Durham County North Carolina Cemeteries Other NC County Cemeteries
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252    GEER CEMETERY [CITY CEMETERY]   -   Surname starts with D

Location - on Colonial Street between McGill Place and Camden Avenue.

Coordinates: 36d 00m 37.0s N; 78d 53m 04.0s W Click here for Online Maps

This cemetery was known by the names Geer Cemetery, City Cemetery, Old City Cemetery, East Durham and Mason Cemetery.

This is an abandoned, overgrown cemetery. There are approximately four acres of graves of African-American people. There are many stone markers present, some very unusual. Many of the markers have been damaged. The earliest known burial was in the 1870's and the last burial occurred in 1944. This is one of the earliest African-American cemeteries in Durham and many black prominent people are buried there.

The cemetery was started in 1876 with the burial of an 11 year old black farm hand of Jesse B. Geer, who was killed accidentally after being dragged by a horse on the Geer plantation. On March 28, 1877 a deed was written selling two acres of land for fifty dollars to three men, the land to be used as a burial ground. The three men were Willie Moore, John Daniel and Nelson Mitchell. The deed was signed by Jesse Geer and his wife Polly. The deed stated that the land was to be used for burials and that the heirs of Moore, Daniel and Mitchell were to be responsible for the property. The cemetery was closed in 1939 after the health department inspected the cemetery and found that the cemetery was overcrowded.

Canvassed by Denise Lawson and the Durham Service Corps in 1992, they listed about 100 markers. In 2003, Carrie McNair and several volunteers extracted burials from the death records located in the Vital Records office. Durham County began issuing death certificates in 1908 and North Carolina law has required death certificates only since 1913. Thus, there were over 35 or more years of additional burials that were unrecorded except for whatever tombstones have survived.

Pictures of gravestones by Allen Dew in 2003, 2004 and 2008. Additional pictures by Jessica T. Eustice in October 2008 and Sarah Cook in October 2012 and Wayne Lee in 2019 & 2020.



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1. Dailey, Lillian   (b. Abt 1895 - d. 25 Apr 1918)
Age about 23 years
2. Daniel, Lonnie B.   (b. Jan 1895 - d. 5 Aug 1911)
Age about 16 years
3. Daniel, Will   (b. Abt 1887 - d. 27 Feb 1915)
Age about 28 years
4. Daniels, Delia   (b. Abt 1855 - d. 24 Mar 1932)
Age about 77 years
5. Daniels, Richard   (b. Abt 1855 - d. 10 Apr 1911)
Married. Son of Richard Trice and Unknown Daniels.
6. Daniels, Robert   (b. Abt 1891 - d. 5 Jul 1924)
Age 34 years
7. Dark, Davie   (b. Abt 1901 - d. 16 Dec 1927)
Age 26 years
8. Dark, Frank   (b. Abt 1849 - d. 4 Apr 1923)
Age 75 years
9. Davidson, Geroge   (b. Abt 1856 - d. 26 Aug 1931)
Age 65 years
10. Davidson, John William, Jr.   (b. Oct 1932 - d. 19 Apr 1934)
Son of John William Davidson and Celia Truman Davidson.
11. Davis, Bettie   (b. Abt 1879 - d. 30 Sep 1923)
Age 44 years
12. Davis, Infant   (b. 1 Sep 1911 - d. 1 Sep 1911)
Child of Ed Davis.
13. Davis, Mary   (b. Abt 1877 - d. 19 Mar 1922)
Age about 45 years
14. Dawkins, Emma J.   (b. Abt 1868 - d. 13 Oct 1929)
Age 62 years
15. Dawkins, P. W.   (b. 10 Mar 1862 - d. 17 Oct 1913)
Age 51 years. 'In memory of our father'
16. Dawson, Albert, Jr.   (b. 1917 - d. 10 Apr 1920)
Age 3 years
17. Dawson, Berta   (b. Abt 1896 - d. 22 Aug 1919)
Age 23 years
18. Dawson, Henry   (b. Abt 1895 - d. 7 Feb 1925)
Age 30 years
19. Dawson, Infant   (b. 24 Apr 1924 - d. 25 Apr 1924)
Age 1 day
20. Dawson, Ossie   (b. 1915 - d. 10 Apr 1920)
Age 5 years
21. Day, Bertha   (b. Abt 1899 - d. 14 Feb 1923)
Age 44 years
22. Day, Louis   (b. Abt 1869 - d. 14 Dec 1923)
Age 54 years
23. Day, Vera   (b. Jan 1913 - d. 25 Sep 1913)
Age 9 months
24. Delefauntee, Paul   (b. 24 Jan 1927 - d. 26 Jan 1927)
Age 2 days. Name also listed as Flauntted.
25. Dennis, Florence   (b. Abt 1881 - d. 7 Dec 1928)
Daughter of James Cain and Nancy Douglas. Age 47 years
26. Dennis, Infant   (b. 29 Oct 1928 - d. 29 Oct 1928)
Daughter of Claud Dennis and Nora Morris. Stillborn.
27. Derr, Iva B.   (b. 29 Apr 1893 - d. 20 Jul 1919)
Wife of Gilbert C. Derr. "She was a kind and affectionate Wife, a fond mother and friend to all." . Another view of marker. - Another view.
28. Devoe, Sam   (b. Abt 1884 - d. 2 May 1925)
Age 41 years
29. Deyancy, Friendsiea   (b. 1906 - d. 25 Mar 1920)
Age 14 years
30. Dixon, Ernest   (b. Abt 1884 - d. 13 May 1917)
Age about 33 years
31. Dixon, Ernest, Jr.   (b. 7 Aug 1913 - d. 27 Aug 1913)
Age 20 days
32. Dixon, John Henry   (b. 28 Feb 1924 - d. 29 Jun 1924)
Age 4 months 29 days
33. Dixon, Lizzie   (b. Abt 1842 - d. 6 Jun 1917)
Age about 75 years
34. Dixon, Susan   (b. Abt 1883 - d. 2 Jul 1911)
Age 28 years
35. Dixon, Westfield   (b. Abt 1871 - d. 10 Apr 1927)
Age 56 years
36. Dixon, Winsfield   (b. Abt 1834 - d. 8 Apr 1920)
Age 84 years
37. Dock, John   (b. 26 Apr 1910 - d. 26 Apr 1910)
Stillborn.
38. Dollar, Sylvester   (b. Abt 1894 - d. 8 Jul 1920)
Age 26 years
39. Donaldson, Infant   (b. 30 Aug 1926 - d. 13 Sep 1926)
Age 15 days
40. Donnell, Gladys   (b. 1901 - d. 27 Apr 1922)
Age 21 years
41. Donnell, Goldie H.   (b. 30 May 1903 - d. 18 Feb 1928)
Daughter of Walter Donnell and Martha Paraham. Age 24 years
42. Donnell, Mamie   (b. Abt 1889 - d. 2 Feb 1927)
Age 38 years
43. Donnell, Walter A., Jr.   (b. Abt 1900 - d. 24 Nov 1927)
Age 27 years
44. Doome, Margaret   (b. Abt 1819 - d. 30 Nov 1920)
Age 101 years
45. Dornell, James   (b. 25 Dec 1910 - d. 31 Dec 1910)
Age 6 days
46. Douglas, John   (b. Abt 1877 - d. 11 Feb 1922)
Age about 45 years
47. Dove, Infant   (b. 15 Apr 1930 - d. 15 Apr 1930)
Son of Tom Dove and Mary Flowers. Stillborn.
48. Drayton, Infant   (b. 15 Jun 1926 - d. 15 Jun 1926)
Premature.
49. Duncan, John   (b. Abt 1865 - d. 22 Nov 1927)
Age about 62 years
50. Duncans, Mary E.   (b. Abt 1878 - d. 25 Apr 1922)
Age about 44 years
51. Dunigan, James   (b. Abt 1887 - d. 28 Jan 1913)
Age 26 years
52. Dunigan, John   (b. Unknown - d. 29 Jan 1929)
Son of Wesley and Vilta Dunigan. Age (not obtainable) adult
53. Dunn, Infant   (b. Feb 1917 - d. 18 Aug 1918)
Age 18 months
54. Dunn, Julius   (b. Abt 1904 - d. 31 Jan 1932)
Age 28 years
55. Dunn, Lonnie   (b. Abt 1892 - d. 3 Mar 1918)
Age about 26 years
56. Dunn, Robert   (b. Jul 1918 - d. 4 Dec 1928)
Son of John Dunn and Susie Morrow. Age 5 months
57. Dunnegan, Leana   (b. Abt 1875 - d. 1 Jan 1925)
Age 50 years
58. Dunnigan, David   (b. 28 Feb 1900 - d. 23 Jun 1927)
Age 27 years
59. Dunnigan, Violet   (b. Abt 1872 - d. 7 Jun 1924)
Age 52 years
60. Dunnigan, Zack   (b. Unknown - d. 16 Dec 1927)
Age not listed.
61. Dunston, Arah   (b. Abt 1897 - d. 23 Nov 1921)
Age 24 years
62. Dunston, Fisher   (b. Abt 1867 - d. 5 Jan 1923)
Age about 56 years. Name could be Dunkan.
63. Dunston, Mary   (b. Abt 1860 - d. 18 Jun 1887)
Age 26 years. Wife of N.C. Dunston.
64. Dunston, Sophronie   (b. May 1899 - d. 1 Dec 1920)
Age 22 years
65. Dunston, Swepson   (b. 18 Nov 1899 - d. 7 Apr 1918)
66. Dunston, Waltress   (b. Abt 1902 - d. 8 Aug 1925)
Age 23 years
67. Durham, W. O.   (b. Abt 1881 - d. 2 Jan 1920)
Age 39 years
68. Dye, Emmie L.   (b. Aug 1926 - d. 20 Jan 1928)
Daughter of Eddie Dye and Earsell Williams. Age 1 year 5 months