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

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. Eaddy, Earl   (b. Abt 1924 - d. 16 Jan 1928)
Son of John and Estelle Eaddy. Age 4 years
2. Eatman, Infant   (b. 30 Jan 1925 - d. 30 Jan 1925)
Stillborn.
3. Eaton, Ida   (b. Abt 1878 - d. 13 Nov 1924)
Age 46 years
4. Eaton, Infant   (b. 24 Nov 1930 - d. 26 Nov 1930)
Son of Walter Eaton and Lillie Harris. Age 1.5 days
5. Edwards, Alberta   (b. Abt 1924 - d. 16 Aug 1927)
Age 3 years
6. Edwards, Arthur   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 29 Jan 1919)
Age about 34 years. Died from flu.
7. Edwards, Arthur   (b. 4 May 1872 - d. 28 Jan 1919)
He was a Mason
8. Edwards, Clemmie   (b. Abt 1876 - d. 22 Oct 1910)
Age 34 years
9. Edwards, Infant   (b. 4 Mar 1928 - d. 4 Mar 1928)
Daughter of Howard Herndon and Lizzie Edwards. Stillborn.
10. Edwards, Infant   (b. 2 Jun 1924 - d. 2 Jun 1924)
Stillborn.
11. Emerson, George   (b. Mar 1925 - d. 4 Jul 1925)
Age 4 months
12. Ethridge, Lidia   (b. Abt 1904 - d. 25 Jun 1922)
Age 18 years
13. Evans, Ben   (b. Abt 1897 - d. 16 Feb 1920)
Age almost 23 years
14. Evans, Bennie   (b. 1900 - d. 1920)
Age 20 years
15. Evans, C. B. (Family)   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
Family marker. Another photo from February 2008. Another photo from February 2008.
16. Evans, Charles T.   (b. 16 Jul 1910 - d. 24 Aug 1913)
Age 3 years. Son of James R. Evans and Effie Evans. Footstone: C.T.E.
17. Evans, Clara   (b. 8 Jan 1915 - d. 27 Apr 1915)
Daughter of Sidney Evans and Ola B. Bailey Evans.
18. Evans, Eula   (b. Abt 1887 - d. 22 Apr 1918)
Age about 31 years
19. Evans, Frank   (b. 25 Nov 1919 - d. 2 Dec 1919)
Age 7 days
20. Evans, Infant   (b. 5 Apr 1927 - d. 5 Apr 1927)
Stillborn.
21. Evans, Infant   (b. 10 Mar 1926 - d. 10 Mar 1926)
Stillborn.
22. Evans, Infant   (b. 18 Feb 1928 - d. 18 Feb 1928)
Daughter of Clarence Evans and Clara Cogwell. Stillborn.
23. Evans, Infant   (b. Jan 1928 - d. 16 Apr 1928)
Son of Otho Taylor and Ruby Evans. Age 3 months
24. Evans, Infant   (b. 10 Oct 1924 - d. 28 Oct 1924)
Age 18 days
25. Evans, Jack   (b. Abt 1845 - d. 25 May 1925)
Age 80 years
26. Evans, Lonnie   (b. Abt 1885 - d. 2 Feb 1918)
Age about 33 years
27. Evans, Mary   (b. Abt 1886 - d. 7 Jan 1913)
Age 26 years
28. Evans, Melinda (Mrs)   (b. Unknown - d. Dec 1939)
Evans Family
29. Evans, Milton E.   (b. 12 Dec 1918 - d. 11 Jul 1919)
Age 8 months. Another photo from February 2008.
30. Evans, Paul   (b. 4 Oct 1917 - d. 4 Oct 1917)
Stillborn.
31. Evans, Sarah   (b. 10 May 1910 - d. 10 May 1913)
Age 3 years
32. Evans, Vida M.   (b. 4 Aug 1915 - d. 7 Nov 1918)
Age 4 years. Died from flu. Another photo from February 2008.
33. Evans, Willie Pauline   (b. Abt 1922 - d. 7 Sep 1924)
Age 2 years