Scott, John
    son of F. & C. Scott
    Asleep in Jesus
1876 1891
Shed, Pauline Coleman
     Asleep In Jesus
Nov 15, 1950 Sept 20, 1980
Washington, Ezell
    In Loving Memory
Jan 11, 1923 Oct 7, 2004
Washington, Shirley Mae July 22, 1950 June 24, 1994
Whitehead, Esther
    Mother
    Ever In Our Hearts
July 29, 1958 June 22, 2000
Whitehead, Floya B.
    unmarked
1941 1981
Whitehead, Stanley R.
    SP 4 US Army
1955 1980
Whittaker, Leora Davis
    dau of Mr. & Mrs. Guy Davis
    Gone But Not Forgotten
? Oct 15, 1963
Willis, Laura Mary May 5, 1903 May 27, 1982
Willis, Theodore R. Sr. July 11, 1905 Dec 23, 1977
Younger, Richard
    unmarked
1914 1981

Other unmarked grave known of by death certificates:

Bonner, Infant
    infant of James Bonner
Aug 2, 1923 Sept 2, 1923

Know unmarked graves
Unmarked graves recorded in History of Freestone Co., Vol II
Averhart, Manuel
Averhart, Reuben
Bonner, Clara
Bonner, Euclide
Coleman, Cora Belle
Coleman, J. D.
Cyrus, Abb Jr.
Cyrus, Abb Sr.
Cyrus, Cy Jr.
Cyrus, Cy Sr.
Cyrus, Harry
Cyrus, Tommy
Daniels, Izora
Goolsby, Reb. Billy
Helm, Rev. G. S.
Jones, Al
Jones, Alfred
Keaton, Carl
Keaton, Kirven
Kelley, Kittie
Kelley, Samuel Sr.
Lampkin, Amanda
Lampkin, Lady
Lampkin, Lieutenant
Lampkin, Mitt
Lampkin, Montgomery
Lampkin, Nathaniel
Lampkin, Nora
Lampkin, Phenia
Lampkin, Willie
McCrary, J. C.
McCrary, West
Presley, Jack
Presley, Jane
Presley, Johnny
Presley, Johnson
Presley, Milton
Presley, Rosie
Rischer, Babe
Rischer, Fannie
Rischer, Leora
Roberts, Everett
Roberts, Nathan
Thurman, Jim
Thurman, John
Thurman, Kittie
Thurman, Robert
Williams, Catherine