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TEXARKANA COUNTRY CLUB
Site of Two Graves
Do not copy to put on another web
site.
We have information in our cemeteries that is from researching, not just from walking the cemetery, and there may not be a stone so it will be easy to prove they were copied. The cemeteries are here for researching and personal use only not for submitting to other web pages. This is hard work of volunteers. We have the locations of the cemeteries if you would like to walk it and get your own listing. |
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The following information was published in the
TEXARKANA USA QUARTERLY, Volume XIX, No. 4, Winter Issue, 1992.
Followed by an Update published in Volume XX, No. 3, Fall Issue,
1993.
Location in College Hill Area: As you go out Hwy
71 South (East Street) turn Left on Forrest Street and at the corner
of Ferguson turn right into the entrance.
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| In 1992, with the help of the
Maintenance Mgr. David Walker, Elizabeth Wilburn and Mimi Lantz were
able to locate these two graves on the backside of the Texarkana County
Club grounds. This small fenced gravesite has been there since the
beginning of the Country Club. Slim stones with praying hands at the top of each listed: MALINDA WILSON, Born Oct. 7 1839, Died May 23, 1894 MATTIE METTS, Born July 4, 1865,
Died May 22, 1894 Because of the two death dates, they wondered if it was caused by a fever. It appeared to be the graves of a Mother and Daughter. Elizabeth Wilburn, researched the 1880 Miller County Federal Census and found the following: Page 100D-Texarkana, 341/348 WILLSON, S. S., Father, age 40, born VA, his Father born N.C. Mother born ___ WILLSON, Malindie, Mother, age 40, born AL, her Father born TN, Mother born TN WILLSON, John, Son, age 5, Walter SIBLEY, Step-Son, age 12, Martha J. SIBLEY, Step-Dau., age 14, Mary E. SILMAN, Step-Dau., age 17, Mary M. SILMAN, Step-Gr.Dau., age 1 year. Mr. Wilson was listed as a proprietor of a boarding house. Mattie was the daughter of Malinda from a previous marriage. Mr. James Collins, a retired Texarkana Business man, told Mimi Lantz that some of his records showed he was related to Malinda Wilson. He also told her that one of his Black Friends, who did work for the old Paul Reverra Funeral Home stated to him, “there was an epidemic of the “BLACK POX” that took a lot of lives and that he was the one to dig the graves so he knew there were about 36 graves in that area and most were buried by night with no ceremony and only these two stones were placed.” No newspaper accounts could be found for this time period so no more information has been uncovered. If anyone can help update this information please contact the society by snail mail, email or message board on this web site. Typed up and sent in by Betty Sharp |