Homer Courts b. 1888 Jefferson Co, Texas d. 21 Oct 1918 Jefferson Co, Texas: Our Family History

1888 - 1918 (30 years)

Name	Homer Courts
Birth	1888	Jefferson Co, Texas
Gender	Male
Residence	1904	1 blk w of 747 South Grand Ave, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas
	Court, Edgar B., wks United Lbr & Export Co, h. James F. Court. Court, Emmett, wks United Lbr & Export Co., r. 1 blk w of same. Court, Homer, wks United Lbr & Export Co. h. James F. Court Court, H. Clifton, watchman mill, A, Kirby Lumber Co., r 747 South Grand ave, Cartwright add. 8 Court, James F., wks United Lbr & Export Co., r 1 blk w of same. 4 Court, Julia A. (wid James), h. Emmett Court Court, S. Helmer, carp r 350 Jackson ave, 5 (five children - Bea, age 8; Hal age 6; Gladys age 3; abt 2; Lillian born 22 Jan 1904)
		1904 Texas, Beaumont, Jefferson County, City Directory Court, Edgar; Court, Emmett; Court, Homer; Court, H. Clifton; Court, James F.; Court, Julia A (wid James); Court, S. Helmer and 5 children, Bea,Hal, Effie, Gladys, and Lillian, a baby.
Death	21 Oct 1918	Jefferson Co, Texas
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"
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)
Burial	Spell Cem (Voth-Rosedale Cem), Jefferson Co, Texas
	Shown to be buried in Spell Cem on Findagrave, no headstone image shown. However note states: Death Certificate #42322 Buried Rosedale Cemetery AKA Spell Cem Parents: Father Jim Courts; Mother Tilda Courts Informant C.V. Courts (this would be Coy Vernon Courts, 1st cousin) However, records at Forest Lawn show that he is included in the burials in the T.F. Smith Homestead plots that were transferred from the DuPont area location.
		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, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
		McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
		Spell Cemetery (Rosedale/Voth Cemetery) Caswell Street, Rosedale-Voth, Jefferson County, Texas The land on which this graveyard is located was designated a family cemetery in 1873 by the Marble Family. The earliest known burial is that of Martha Marble (d 1864), whose husband John S. Marble was also buried here in 1873. Their daughter and son-in-law, Noley and David E. Spell, owned the land until 1924, when it was officially designated a cemetery in county deed records. Notable local citizens interred here include Sam H. Tevis and Daniel Comstock. A cemetery association, organized in 1983 by Spell family descendant, maintains the historic graveyard.
		Spell Cemetery (Voth-Rosedale) Caswell Street Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas
Person ID	I33291	Roots
Last Modified	12 Jun 2017

Father	James Franklin Courts, b. 1865, Jefferson Co, Texas d. Abt 09 Nov 1910, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 45 years)
Mother	Matilda Grace Gibson, b. 10 Nov 1866, Sabine Pass, Jefferson Co, Texas d. 26 Oct 1925, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (Age 58 years)
Marriage	3 Aug 1887	Jefferson Co, Texas [1]
	Name: James F. Courts Gender: Male Marriage Date: 3 Aug 1887 Spouse: Matilda Gibson Marriage City: Jefferson Marriage State: Texas Source: Texas Marriages, 1851-1900
Family ID	F246	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Event Map

	Birth - 1888 - Jefferson Co, Texas
	Death - 21 Oct 1918 - 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 - - Spell Cem (Voth-Rosedale Cem), Jefferson Co, Texas

= Link to Google Earth

Photos		Courts, Homer Thomas
Photos		Sparks and Courts Family Members Homer Courts, Emma Courts, Tilda Courts, Ella Sparks, Opal Courts

Documents

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.

Sources
[S579] Yellowed Pages, Vol 2, County Rec. p 1181.