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

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. Garner, Hubert   (b. Sep 1910 - d. 10 Oct 1911)
Age 13 months
2. Garner, Infant   (b. 7 Sep 1924 - d. 7 Sep 1924)
Stillborn.
3. Garnes, Earley   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 19 Jan 1913)
Age 17 years
4. Gaston, Mabel   (b. 20 Dec 1922 - d. 25 Dec 1922)
Age 5 days
5. Gateway, Mary   (b. 10 Aug 1928 - d. 10 Aug 1928)
Daughter of James Marshall and Mary E. Gateway. Stillborn.
6. Gattis, Charlie   (b. Abt 1870 - d. 17 Apr 1928)
Son of Benjamin and Mary Gattis. Age 58 years
7. Gattis, Emma   (b. Abt 1888 - d. 7 Jul 1922)
Age 34 years
8. Gattis, Infant   (b. 5 Jun 1910 - d. 5 Jun 1910)
Child of Benjamin Gattis. Stillborn.
9. Gattis, James   (b. Abt 1890 - d. 5 Oct 1924)
Age 34 years
10. Gattis, Sarah   (b. Abt 1867 - d. 29 Mar 1923)
Age 56 years
11. Geer, Infant   (b. 25 Apr 1923 - d. 25 Apr 1923)
Stillborn.
12. Geer, J. W.   (b. Abt 1856 - d. 25 Sep 1909)
Age 53 years
13. Gill, Martha   (b. Abt 1909 - d. 4 Apr 1925)
Age 16 years
14. Gilmer, George   (b. 1902 - d. 26 Nov 1919)
Age 17 years
15. Gilmer, George   (b. Abt 1879 - d. 12 Mar 1918)
Age about 39 years
16. Gilmer, Katie Louise   (b. Abt 1871 - d. 25 Aug 1930)
Daughter of Annie Lunsford. Age 59 years
17. Gilmer, Mary   (b. May 1909 - d. 14 Dec 1909)
Age 4 months
18. Gilmer, R. M.   (b. Abt 1866 - d. 1 Aug 1929)
Son of John Gilmer. Age about 63 years
19. Gilmer, Riley Murphy   (b. 3 Dec 1888 - d. 3 Apr 1889)
Son of R.M. and Katie Gilmer
20. Gilmer, Walter J.   (b. Abt 1891 - d. 8 Oct 1934)
Single. Son of Stephen Gilmer and Isbella Hester Gilmer.
21. Gilmon, Pheby   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 25 Mar 1910)
Age 34 years
22. Gilmore, Infant   (b. 8 Mar 1928 - d. 8 Mar 1928)
Son of Charlie Gilmore and Lizzie Alston. Stillborn.
23. Gilmore, Tom   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
24. Gineyard, Bessie   (b. Jul 1923 - d. 14 Oct 1923)
Age 3 months
25. Ginyard, Fred   (b. Aug 1926 - d. 28 Jan 1927)
Age 5 months
26. Glasco, Sarah   (b. 26 Jan 1913 - d. 26 Jan 1913)
Stillborn.
27. Glascoe, Charlie   (b. 1 May 1861 - d. 1 May 1913)
Age 52 years
28. Glenn, Annice   (b. 10 Oct 1821 - d. 24 Dec 1903)
Her life was beauty, truth, goodness and love.
29. Goines, Emeline   (b. Abt 1858 - d. 15 Aug 1926)
Age 68 years
30. Goines, George   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 11 Nov 1935)
Age 59 years. 'At Rest'. Another photo from February 2008.. View of the Goines plot with brick wall.
31. Goins, Charlie   (b. Abt 1871 - d. 21 Mar 1920)
Age 48 years 8 months 17 days
32. Goins, Charlotte   (b. Abt 1867 - d. 14 Jan 1938)
Wife of William B. Mitchell. Daughter of James Goins and Josephine Goins.
33. Goins, Eliza   (b. Abt 1867 - d. 12 May 1929)
Daughter of Williams Goins. Age 62 years
34. Goins, Hulbent   (b. Abt 1900 - d. 4 May 1921)
Age 21 years
35. Goins, Mary   (b. Abt 1890 - d. 21 Nov 1918)
Age 28 years. Died from flu.
36. Golston, James   (b. May 1925 - d. 29 Nov 1925)
Age 6 months
37. Gooding, Joseph, Jr.   (b. 27 Dec 1927 - d. 28 Jun 1928)
Son of Joseph Gooding. Age 6 months 1 day
38. Goodloe, Daniel   (b. Abt 1826 - d. 19 Feb 1918)
Age 92 years
39. Goodloe, Daniel L.   (b. Abt 1868 - d. 29 Jun 1930)
Son of Dan Goodloe and Mariah Justice. Age about 62 years
40. Goodloe, Ella   (b. Abt 1869 - d. 18 Feb 1919)
Age about 50 years
41. Goodloe, Ida   (b. Abt 1833 - d. 1 Apr 1920)
Age 87 years
42. Goodloe, Louis   (b. 1820 - d. 21 Feb 1903)
His record is on high.
43. Goodloe, Rebecca   (b. Abt 1855 - d. 31 Jul 1932)
Age 77 years
44. Goodson, Lillie   (b. Abt 1872 - d. 30 Nov 1912)
Age about 40 years
45. Gordon, Nonie   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 2 Jul 1910)
Age 25 years
46. Goss, Fred   (b. Abt 1904 - d. 19 Sep 1928)
Son of Henry Goss. Age 24 years
47. Goss, Infant   (b. Unknown - d. 2 Feb 1923)
Age not given
48. Grady, Infant   (b. 7 Nov 1923 - d. 7 Nov 1923)
Stillborn.
49. Grady, Walter   (b. Abt 1891 - d. 5 Sep 1920)
Age 29 years
50. Graham, Infant   (b. 8 Jan 1921 - d. 8 Jan 1921)
Stillborn.
51. Grant, Pearl Williams   (b. Abt 1892 - d. 2 Jun 1931)
Daughter of Ida Baird. Age 39 years
52. Gray, Infant   (b. 3 Feb 1928 - d. 17 Feb 1928)
Son of Lloyd and Mollie Gray. Age 14 days
53. Gray, James   (b. Abt 1893 - d. 22 Jul 1924)
Age 31 years
54. Green,   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
Marker
55. Green, Adline   (b. Abt 1853 - d. 17 May 1918)
Age about 65 years
56. Green, Ary   (b. Abt 1875 - d. 27 Apr 1922)
Age 47 years
57. Green, Bunnie   (b. Abt 1845 - d. 27 Sep 1911)
Age 16 years
58. Green, D. B.   (b. 5 Jan 1862 - d. 16 Jun 1910)
Age 48 years. 'His reward is on high'. Picture of obelisk in 2004. Masonic emblem on backside.
59. Green, Ida May   (b. Jun 1927 - d. 28 Sep 1927)
Age 3 months
60. Green, James   (b. Abt 1900 - d. 20 Dec 1922)
Age 22 years
61. Green, Jinnie   (b. Abt 1854 - d. 8 Apr 1916)
Age about 62 years
62. Green, Mabel   (b. Abt 1910 - d. 14 Feb 1926)
Age 16 years
63. Green, Mary   (b. Abt 1889 - d. 15 Mar 1927)
Age 38 years
64. Green, Mary   (b. Abt 1901 - d. 23 Feb 1923)
Age 22 years
65. Green, Mary Louise   (b. Oct 1923 - d. 18 Nov 1923)
Age 1 month
66. Green, Mozella   (b. Abt 1893 - d. 17 Jan 1913)
Age 19 years
67. Green, Ruby   (b. Abt 1908 - d. 21 Dec 1922)
Age 14 years
68. Gregory, Plumber (Mrs)   (b. Abt 1881 - d. 5 Aug 1921)
Age about 40 years
69. Grimes, J. W.   (b. Abt 1884 - d. 24 Jun 1919)
Age 35 years
70. Guess, Frank   (b. Abt 1854 - d. 23 Apr 1920)
Age 66 years
71. Guess, Infant   (b. 14 Apr 1926 - d. 14 Apr 1926)
Premature.
72. Guess, John   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 1 Mar 1919)
Age about 34 years
73. Gunter, Everline   (b. Abt 1851 - d. 10 Aug 1910)
Age 59 years
74. Gunter, James   (b. Abt 1852 - d. 27 Dec 1912)
Age about 60 years
75. Gunter, Lana   (b. Abt 1903 - d. 16 Dec 1921)
Age 18 years