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McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas



 


Latitude: 30.12555830618073, Longitude: -94.1000247001648


Media

Documents
Court Cause No. 16187: 'W.P.H. McFaddin, Jr., et al, vs. Unknown Heirs of Caroline Sparks, et al'
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.

Headstones
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
Forest Lawn Index Card on occupants of graves.
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
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 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 - TF Smith Homestead
Grave 2
SPARKS, John L. - died 1867 (s/o Solomon Sparks - m Martha Courts d/o James & Julia

SPRIGGS, Lura Sparks - died bef 1930; Ada Lura Sparks d/o James Chester, Sr ; Julias bro

SPARKS, William - son of Solomon and Caroline - d 1919

CRAWFORD, Phillip maybe hubby or son to Susan Sparks Crawford

SPARKS, J.C. (James Chester Sr)

SPARKS, Joseph bro to John L and Susan

SPARKS, James C. (James Chester Sr or Jr) -- Sr. died 1898 - Jr. died aft 1940

CRAWFORD, Susan Sparks prob Mary Susan Sparks, sis to James L Sparks - Phillip Crawford must be hubby or maybe a son - ??
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
Grave 3
FRUGE, Fred ? ----

FRUGE, Genevia prob sis of Pete Fruge Jr who m Julia Courts, d/o Elias

FRUGE, Alice - not sis to Genevia; she's buried in Magnolia.

FRUGE, Florence, ? ----

SPARKS, Edward ? ----

SPARKS, Caroline Martha Caroline Smith m Solomon Sparks ----

SPARKS, Viola Courts dau of James & Julia ----

SPARKS, Frances Courts prob Fannie Irene Courts d/o James & Julia, m Jacob S Sparks (son of ?) ----
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
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
McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cemetery, Garden of Peace Section
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
McFaddin Cemetery - TF Smith Homestead
1952 Article Beaumont Enterprise; "Early Burials Found on Neches"; "One of Area Private Cemeteries Uncovered on DuPont Tract"


Cemeteries

   Name   Location 
1.McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead Cemetery at Forest Lawn MemorialBeaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, USA

Burial

Matches 1 to 22 of 22

   Last Name, Given Name(s)    Burial    Person ID 
1 Bordeman, Edna  08 Aug 1916McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I16167
2 Court, James* Madison  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I505
3 Courts, (infant) Estie  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I14191
4 Courts, Donald  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I21555
5 Courts, Elias Madison "Matt"  29 Nov 1919McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I512
6 Courts, Fannie Irene  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I536
7 Courts, James Franklin  09 Nov 1910McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I514
8 Courts, Lillian Sarah "Lillie"  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I535
9 Courts, Mary Ellen  20 Dec 1935McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I511
10 Courts, Viola "Vee"  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I538
11 Crawford, Phillip Howard  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I17565
12 Frugia, Geneva  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I14434
13 Gentz, Claude* "Claudie"  6 Nov 1916McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I1319
14 Gibson, Sally  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I532
15 Smith, Irving (Ivy)  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I14414
16 Smith, Martha Caroline  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I452
17 Sparks, Ada Lura  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I436
18 Sparks, James Christian (Coleman) Sr  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I412
19 Sparks, James Edwin  19 Aug 1914McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I456
20 Sparks, John L Sr.  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I454
21 Sparks, Joseph Madison  McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I503
22 Sparks, Julia* Ann  26 Jan 1925McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas I507