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

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. Fairley, Infant   (b. 31 Oct 1928 - d. 31 Oct 1928)
Son of Felton Fairley and Sarah Williams. Stillborn.
2. Faison, Nancy L. Betha   (b. 26 Jun 1910 - d. 23 Jun 1911)
Age 11 months. Daughter of Virginia Faison.
3. Farrah, Nancy   (b. Abt 1864 - d. 11 Jul 1923)
Age 59 years
4. Farrington, Morris   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 31 Aug 1910)
Age 34 years
5. Farrow, Maggie L.   (b. Jan 1919 - d. 22 Jun 1919)
Age 6 months
6. Farrow, Mollie   (b. Abt 1896 - d. 26 Jan 1919)
Age 23 years. Died from flu.
7. Farrow, Nannie Allen   (b. 5 May 1881 - d. 18 Jun 1924)
Age 43 years. "At Rest". 'O Death where is thy sting. Grave where is thy victory?'
8. Farrow, Rubby   (b. 25 Dec 1906 - d. 30 Aug 1925)
Age 18 years 8 months 4 days
9. Faucett, Joseph   (b. Abt 1897 - d. 3 Feb 1912)
Age 15 years
10. Faucette, Margaret Ruffin   (b. 1829 - d. 20 Oct 1922)
Age 93 years. Founder of White Rock Baptist Church. Death date on grave marker. Wife of William Faucette. Daughter of Jesse Ruffin and Rebecca Norwood Ruffin.
Hannah Coopr and Ruth Violet Cooper are also on the same grave marker with Margaret. Marker has a C on the top.
11. Faucette, Sarah Gill   (b. 24 Mar 1910 - d. 11 Aug 1910)
Age 4 months
12. Fawler, Celia   (b. 14 Jun 1893 - d. 6 May 1913)
Age 19 years. Died during childbirth.
13. Fawler, Infant   (b. 6 May 1913 - d. 6 May 1913)
Child of Celia Fawler. Stillborn.
14. Felder, Margaret   (b. Abt 1892 - d. 15 Dec 1930)
Daughter of Dan Goodloe and Lula Parker. Age 38 years
15. Ferrell, Bettie   (b. 1857 - d. 3 Aug 1925)
Age 68 years.
16. Ferrell, Jane   (b. Abt 1853 - d. 14 Mar 1918)
Age about 65 years
17. Fields, Harold   (b. 31 Jan 1923 - d. 6 May 1923)
Age 3 months
18. Filmore, David Washington Lassiter   (b. Aug 1928 - d. 19 Sep 1928)
Son of David and Annie Filmore. Age 1 month
19. Finch, Julia   (b. Abt 1893 - d. 9 Sep 1931)
Daughter of William Cameron and Elizabeth Umstead. Age about 38 years
20. Fincher, Infant   (b. 1 Sep 1930 - d. 1 Sep 1930)
Daughter of Joe Fincher and Julia. Stillborn.
21. Finchur, Alfred   (b. Oct 1919 - d. 26 Mar 1920)
Age 5 months
22. Fitzgerald, Lina   (b. Abt 1862 - d. 19 Jul 1910)
Age 48 years
23. Fleming, Elmen   (b. Abt 1807 - d. 30 Mar 1921)
Age 14 years. Female.
24. Fleming, Infant   (b. 19 Nov 1920 - d. 19 Nov 1920)
Stillborn.
25. Flemming, Clara   (b. 17 Jun 1910 - d. 16 Oct 1910)
Age 4 months
26. Flintall, Infant   (b. 29 Nov 1929 - d. 29 Nov 1929)
Son of Hiawatha Lyon and Beatrice Flintall. Stillborn.
27. Fonts, Infant   (b. 10 Apr 1912 - d. 10 Apr 1912)
Child of Mr. Fonts. Stillborn.
28. Forbs, Infant   (b. 10 Feb 1921 - d. 10 Feb 1921)
Stillborn.
29. Ford, Marina   (b. Aug 1886 - d. 18 May 1911)
Married. Wife of B.C. Ford. Daughter of Amie Jones. Died during childbirth.
30. Forster, Edward   (b. Abt 1872 - d. 12 Feb 1913)
Age 40 years
31. Foster, Infant   (b. 29 Apr 1928 - d. 29 Apr 1928)
Daughter of Willie Gant and Alice Foster. Stillborn.
32. Foster, Justice   (b. 10 Nov 1924 - d. 18 Nov 1924)
Age 8 days
33. Foster, Lela   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 6 Sep 1918)
Age about 33 years
34. Foster, Margaret   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 5 Jul 1926)
Age 41 years
35. Foushee, William   (b. 12 May 1874 - d. 29 Nov 1902)
Age 28 years.
36. Foushee, William (Baby)   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
Aged 11 months
37. Fowler, James A.   (b. Feb 1917 - d. 8 Dec 1917)
Age 9 months
38. Fuller, Alma W.   (b. 31 Jan 1918 - d. 13 Jul 1918)
39. Fuller, Earnest   (b. 2 Feb 1892 - d. 9 Mar 1918)
40. Fuller, Eddie, Jr.   (b. Aug 1920 - d. 8 Apr 1923)
Age 2 years 8 months
41. Fuller, Ernest, Jr.   (b. Aug 1931 - d. 26 Oct 1931)
Son of Ernest Fuller and Emma May Nunn. Age 2 months
42. Fuller, Infant   (b. 4 Jan 1928 - d. 4 Jan 1928)
Son of James Fuller and Edna Peaks. Stillborn.
43. Fuller, Infant   (b. 20 Feb 1911 - d. 23 Feb 1911)
Child of Ida Fuller. Age 3 days
44. Fuller, Infant   (b. 31 Dec 1924 - d. 31 Dec 1924)
Stillborn.
45. Fuller, J. F.   (b. 29 Sep 1924 - d. 6 Oct 1924)
Age 8 days
46. Fuller, Osha   (b. Feb 1925 - d. 10 Sep 1925)
Age 7 months
47. Fulmore, Infant   (b. 1 Jan 1928 - d. 6 Jan 1928)
Daughter of Jackson and Laura Fulmore. Age 6 days