Harmony Cemetery

Special thanks to Mrs. Mary M. Brister, Sterling Liles, and Sheldon Liles for assistance in compiling the data herein. N. Liles, 1996-1998.

Harmony Baptist Church, established 1869: sign at the intersection of LA Hwy 117 and Harmony Road about one mile south of Provencal, LA.

Harmony Baptist Church and Cemetery are located in a lovely wooded area. To the right of the church is a large fenced and grassy section of the cemetery. To the left of the church, is a smaller fenced area, which is referred to as the Brister Family Cemetery.

Immediately to the rear of the church are four legible tombstones:

1. an ornate double stone inscribed : Peace, Perfect Peace: In Memory of W.L, son of T.W. and Mary Hawthorn, Born Oct. 4, 1873, Died Nov. 7, 1876; the right side of the stone reads the same, but for T.W., Born 18 Sep 1880, Died 29 Feb 1884, son of T.W. and Mary Hawthorn.

2. a reddish marble flat stone inscribed: Delia Rhodes, wife , inf. son, and daughter of Amos Rhodes, died Oct 1895.

3. a tall stone marking the burial of Mrs. Martha E. Gibbs

4. a small stone with a sleeping lamb motif, inscribed Hellen Thibodeaux, Aug. 4, 1910 - July 24, 1912.

In the hillside section of the cemetery, to the right of the church, there is one illegible marked burial adjacent to the gravesite of G.W. Graham.

There is also a small grave marked with a wooden cross and flowers near the Poole and Gottman plots, although the placement is not close enough to indicate a relationship to either family.

An interesting marker is the plaque placed at the entrance to the hill section of the cemetery inscribed: In Memory His Wife, Algia W. Werntz, by Charles F. Werntz. This memorial is apparently in additon to the double stone marking the grave of Algia Werntz.

The spacious grounds of the Harmony Church and Cemeteries are well kept, shady, and peaceful. Although situated in a sparsely settled area, the church has an active membership.

Location: Approximately one mile south of Provencal, turn east on Harmony Road; the church and cemetery are about three miles down this road, on the left.

ALLEN, Willie D. 24 Mar 1917 - 24 June 1917 On same stone with Amie E. Mahaffey

ALFORD, Ivey E. 09 Oct 1898 - 26 Mar 1975 Daddy Double stone: Myrtie M. Alford

ALFORD, Myrtie M. 13 Nov 1903 - 30 Jan 1988 Mother Double stone: Ivey E. Alford

ANDERSON, Joe Huston 05 Mar 1846 - 18 Jan 1891

BARR, Ben F. 06 Oct 1879 - 04 July 1961 Daddy, Double stone: Cecilia P. Barr

BARR, Cecilia P. 23 Sep 1886 - 28 Mar 1986 Mother, Double stone: Ben F.Barr According to the dates Ms. Barr lived to be almost 100.

BARR, J. W. 12 Sep 1842 - 01 July 1931

BARR, Catherine G. 20 Mar 1885 - 05 Mar 1906 BARR, Mary E. 06 Oct 1856 - 05 May 1907

BARR, Mittie 18 Mar 1875 - 18 May 1959 BONDS, Josephine 22 Feb 1879 - 28 July 1879

BONDS, Mattie 05 Oct 1878 - 10 Oct 1888 BURKE, Riller Gartman 11 Jan 1900 - 24 July 1976

BRISCOE, Mary Born: 12 Aug 1870  -  , A very old and ornate stone with name, wife of C.U. Smith, beneath that the word Born with the date underneath eroding soil and grass have covered the death date.

GIBBS, George L. 10 Aug 1890 - 30 Aug 1912 Triple stone: Ruby Lee Gibbs, Vira Ethel Gibbs

GIBBS, James E. 28 June 1853 - 26 Mar 1926 GIBBS, Martha E. Mrs. 14 Feb 1882 - 13 Feb 1900, A tall stone, old and weathered, but legible at the rear of the church building.

GIBBS, Ruby Lee 25 Sep 1906 - 15 Dec 1908, Triple stone: Ruby Lee Gibbs, Vira Ethel Gibbs

GIBBS, Samuel M. Corp Co. B, 11 BN LA Inf CSA no dates GIBBS, Vira Ethel 08 Jan 1901 - 19 Aug 1908, Triple stone: Ruby Lee Gibbs, Vira Ethel Gibbs

GILCREASE, Alpha Beatrice 04 July 1907 - 09 Oct 1915, dau of Mr. & Mrs. S.W. Gilcrease

GARTMAN, O. H. and Family, A large concrete edged plot, four to six graves, unidentified, except for the one marker in the upper left plot corner. While this plot is in the same area as the Gottman graves, the spelling is different, as indicated.

GOTTMAN, Charles Ike 19 June 1896 - 25 July 1962  Pvt. Co. D 43rd Inf. WWI

GOTMAN, James C. 08 Mar 1906 -  03 Mar 1957 Pvt. U.S. Army WWII

GOTTMAN, Mary Frances 22 Jun 1871 - 22 Jan 1935 Mother

GOTTMAN, Perry C. 16 Feb 1870 - 18 June 1937

GRAHAM, G. W. 22 July 1846 - 29 Oct 1897, A handmade stone adjacent to the grave of G.W. Graham is no longer legible, although there is indication of handcarved scripting.

HAWTHORN, T.W. 18 Sep 1880 - 29 Feb 1884, son of T.W. and Mary Hawthorn, Double stone: W.L. Hawthorn

HAWTHORN, W. L. 04 Oct 1873 - 07 Nov 1876, son of T.W. and Mary Hawthorn, Double stone: T.W. Hawthorn

LONGINO, Alice Wagley 26 Feb 1891 - 07 Nov 1923

LONGINO, Lloyd 01 Mar 1921 - 15 Mar 1921

LONGINO, Velma Ruth 01 Feb 1913 - 11 Mar 1913

MAHAFFEY, Andrew T. 09 Nov 1867 - 14 Nov 1928

MAHAFFEY, Amie E. 19 Feb 1889 - 19 Apr 1917, On same stone with Amie E. Mahaffey; in each case the surname is above, given names below, with dates below that.

MAHAFFEY, Elmer C. 06 Mar 1897 - 19 Apr 1919

MAHAFFEY, Ruby May 09 Jan 1926 - 23 Mar 1929

PARKER, Patsy Ruth 23 Mar 1933 - 16 Aug 1937

PARKER, Willie Lee 08 July 1917 - 24 Aug 1932

PARKER, Sally * 1880 - 18 Apr 1940, Marker not located, sources indicate burial.

PHARRIS, H. * 28 Sep 1829 - 13 July 1891, Marker not located, sources indicate burial.

POOLE, Alto Roy 20 July 1889 - 22 July 1971 Mama Double stone: Cicero C. Poole

POOLE, Arthur D. 25 July 1929 - 02 Nov 1980 US ARMY Korea, Vietnam, Double stone: Reiko N. Poole

POOLE, Cicero C. 20 Nov 1884 - 20 Jun 1949 Daddy

POOLE, Cicero C. 09 July 1921 - 21 Jan 1978 Pvt U.S. Army WWII

POOLE, James Thomas 07 Sep 1918 - 11 Oct 1971 Father LA Tec 5, Ord Dept WWII

POOLE, Frances Jane 21 Apr 1856 - 03 Feb 1936, Wife of S.C. Poole

POOLE, Reiko N. 22 Jan 1934 - 20 Jan 1986

POOLE, S. C. 20 Nov 1887 - 20 Jan 1949

RHODES, Delia Wife, inf. son, and daughter of Amos Rhodes; died Oct 1895, The stone is circa 1950+, inscribed as noted.

SMITH, Caroline 11 Nov 1904 - 23 Feb 1987

SMITH, Minden H. 11 Feb 1899 - 28 Aug 1972

SPARKS, Florence Wagley 22 July 1887 - 26 Mar 1926 Stone immediately adjacent to Thomas T. Sparks.

SPARKS, Thomas T. 03 Aug 1885 - 17 Dec 1953 Stone immediately adjacent to Florence W. Sparks.

SPARKS, Truitt 15 Dec 1921 - 30 July 1922

STEPHENS, Mollie Mary F. 01 July 1861 - 08 July 1883, Wife of L. W. Stephens dates from family Bible: 31 Aug 1861 - 07 July 1883, d - o T.T. Swann and Sarah Jones Swann, m - o Wallace Marion Stephens and Clara Stephens Kinney

THIBODEAUX, Hellen 04 Aug 1910 - 24 July 1912

THOMASEE, Della Elaine 22 Mar 1914 - 12 Nov 1967

THOMASEE, Emmett J. 14 Jan 1916 - 04 May 1978, Large stone inscribed THOMASEE; smaller stones mark the graves of Della and Emmett; large plot hedged with evergreens; no other apparent burials.

WAGLEY, Algia 1848-1939, New stone with year dates only; sources indicate dates are 11 Dec 1848 - 16 Mar 1939.

WAGLEY, Henson Kelley 19 Dec 1869 - 10 Feb 1927 Double stone: John Wagley

WAGLEY, John 04 Apr 1846 - 26 Apr 1937 New stone with year dates only; sources indicate dates are 04 Apr 1846 - 26 Apr 1937.

WAGLEY, Willie Hall 25 July 1882 - 07 Dec 1902 Double stone: Algia Wagley

WELLING, William Riley 17 June 1917 - 14 Sep 1994 age 72 years

WERNTZ, Algia 1881 - 1961 Double stone: Charles Werntz

WERNTZ, Charles 1879 - 1964