Martin Cemetery

Near Hagewood, LA

Located approximately one mile south of Hagewood, LA on LA 117, left onto Natchitoches Parish Road 632 (John Whatley Road), one and one-fourth miles east to end of road at Pine Grove Church and Cemetery. The Martin Cemetery is slightly north of the Pine Grove Cemetery, located on private property, no road. None of the graves are marked.

See also: History of Pine Grove Church and Pine Grove/Martin Cemeteries.

Pine Grove Church and Cemetery and Martin Cemetery History and listing of burials was compiled and graciously provided by Nelda Faye Gass Liles of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana for inclusion in the Natchitoches Parish LAGENWEB project. Last update 12/1997.

The Wilkerson Burials --- Martin Cemetery

Excerpted from Louisiana's Kisatchie Hills: History, Tradition, and Folklore by Kadlecek and Bullard, 1994, page 41.

"This is one of the oldest Methodist Churches in the area. There's the church and cemetery. Then there's the Wilkerson family cemetery farther out in the woods. Very few people know it exists. There are Wilkerson in it, but they call it the Martin Cemetery. No one has been buried there for years." The Martin Cemetery Burials as listed on page 41:

1. Ida Estelle Martin, wife of E.S. Wallace, 13 Mar 1866/17 Apr 1920.

2. Edward S. Wallace, 29 Aug 1864/4 July 1923.

3. Tom J.M. Miller, 11 Jan 1847/23 Oct 1926.

4. Martha A. Miller, wife of Jim Miller, 1830/1882.

5. Tommy, son of John and Laura Wilkerson, 19 Aug 1902/2 Jan 1903.

6. Ida Clara Wilkerson, daughter of John and Laura Wilkerson, 1 Aug 1886/8 July 1938.

7. John Wilkerson, born 31 May 1854/died 2 Dec 1923.

8. Brother Barney R. Wilkerson, 5 Aug 1904/28 July 1923.

9. Jefferson H., son of J.H. and Laura Wilkerson, 11 Apr 1895/20 Apr 1919.

10. Alice D. MacDonald, daughter of John and Laura Wilkerson, born 22 Feb 1888/6 July 1910.

(The Wilkerson family burials, as listed above, were confirmed in conversations with Don Wallace, a Wilkerson descendant, in September, 1997.)

The MARTIN CEMETERY BURIALS

As listed in the plat constructed by Mrs.Alice Weatherford Martin Stephens in 1925, are as follows:

JOHN MARTIN, s/o Joseph Martin, husband of Laura Martin

MARY STEPHENS, d/o Alice and Laurence Stephens

TOM MARTIN, s/o Jim and Mary Martin

IDA WALLACE, d/o Jim and Mary Martin

EDWARD S. WALLACE, h/o Ida Wallace

JIM BUD MARTIN, s/o John Martin

GEORGE MARTIN, s/o Joe Martin, brother of Ambrose J. Martin

JOHNNIE MARTIN, s/o John Martin

LAURA MARTIN, w/o John Martin

MARY MARTIN, w/o Joe Martin, m/o A.J. and George Martin

JOE MARTIN, s/o John Martin, h/o Mary Martin, f/o A.J, George, and

Gussie Martin

GUSSIE MARTIN, d/o Joe Martin, sister of A.J. and George Martin

SALLIE LIGHTFOOT

MARY MARTIN, w/o Jim Martin

JIM MARTIN, h/o Mary and f/o Tom, Alice, Ida, and Fannie

FANNY MARTIN, d/o Jim and Mary Martin

MARY MARTIN, w/o Joseph Martin

JOSEPH MARTIN, h/o Mary Martin, f/o Jim and John Martin

EDWARD SHOEBROOKS

NAME UNKNOWN, s/o John Martin

NAME UNKNOWN, s/o John Martin

GRAVE, UNKNOWN

GRAVE, UNKNOWN
Martin Cemetery Burials Identified

In a search for land records pertaining to the Martin and Pine Grove Cemeteries (Hagewood, Natchitoches Parish, LA), the document reproduced below was located. It appears to reveal information relative to unmarked burials in the Martin Cemetery.

In a plat of the Martin Cemetery, constructed by Mrs. Alice Weatherford (nee Martin) Stephens in 1925, the burial plots of her parents, grandparents, her daughter, and other relatives are marked. She refers to her parents only as Jim and Mary Martin, to her grandparents only as Joseph and Mary Martin. The following document names her parents and identifies Alice and her siblings. The fourth child of James M. Martin and Mary A.E.Goff Martin, Fannie Martin, is not named; it is believed that she died at an early age, presumably before the date of this document, November 1867.

The document, along with the known birth date of Ida Estella Martin (Wallace), 13 March 1866, establishes the death period of James M. Martin as 1865-1867.

Alice Weatherford Martin was the second wife of Laurence Wallace Stephens, the mother of ten children. She also reared the two children of Mr. Stephens' first wife, Mary F. 'Mollie' Swann Stephens. Born 06 Nov 1863, Alice Weatherford Martin Stephens died on 27 Nov 1956, in Hagewood, Natchitoches Parish, LA and is buried next to her husband in the Pine Grove Cemetery.

Donation of land by Joseph Martin to minor grandchildren
Located Natchitoches Parish, LA Courthouse : 1867-- Conveyance/Notarial Records Book 58/page27/no document number

Donation of land by Joseph Martin to minor grandchildren: In the State of Louisiana, Parish of Natchitoches: Be it remembered that on this the 27th of November in the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and sixty seven personally came and appeared before me, the undersigned authority, at my Office in the Town and Parish of Natchitoches, Joseph Martin, a resident of said parish and state, who declared that in consideration of his natural love and affection for his grandchildren, Thomas N. Martin, Alice W. Martin, and Ida Estella Martin, minors and legal issue of the marriage of James M. Martin, desd (deceased) and Mary A. E. Goff, surviving mother and natural tutrix of said minors of the same parish, here present and acting in her said capacity of natural Tutrix, that he hath and by these present, doth gratuitously, formally and irrevocably give and donate in full property and forever, unto the said natural tutrix in her said capacity, representing said minors, one undivided 1/3 interest in and to all of the following described real estate situated in this Parish, to wit: four hundred acres of land upon which the said donor now resides, about seven miles from the town of Natchitoches on the road leading to Many, Sabine Parish. The same being of the estimated value of fifteen hundred Dollars to have and to hold unto their own proper use and behalf now and forever--subject to this condition alone that said land thus donated as aforesaid shall not be alienated or disposed in any way, during the lifetime of the donor separate from or to the prejudice of the other land of which it forms a part. This condition to cease immediately on the death of the donor.

This done and signed at my office aforesaid in the presence of David Pierson and W.H. Jack, lawful and competent witnesses domiciliated in this Parish and me, notary on the 27th day and date first above written.

/Signed/ Joseph Martin, Attested by W. H. Jack, D. Pierson. Frederick Hertz, N.P.

I hereby as natural Tutrix accept the foregoing donation according to its terms and conditions. Nov. 27th, 1867.(Signed) Mary A.E.Martin, natural tutrix; attest: W.H. Jack, D. Pierson, Frederick Hertzog, N.P.

REFERENCES:

1. Biographical and Historical Memoirs: Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana: Extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF NORTHWEST LOUISIANA. Originally published 1890, Nashville and Chicago, The Southern Publishing Company. Mills, Donna Rachal. Mills Historical Press, Tuscaloosa, AL (1985).

2. Conversations with Wilmer and Avis Huey McQueen, 1997.

3. Notes written by Janie Wiggins Stephens, c.1966

4. Research notes of Nelda Gass Liles, 1997.

5. Family papers of Myrna Martin Cooper Dove.

6. Louisiana's Kisatchie Hills: History, Tradition, and Folklore. Kadlecek, Mabel R. and Bullard, Marion C.. Book Crafters Press, Chelsea, MI, 1994. (Copies loaned courtesy Mrs. Avis Burr Cato and Mrs. Myra Beasley Carter McGee).

7. Family Bible of Laurence Wallace and Alice Weatherford Martin Stephens, in possession of Lanora McCallister Welch.

8. Papers of Mrs. Mable DeWittie Stephens Jackson Brasher, now in possession of the William H. Liles, Jr. family.

9. Historical Briefs of the Coldwater Baptist Church, Hagewood, LA, 1912-1987. Excerpted from church records.

10. Plat of Martin/Wilkerson Cemetery, Natchitoches Parish Road #632, Natchitoches, LA., in possession of the Wm. H. Liles, Jr. family.

11. Pine Grove Cemetery Plat, Natchitoches Parish Road 632: Read by R.Hyams, 1994; by N. G. Liles, 1997.

12. Pine Grove Methodist Church Log, Hagewood, Natchitoches Parish Road 632, LA., courtesy Mary McCallister Brister.