SPARKMAN REDICK CEMETERY  -  (death of a cemetery)

In March of 2000, after taking over the Gregg County site, Elaine and I began looking for this small cemetery.  From an earlier submission of this cemetery, (undated), we began to haunt Gilmer Road from Hwy 80 to the cut off to Gladewater, without success.

Everytime I had to go to Longview, and found myself on Gilmer Road, I would look for this cemetery. All the new construction of homes and businesses in this area in the last twenty years, made this a very frustrating experience.

The directions were to turn onto Gilmer Rd from Hwy 80, go about 3 1/2 miles, pass the Gregg County Feed Co. and turn right on an oil road, and go about 1/2 a mile, and cemetery would be on the left side of the road.  Countless trips were made also, with my friend and business partner, Denna Gray, to no avail.

On February 18, 2001, I received an e-mail from Shannon Capps, regarding the Sparkman family, in Upshur County.  I sent what information I had, which wasn't much.  But the e-mail sparked a few ideas of where to possibly look.  So I had to try again.

The historical marker, on Gilmer Rd, states that the Sparkman and Redick plantations were near by. The road near it dead-ends in a fairly new housing development, backed by a stand of trees.  After reading Shannon's e-mail, a brainstorm hit.  We needed to get behind that stand of trees.....So once again, I was off on a quest, not knowing that this time there would be some answers.

On Monday, February 19th, Denna and I drove to the historical marker location.  We then proceeded to the next thru street, and turned into a housing development.  We turned right, and went into a dead-end-------we were on the other side of the tree line.  A gentleman was in his driveway, washing his car, and explaining what we were looking for, he said he had lived on this street since 1968, and YES, he remembered a small cemetery, in fact he told us that right in front of his house, there had been an oil road.  He said that a contractor had built a house, at the corner of Emerald and Greenleaf, and the cemetery had been in the front yard.  He and his wife had looked at this house, but she refused to live there, because of the cemetery.  He said he didn't know what had happened to the headstones, but after a while, they weren't there anymore.  He then told us that two local construction companies had built homes out there.  Denna and I went to the office of one of the contractors, and am waiting for a phone call from the owner to see if he recalls anything about what happened, or where we could find out more information.  We also talked with Lois, the Longview City Secretary, and she is working on this also to see if she can find any information.

What happened to the graves and headstones for William Redick ( headstone had no dates), his wife Harriet Sparkman Redick b. January 8, 1830 d. June 18, 1906, their son Willie T Redick b. June 27, 1868 and d. July 11, 1895, Joseph Marcus Sparkman b. January 30, 1828 d. May 1911, his wife Harriet Caroline Johnson Sparkman b. August 25, 1831 d. November 6, 1915 ?------the historical marker also indicates that "Uncle Ben" slave of Joseph Marcus Sparkman was also buried in this cemetery.

Mrs. Paul B Belding (now deceased) a descendent of the Sparkman family....stated that this family came from Jonesboro, Ga.  First settling in Jefferson (Marion County) about 1854, they then moved into Upshur County, which this section would later become part of Gregg County in 1873.

We will keep trying to find the answer to what happened to this cemetery.  If anyone has any information regarding the Sparkman Redick Cemetery or these families .......please contact Etta & Elaine.

Sharon Pierce