Minutes of the Friends of the Geer Cemetery 8/9/04

• 5:00 This August meeting in the Durham County Library Conference Room was called to order by Chairman Bryant. Mr. Bryant provided all present with the agenda for this August meeting.
• Minutes of the last meeting held June 7, 2004 were Okayed

• Work was begun May 20, 2004
• The work was done by TROSA
• We still need to secure a copy of the contract with TROSA in order to know what are the provisions for the quarterly clean up.
• Dennis Kerr of TROSA reported to Jessica that his crew was a little surprised at the magnitude of the task. It seems that the 1992 clearing only encompassed a part of the cemetery. [This may explain why there were only 117 graves found at that time.] This time the WHOLE 2-4 acre cemetery has been cleared of jungle like wisteria vines and many fallen trees, logs, and branches. One large fallen tree still remains. It is so old and decayed it may not be removable by ordinary means. At the date of typing (8-21-04) the wisteria is growing back and climbing onto stones.

• Grants available for Cemetery Restoration were discussed. It seems that such grants are Community Grants. A grant would get us started in the restoration project but would not provide for perpetual care.

• Another option was brought up: There are legal mechanisms in the County of Durham to manage "abandoned cemeteries" (PL 65-74, Research by Richard Ellington) if initial funds can be found to do so. Could we get in touch with descendants who were willing to contribute to a fund for perpetual care? This sort of thing was done for a cemetery in Roxboro, NC.
• At this time Mr. R.K. Bryant expressed concern about the legal issue of Reverse Possession - in which lands have been legally taken over by a non-owner.

• Mr. R.K. Bryant has been in touch with a Mr. Turner who taught Brick Masonry at Hillside High School. Mr. Bryant presented a design for the sign. The design includes two brick posts or pillars, and a stone plate between them, with the words engraved upon it. Materials for such a sign were discussed. Brick and stone; brick and a routable plastic; brick and slate.
• We discussed the possibility of asking Pat Mann (a Durham County resident who creates art in iron) if he would create an entrance arch as a gift. Mr. Mann has not yet been contacted about this request.

• There is a possibility that field archeologists Steve Davis and Venn Stephanis (sp?) of UNC might be interested in the project. Might mapping the Geer Cemetery be a field project with a college class?
• Allen Dew talked to Randy Bright who restores Cemeteries for a living - Randy Bright in Wake Forest would be interested in conducting a tombstone repair workshop for the FOGC. Allen can set up a time to bring Mr. Bright to come and show the FOGC what needs to be done in the Cemetery. This would be a week-day special event. We would need a good representation of the FOGC and some people with STRONG BACKS. We can probably arrange for the donation of necessary materials.
• Richard Ellington mentioned that some members of the Durham-Orange Genealogical Society of North Carolina might be interested in helping with a restoration of the Geer Cemetery.
• Something was said about an Archeologist who could help us with identification and planting. [The wisteria that grows in the cemetery is not native to North Carolina but like Kudzu is a native of Japan.]
• Mr. Bright told Mr. A.P. Dew that there are two compounds used to repair different types of tombstone damage. One is a simple setting compound which is not expensive. The other is an epoxy which is more expensive. It was also made clear that there are certain precautions which especially need to be taken with granite because it is easy to damage. Also acid in the soil can dissolve marble. A webbing material must be used to lift such stones (Steel cable can damage them). Mr. R.K. Bryant knows a stone cutter who has such a thing for lifting stones.

• Clearing started May 20. Initial clearing completed by July. Next maintenance due in October.

• Jessica skimmed the minutes from 1869-1920 with the help of Tenetta (last name?) in the City Clerk's Office, in June. There were several references to a "Negro Cemetery" which was overcrowded; the specific location of said Cemetery was not mentioned. Lynn Richardson of the Durham County Library looked in the Wyatt Dixon book about Duke Park and also found nothing.

• Were there any bodies moved from Geer to Beechwood? Some families have had markers placed in Beechwood to honor their ancestor who was buried in Geer. The Body in these cases was not moved from Geer. Augustus Shepard (A Founder of the Oxford Orphanage) died in 1911. Was he moved to Beechwood when it opened? (Incidentally, R.K. Bryant's Grandmother: Maggie Poole sang solo at Reverend Shepard's funeral.) Mr. R.K. Bryant has a copy of a biography of Rev. Augustus Shepard. He hopes to be able to bring it to the next meeting of the FOGC.

Committee reports : none
- Report from Authority Committee: nothing new (see mention of PL 65-74 above)
- Report from Grave Research Committee: none
- Report from Budget Committee: none
- Report from Publicity and Pictures Committee: none
- Report from Committee on Volunteers: none

- Committee on History, Recordings, Information and Interviews:
As a child Mr. R.K. Bryant used to come to Durham to stay in the summers. [Mr. Bryant attended Hampton University… http://www.hamptonu.edu/] Early in adulthood in the 1940's Mr R.K. Bryant Jr. returned to stay with an aunt in Durham. He heard people running across the floor upstairs. Turns out they were hiding the Family Bible, because they did not want Mr. Bryant to see it.

Mr. R.K. Bryant Jr. has an early twentieth century roster from the White Rock Baptist Church. It would be interesting for genealogists to compare the names on this roster to the Research Committee's list of burials in the Geer Cemetery.

Incidentally, at this time, Mr. Bryant mentioned his autograph collection, which is quite remarkable. It turns out that a school teacher of his, Anna Easter Brown, although forbidden to teach Black History, had pictures of Black Leaders, which she posted all around her classroom. An impression was made on the young Master Bryant. Mr. Kelly Bryant has now worked with all but three presidents of The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. One of the results was his foresight when he started collecting autographs as a student at Hampton in 1936. He has continued to collect them unto the present. Among the autographs he has are the following:

[Somewhere Mr. Bryant says there is a picture in Durham where Joe Lois and Jackie Robinson came to Durham, and KB is in picture.]

1st Annual eastern Duke Park Neighborhood National Night Out event:

Thanks to Chairman Bryant for speech given at the Duke Park NNO event. Thanks also to other members of the FOGC who participated in the event:

President of the Duke Park Neighborhood Association Carol Donin stated that this event was a success. This feeling was shared on the DPNA List serve by Katherine O'Brien, DP neighbor who helped make the event happen. Although it was small, (about 50 people) some City Council members (Cora Cole-McFadden, Diane Catotti, Eugene Brown) and Police Captains dropped by. Colonial Street Residents came out and sat in front lawns, listened to music, and milled about. A few residents from Camden Avenue attended, and John Compton of the Historic Preservation was present. Terry Allebaugh and Buddy Boy Vaughn performed music specially selected for this event. Neighborhood children rode bikes while parents chatted with Neighborhood Association Board Members. Mr. R.Kelly Bryant, Jr. retired NC Mutual executive and Chairman of the Friends of the Geer Cemetery gave a talk on the history of the Cemetery, and the restoration project. Mr. Bryant's soft spoken manner underscored the quiet but major significance of this cemetery to the City of Durham. The evening was wrapped up with a community rendition of Amazing Grace, led by Terry Allebaugh and Buddy Boy Vaughn.

Any other business? none

Adjournment.

--Minutes humbly submitted by FOGC Secretary Jessica Thompson Eustice