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

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. Tabron, Percy   (b. Unknown - d. 7 Jul 1922)
Age not given.
2. Tate, Dannis   (b. Oct 1918 - d. 30 Jun 1919)
Age 8 months
3. Tate, Morris   (b. Abt 1961 - d. 9 Apr 1915)
Married. Son of Louis Tate.
4. Tatum, Infant   (b. Sep 1925 - d. 13 Apr 1926)
Age 7 months
5. Tatum, Martha   (b. Abt 1831 - d. 14 Feb 1923)
Age 92 years
6. Tatum, Mary Lena   (b. Jul 1925 - d. 10 Jan 1928)
Daughter of Frank Tatum and Josephine Parker. Age 2 years 6 months
7. Taylor, Archie   (b. Jan 1882 - d. 23 Sep 1932)
Age 50 years 8 months
8. Taylor, Arthur   (b. 1901 - d. 18 Oct 1913)
Age 12 years
9. Taylor, Infant   (b. 16 Apr 1928 - d. 16 Apr 1928)
Daughter of William Taylor and Clara Moore. Stillborn.
10. Taylor, Infant   (b. 15 Jul 1925 - d. 15 Jul 1925)
Premature.
11. Taylor, Mary   (b. Abt 1886 - d. 29 Jul 1910)
Age about 24 years
12. Taylor, Mattie   (b. Abt 1887 - d. 3 Feb 1911)
Age 23 years
13. Taylor, Ransome   (b. Abt 1859 - d. 23 Nov 1924)
Age 65 years
14. Taylor, Silvia   (b. Abt 1859 - d. 10 Sep 1929)
Daughter of Charlotte White. Age 70 years
15. Terry, Infant   (b. 23 Nov 1927 - d. 23 Nov 1927)
Son of Thomas and Hennie Terry. Stillborn.
16. Tharpe, Richard   (b. Abt 1892 - d. 16 May 1910)
Age 18 years
17. Thaxton, Clem   (b. Abt 1875 - d. 22 Jun 1923)
Age about 48 years
18. Thaxton, Infant   (b. 24 Mar 1921 - d. 24 Mar 1921)
Died at birth.
19. Thaxton, Laura   (b. Abt 1873 - d. 27 Mar 1929)
Daughter of Robert Coleman. Age 56 years
20. Thomas, Dora   (b. Abt 1878 - d. 27 May 1924)
Age 46 years
21. Thomas, Freddie   (b. 10 Mar 1928 - d. 12 Mar 1928)
Son of James E. Thomas and Raleigh Fulton. Age 2 days (name is spelled Thames on death certificate)
22. Thomas, Henry   (b. Abt 1881 - d. 10 Mar 1936)
Husband of Mamie Thomas. Son of Eli Thomas and Martha Sears Thomas.
23. Thomas, Henry   (b. 1906 - d. 29 Oct 1923)
Age 17 years
24. Thomas, John   (b. 10 Aug 1918 - d. 10 Aug 1918)
Stillborn.
25. Thomas, Sarah   (b. Abt 1895 - d. 22 Jul 1912)
Age 17 years
26. Thomas, William   (b. 5 Jul 1917 - d. 5 Jul 1917)
Stillborn.
27. Thompson, Bettie   (b. Abt 1884 - d. 9 Aug 1919)
Age 35 years
28. Thompson, Cara   (b. Abt 1883 - d. 5 Dec 1913)
Age 30 years
29. Thompson, Cornelius   (b. Abt 1870 - d. 20 Aug 1928)
Daughter of Granville Thompson and Phillis Council. Age about 58 years
30. Thompson, George P.   (b. 26 Apr 1892 - d. 28 Jun 1911)
Age 20 years
31. Thompson, Ida Elliott   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 13 Mar 1926)
Age 50 years
32. Thompson, Infant   (b. Unknown - d. 2 Nov 1920)
Age not given.
33. Thompson, Joyce   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 25 Jun 1912)
Age 36 years
34. Thompson, Lizzie   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 30 Jan 1918)
Age about 42 years
35. Thompson, Lucille   (b. Abt 1925 - d. 4 Jan 1927)
Daughter of Shalie Thompson and Sallie Walls. Age 2 years
36. Thompson, Onslow, Jr.   (b. Sep 1927 - d. 22 Mar 1928)
Son of Onslow Thompson and Clara Ruffin. Age 6 months
37. Thompson, Thomas   (b. Abt 1851 - d. 17 Mar 1921)
Age about 70 years
38. Thompson, Tommy   (b. Abt 1870 - d. 31 Aug 1920)
Age 50 years
39. Thorn, Hillard   (b. 1908 - d. 30 Apr 1910)
Age 2 years
40. Thornton, Ada M.   (b. Abt 1864 - d. 17 Dec 1918)
Age about 54 years. Died from flu.
41. Thornton, Corine   (b. May 1921 - d. 16 Sep 1921)
Age 4 months
42. Thorp, Agnes   (b. Abt 1877 - d. 6 Jun 1913)
Age 36 years
43. Thorp, Amelia   (b. Abt 1906 - d. 11 Jun 1922)
Age 16 years
44. Thorpe, Cager   (b. Abt 1891 - d. 25 May 1926)
Age 35 years
45. Thorpe, James   (b. Abt 1916 - d. 26 Feb 1921)
Age 5 years
46. Thorpe, Lewis   (b. Abt 1872 - d. 23 Sep 1920)
Age 48 years
47. Thorpe, Robbie   (b. Abt 1904 - d. 11 May 1925)
Age 21 years
48. Tilley, Ernest J.   (b. Abt 1887 - d. 20 Jan 1929)
Son of Daniel Tilley and Lula Parrish. Age 42 years
49. Tilley, Eugene D., Jr.   (b. Jun 1921 - d. 4 Oct 1921)
Age 4 months
50. Tilley, Infant   (b. 9 Jul 1911 - d. 10 Sep 1911)
Child of R.G. Tilley. Age 2 months
51. Tilley, Mary   (b. Oct 1908 - d. 4 Sep 1909)
Age 11 months
52. Tilley, Percy   (b. Abt 1887 - d. 16 Jan 1912)
Age 25 years
53. Toler, William   (b. Abt 1904 - d. 24 Feb 1925)
Age 21 years
54. Toomer, Bernice   (b. Abt 1903 - d. 26 Nov 1927)
Daughter of James and Alice Toomer. Age 24 years
55. Townsend, Flora W.   (b. 15 Jul 1880 - d. 28 Jul 1913)
Age 27 years
56. Townsend, Luther Willard   (b. Abt 1897 - d. 10 Sep 1919)
Age 22 years
57. Townsend, Mary Jane Lyons   (b. Abt 1856 - d. 9 Aug 1938)
Wife of J.C. Townsend. Daughter of Granson Lyons and Fannie Lyons.
58. Trice, Dorothy   (b. 4 Jan 1925 - d. 4 Jan 1925)
Premature.
59. Trice, Infant   (b. 12 Aug 1926 - d. 12 Aug 1926)
Premature.
60. Trice, Infant   (b. Jun 1910 - d. Jun 1910)
Child of R.S. Trice. Stillborn.
61. Trice, John   (b. Abt 1840 - d. 27 Apr 1913)
Age 73 years
62. Trice, Ramon   (b. Abt 1883 - d. 23 Feb 1912)
Age 28 years
63. Trice, Reva   (b. Abt 1895 - d. 5 Jul 1910)
Age 15 years
64. Truman, Celia   (b. Abt 1858 - d. 6 Nov 1932)
Age 74 years
65. Truman, W. Arthur   (b. Abt 1894 - d. 17 Jan 1915)
Single. Son of Abram Truman and Celia White Truman.
66. Tucker, Infant   (b. 24 May 1925 - d. 24 May 1925)
Stillborn.
67. Tucker, Lillie B.   (b. 17 Sep 1908 - d. 5 Apr 1910)
Age 1 year 7 months
68. Tucker, William H.   (b. Abt 1888 - d. 30 Dec 1927)
Son of William H. Tucker and Lulu Dunnigan. Age 39 years
69. Tumor, Infant   (b. 29 Oct 1923 - d. 29 Oct 1923)
Premature.
70. Tune, Martha   (b. Feb 1910 - d. 28 Jun 1911)
Age 1 year 4 months
71. Turner, Aaron   (b. Abt 1846 - d. 7 Jun 1916)
Age 70 years
72. Turner, Berry   (b. Abt 1867 - d. 10 Jan 1924)
Age 57 years
73. Turner, Lizzie   (b. Abt 1854 - d. 2 Feb 1924)
Age about 70 years
74. Turner, Nelson   (b. Abt 1838 - d. 21 Oct 1923)
Age 85 years
75. Turntine, Elotros   (b. 8 Sep 1908 - d. 21 Jun 1910)
Age 1 year 9 months
76. Turrentine, Emory   (b. Abt 1892 - d. 1 Oct 1928)
Son of William Turrentine and Martha Older. Age 36 years
77. Turrentine, Infant   (b. 27 Feb 1928 - d. 29 Feb 1928)
Son of Eddie Jones and Mary Turrentine. Age 2 days
78. Turrentine, Josie   (b. Abt 1855 - d. 11 Dec 1920)
Age about 65 years
79. Turrentine, Lucy   (b. Abt 1878 - d. 13 Mar 1918)
Age about 40 years
80. Tuten, Earl   (b. 8 Jun 1914 - d. 21 Sep 1916)
Age 2 years. Son of John and Mamie Tuten. Another photo from February 2008.
81. Tuten, John   (b. 4 Sep 1889 - d. 30 Aug 1925)
Spouse - Mamie Tuten. Age 35 years. 'May the resurrection find thee on the bosom of thy God.'. Another photo from February 2008.
82. Tuten, Wilcon Alexander   (b. 22 Mar 1924 - d. 13 Oct 1926)
Son of John and Mamie Tuten. Age 2 years 7 months. 'Gone but not forgotten'. Another photo from February 2008.