(infant) Estie Courts

1913 - 1913  (0 years)

• Name	(infant) Estie Courts
  Birth	29 Jul 1913	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  Gender	Male
  Death	07 Aug 1913	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	My grandmother, Lillian was 9 y.o. when this baby was born and died. She often spoke of the child as female and named Effie. The death certificate erroneously shows male. This child is in the McFaddin, T.F. Smith Homestead Tract graves in Grave 1 with Claude. Name on the records indicates the name Estie.
  		Courts, Effie (infant) death certificate
  Other-Begin	30 Sep 1952	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	court case: Smith graves
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead 1952 Article Beaumont Enterprise; "Early Burials Found on Neches"; "One of Area Private Cemeteries Uncovered on DuPont Tract"
  		Court Cause No. 16187: "W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al, vs. Unknown Heirs of Caroline Sparks, et al" 30 Sep 1952 named deceased persons to-wit: Caroline Sparks, Edward Sparks, John L. Sparks, William Sparks, Joseph Sparks, Susan Sparks Crawford, Phillip Crawford, James C. Sparks, Lura Sparks Spriggs, James M. Court, Julia A. Court, James F. Court, Lillian Court Smith, Irvin Smith, Francis Court Sparks, Viola Court Sparks, Madison Court, Sarah A. Court, Edna Court, Beulah Court, a Mrs. E. Bordeman and child... 45.7 acres on T.F. Smith homestead tract; included in league bought by J.S. Johnson in 1924, who later conveyed the property to E.I. DuPont in 1952, at which time private cemetery was discovered. Court proceedings to have the remains relocated. The following family members not named in the suit but were included in cemetery records: in Grave 1 were: Tilda Courts, Homer Courts, Caudine (Claudie) Courts, Estie baby Courts, Carmel Courts, (unknown), Buff Courts, (unknown), James C Sparks Sr, Fred Frugia (unknown), Genevia Frugia), Florence Frugia (unknown), Brad Courts Sr.
  Other-Begin	10 Aug 1961	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  	court case: Smith graves
  	Court Cause No. 16107 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al vs Unknown Heirs of Caroline Sparks, et al Court Cause No. 18399 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al vs Robert S. Frugia, et al Court Cause No. 20324 W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr. et al vs. Coy V. Courts, et al (Sr.) On this 10th day of August 1961, came on to be heard the application of the plaintiffs in the above entitled and numbered cause for an order of the court showing that the plaintiffs have complied with the judgments previously entered in said cause and further showing that the plaintiffs or their successors in interest are entitled to the free and unrestricted use of the land hereinafter described, as set forth in plaintiff's petition in the above entitled and numbered causes... (pgs 10-13 of attached pdf)
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead Forest Lawn Index Card on occupants of graves.
  Burial	McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead Grave 1 COURTS, Edna Bordeman - m James Bradley Courts (s/o Elias (Matt) Courts (s/o James & Julia) BORDEMAN, E. Mrs. (unknown - no male Bordeman found with spouse E.) BORDEMAN, (child) (unknown) COURTS, Edna Bordeman - dup of Edna Bordeman Courts COURTS, Tilda (Matilda Grace Gibson m James Franklin Courts) she died 1925) COURTS, Homer (s/of James Franklin & Matilda Grace - died 1918) COURTS, Caudine (Claudie) - died 1916 COURTS, Estie Baby (Claudie's baby) COURTS, Carmel - unknown COURTS, Buff - unknown
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead McFaddin Cemetery was located on property south of Beaumont, in Port Neches, Central Gardens at a location within the grounds of where DuPont is now. The cemetery was discovered in the Fifties, and due to the impending construction of the plant. (See attached newspaper coverage). There were about 30 people buried there whose remains were subsequently placed in four separate concrete boxes and relocated to Forest Lawn Cemetery where they were laid once again to rest in the Garden of Peace section. The headstones for the four graves are all identical, reading simply "TF Smith Homstead Tract Cemetery." The detailed list of occupants only exist on an index card in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park records (see copy attached). All of these people were either residents or descendants of the Sparks Settlement, also called Aurora, (what later became Port Arthur. The families were predominantly the Sparks, Courts and Gentz families and other family names who married into these families. Sparks Settlement was abandoned in late 1800s due to storms and disease; even the houses were moved. Most of them started another community in the Port Neches, Central Gardens area where they started a new cemetery - i.e. what was called the McFaddin Cemetery. Sparks Cemetery was also abandoned. The occupants of that cemetery, those who died while the community was active, were never moved; only recognized by a historical marker placed in a boulevard on DeQueen at Lakeshore (see photo). There is some false information on the Internet that the remains in Sparks Cemetery were removed to Forest Lawn. But what I have been able to discover is that is not the case. It is the later cemetery, McFaddin Cemetery, that was removed. There is also some belief that the cemetery was used even into the 1920s for burial needs; but that also seems to be mistaken information. The were fine and strong and brave pioneers who I am so proud to call my ancestors. They helped build our community here, and somehow, I hope to bring to mind the signifcance of those four plain little headstones marked simply "TF Smith Homestead Tract Cemetery."
  		McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
  		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
  		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
  Notes	Death certificate does not give a name, however there is an "Estie" listed in Grave 1, along with Claudie, of the T.F. Smith relocated graves. There was a child Effie, remembered by family, who perhaps "Estie" is "Effie." It's not known which infant is buried with Claudie.
  Person ID	I14191	Roots
  Last Modified	11 Jul 2011

  
  

  Father	Samuel* Helmer Courts,   b. 15 Mar 1862, Sparks Settlement, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 27 Dec 1954, Port Arthur, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 92 years)
  Mother	Claude* "Claudie" Gentz,   b. Dec 1876, Sabine Pass, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 5 Nov 1916, 2060 Cable St, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age ~ 39 years)
  Marriage	13 Jun 1894	Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas   [1]
  	Name: Clara Gentz Gender: Female Marriage Date: 13 Jun 1894 Spouse: Helmer Court Marriage City: Jefferson Marriage State: Texas Source: Texas Marriages, 1851-1900
  		Samuel Helmer Courts & Claude Gentz Marriage Certificate 13 Jun 1894, Beaumont, Texas
  Notes
  Family ID	F235	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 29 Jul 1913 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Death - 07 Aug 1913 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Other-Begin - court case: Smith graves - 30 Sep 1952 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Other-Begin - court case: Smith graves - 10 Aug 1961 - Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas Burial - - McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Albums

  Living (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.)

  
  

• Sources

  [S371] Marriage license.