Notable Burials

I. M. Terrell (and his wife, Emma), first African American teachers in the Fort Worth School System. Terrell became the first black principal in Fort Worth. Served as President of Prairie View and Houston College and as administrator of the Houston Negro Hospital until his death in 1931. HISD Middle School is names for him.

• 1881 Isaiah Milligan Terrell principal of the first free public school for African Americans in Fort Worth, Tx
• 1890-1915 Named Superintendent of Colored Schools in Ft. Worth; also added a high school which bears his name
• 1915-1918 Named the 5th Administrator at Prairie View
• 1918 President of Houston College, moved to “San Felipe”street.
• 1923-1928 Superintendent at Union Hospital and organized Houston Negro Hospital which became Riverside General
• Marcelite Landry Terrell was the first African American woman to become a high school principal in Ft. Worth, her father was the first African American mayor in the U.S, when he was elected in Donaldson, LA in 1868

Photo Credit: Texas State Historical Association

Abner, David Jr

• Graduated Bishop College, Marshall TX 1881
• Professor at Bishop College
• President of Guadalupe College in Sequin, TX for 20 years
• 1905 President of Conroe Normal and Industrial College
• Then moved to Nashville to start American Baptist College working with the SBC opened in 1924
• 1928 Buried at College Park, wife was from Brenham, TX

• 1892 was elected to the Texas House of Representatives for Brazoria County.
• Sat on the Roads, Bridges and Ferries, Labor and Penitentiaries committees. Introduced a bill that would have established a branch of UT for Blacks, but it failed.
• After his second term there was not another Black representative that served in the House until 1966 (Barbra Jordon)
• Moved to Houston, and in 1910 was working as a wagon driver.

Houston Riot of 1917

• US Army established Camp Logan in 1917 to train soldiers for World War I.
• The 24th Battalion (all Black soldiers) was assigned to guard the camp during construction.
• Jim Crow laws were in full force. One soldier was arrested from questionable circumstances.
• Sgt. Henry organized the men and marched towards Houston.
• Riot broke out, 4 soldiers and 16 civilians were killed
• 100 years later to the day, headstones were dedicated.

Photo credit: https://texashistoricalmarkers.weebly.com/john-sessums-jr.html

More information here.

Red Book of Houston, 1915 described, “Mrs. Hagen is considered one of the best sick nurses and midwives in (Houston) and gained her training and experience by working under several leading physicians of Houston. She came to Houston with 50 cents and through her industry and thrift has accumulated a nice bit of property, owning her homestead and three rent houses, several city lots and farm property. She organized the first nurses’ training club and has trained up several colored nurses.” She was buried in 1928.

Rev. Fred Lee Lights pastored numerous Central Texas churches including Antioch Baptist in Houston. He was president of several Missionary organizations and the Ministers Alliance of Houston. Rev. F.L. Lights was buried in 1928.

• 1882 ordained as a Baptist Minister
• Became Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church
• President of Western Star Publishing
• 1905 Messenger to the World Baptist Congress, traveled to the British Isles and France
• 1910 attended the World’s Foreign Mission Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland

Born as a slave in Virginia and given to Miss Emma Garnett as her playmate and maid. Moved to Corsicana, TX in 1875 and in 1890 James L Autry hired Lucy as housekeeper and nurse for his children.