Tarrant County, TXGenWeb
Fretwell Cemetery
aka Old Settlers Cemetery
Haltom City, Texas
Northeast corner of North Beach Street and Northeast 28th Street.
Cemetery transcribed by Judy Sander
Cockrell & Joyce Hendricks.
Submitted 12 April 2000
When other members of his family were sold to a new owner in North Carolina, Rev. Greene swam the Ohio River to freedom.
Originally settling at Spears Grove, a black community between Keller and Watauga, Greene Fretwell, in 1883, then moved his family to a farm on todays present 28th Street.
When Reverend Fretwell died in 1886, there was no cemetery for African Americans in this area. His widow, Francis, traveled on horseback going to the neighboring farms, ranches and trustees of Trinity Chapel Methodist Church asking for any donation, large or small, and promising these families they would always have a place to be buried.
She collected $30 dollars and bought the two acres at 28th and Beach Street for a church and the graveyard to bury him in. The initial two-acre purchase was recorded on June 26, 1889. He was taken from his original burial plot in the woods on their property, and laid to rest in this small cemetery.
Many of the family members still gather today to give rememberances to a family gone, but hardly forgotten. I found a burial as recent as 1999 in the Fretwell Cemetery.
I had a wonderful opportunity to speak with Carl Fretwell, trustee of the cemetery, days prior to submitting this transcription. he would not, however, tell me where the Reverend Fretwell is buried today. His marker was destroyed by vandals some time ago and the family would like to have the Historical Society buy a new one to replace it. Until then, this gravesite will remain a secret upon which time it can be restored and properly marked.
A proud man, a proud family, protecting each other for ever after and beyond.
Judy
Name |
Age |
Birth |
Death |
Inscription |
| M.F. Fennell | Mar. 9,1879 | Sep 12,1909 | ||
| George Budeim | 1858 | May 16,1893 | ||
| This stone against fence facing Beach Street. Hand written. | ||||
| Lola E. | 30 | Nov 9, 1883 | Jul 29,1915 | |
| This tombstone is lying upside down against fence. | ||||
| Lindsey L. Thompson | Nov 24,1916 | Jan 9,1958 | ||
| Charles G. Lee Sr. | 1901 | 1969 | ||
| Len Thompson | 1881 | 1952 | In Memory of - Husband - At Rest | |
| Fred Reed | Dec 12,1913 | Nov 30,1977 | U.S Army WWII | |
| Frank T. Hooper | Nov 22,1921 | Jan 28,1981 | TEC 5 U.S. Army WWII | |
| Aunt Sudie Hooper Whytus | 1893 | 1988 | ||
| Ralph Hooper | Aug 24, 1924 | Mar 23, 1979 | PFC U.S. Army WWII | |
| John Lee Thompson | Mar 3, 1926 | Aug 14, 1961 | California PFC-4126 Base Unit A.A.F. WWII | |
| John H. Thompson | Feb 15, 1942 | Texas PVT 816 Pioneer INE | ||
| Douglass Mathis | Jun 20, 1895 | Dec 5, 1905 | ||
| Delia Hooper | Dec 25,1957 | At Rest | ||
| J.C. Hooper | Aug 18, 1900 | Feb 3, 1925 | Tho Lost To Sight To Memory Dear - American Woodman | |
| Fred G. Hooper | Jan 28, 1920 | Dec 16, 1956 | Texas PVT. 851 Port Co TC WWII | |
| Juanita Hooper | Sep 12, 1885 | Feb 26, 1961 | ||
| Date of death was Feb 12 and was changed. | ||||
| Will Fullbright | 38 | Jul 26,1915 | ||
| Claude Tell | Apr 17, 1886 | Feb 17, 1951 | Texas WWI Pvt 65 Pioneer Infantry | |
| Damon McKee | Aug 1, 1895 | Apr 8, 1950 | Texas WWI Cpl 801 Pioneer Infantry | |
| Myrtle Gery | Jan 29, 1898 | Sep 28,1916 | ||
| Gladis Gery | Jul 8, 1914 | Feb 20, 1924 | ||
| Lottie Guery | Aug 30, 1853 | Aug 18,1934 | ||
| Inscription is hand carved. | ||||
| Burton Guery | Dec 25, 1841 | Aug 25, 1935 | ||
| Inscription is hand carved. | ||||
| Henry Smith | 56 | Apr 25, 1914 | Age 56 Yrs - Prepare To Meet Me In Heaven | |
| Lee McMillian
Addie McMillian |
1891 | 1947 | ||
| 1886 | 1958 | |||
| Ernest Stewart | 1900 | 1969 | ||
| Bernice Gray | Sep 20,1932 | Aug 12, 1967 | ||
| Eliauro Budanauro | 1914 | 1985 | In Loving Memory | |
| U.S Coast Guard symbol | ||||
| J. Moore Wheeler | 1899 | 1971 | In Loving Memory | |
| Susie Moore | 1900 | 1979 | Mother | |
| Sylvia L. Barnwell | Mar 12, 1921 | (blank) | In Loving Memory - Mother | |
| Maudie Mae Thompson
Courtwright Thompson |
Jan 9, 1892 | Oct 22, 1985 | ||
| Nov 5, 1888 | Aug 22, 1973 | |||
| Luda Howard | Apr 3, 1902 | Feb 12, 1987 | ||
| Sam Howard | 1899 | 1987 | Beloved Father | |
| Sally E. (Sallie?) Howard | 1910 | |||
| This stone is hand made with the name painted on. | ||||
| Scherrell Ann Fretwell | Mar 6, 1944 | Aug 10, 1990 | I.L.M. | |
| Nun Q Fretwell | Feb 2, 1960 | Apr 14 1986 | I've Been Changed The Angel In Heaven Don Signed My Name | |
| Derrick Demond Sadberry | Aug 6, 1972 | Aug 7, 1972 | ||
| Dewitt Gardner Fretwell | Jan 18, 1947 | Jun 3, 1947 | ||
| Rachel Howard
Julius Howard |
Apr 3, 1923 | Mar 26, 1976 | Forever In Our Hearts | |
| Sep 9, 1894 | Mar 3, 1958 | Son | ||
| Julius Anthony
Julius Jr. |
Aug 29, 1973 | (blank) | ||
| Mar 27, 1952 | Jun 11,1978 | |||
| Delores Jane Howard | Dec 1, 1953 | Nov 29, 1978 | To Live In Hears We Leave Behind Is Not To Die | |
| U.O. (Fred) Fretwell
Alice J. Fretwell |
May 16, 1884 | Sep 26 1945 | Father | |
| Mar 16, 1878 | Oct 24, 1969 | Mother | ||
| Robert Washington | Nov 10, 1906 | Dec 23, 1974 | CK3 U.S. Navy | |
| Samual A. Hill
Geneva F. Hill |
1912 | 1987 | Married Oct 24, 1936 | |
| 1913 | (blank) | |||
| Fretwell Jink O. | Oct 2, 1916 | Jul 15,1999 | ||
| Edith M. Sanders
James M. Sanders |
Aug 2, 1904 | May 1, 1979 | ||
| Sep 4, 1902 | Jun 22, 1978 | |||
| Chamberlin Sanders Jr. | Dec 2, 1953 | Mar 14, 1991 | Beloved Father and Brother | |
| Chaney Sanders | Jul 7, 1929 | Nov 24, 1995 | Sgt. U.S. Army Korea | |
| Ida Mae Miller | Feb 19, 1925 | Jul 18, 1971 | In Loving Memory | |
| Harold Clement | Mar 10-1927 | Jun 3 1973 | Texas PFC Army W.W.II | |
| Nora Cooper | Dec 14, 1866 | Dec 8, 1934 | Wife - At Rest | |
| Fallen stone - face up. | ||||
This page was last modified 13 Feb 2002.
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