Providence/Holland Cemetery

This cemetery is known as both Providence & Holland Cemetery.  The Providence Church is located on Ranch Road 1644. This is the river bottom road that goes from Calvert towards Goodland Farms. This church appears to still be in use, is clearly marked, and is on the left when heading from Calvert towards Goodland Farms. Beside this church is County Road 106, which goes east towards the Little Brazos River. Heading out of Calvert, turn left on County Road 106 just beyond the church. A short way down on the right, there will be an uncultivated area of an acre or so. The cemetery is located here. At the end of this uncultivated patch closest to the Little Brazos, there is a paved walkway leading to a chain link fence enclosed portion Harlan plot in the cemetery. These are not the only burials in this cemetery. There are a number of other graves in the area between the Harlan plot and the dirt road.

A marker reads: "Joseph Harlan. Patriot, Volunteer Texas Ranger, Stockman, Planter, Justice of the Peace. Born February 18, 1796, Laurens District, South Carolina. Died July 21, 1844, Robertson County, Texas. Joseph Harlan, at an early age, enlisted in the War of 1812 at Charleston, South Carolina. Joseph married Nancy Craig in November 1819 and had two children. Following Nancy's death, Joseph married Delilah Burke in June 1825 and had seven children. Joseph came to Texas in 1836 and served in the War for Texas Independence under General Sam Houston at San Jacinto. In July 1836, he returned for his family in South Carolina. He arrived back in Old Wheelock, Robertson County, Texas on February 14, 1837. In November of the same year, he settled near this cemetery site on the northern edge of a headright grant from the Republic of Texas. Two sons, William Craig Harlan and Joseph Harlan Jr., are also buried here in marked graves. The fourth grave is unknown." Erected 1980 by the Defenders of the Republic of Texas.

 

Some information has been added by Jane Keppler and will be in a different format.   The orginial transciptions are in the same format that was orginally used.

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Last	First/maiden	DOB	DOD	Notes
Chops/Chopp	Lawyer	8 Mar 1882	13 Jul 1930	death certificate
FREEMAN	RUSH or HUSH or HUGH	3.6.1897	11.9.1973
FREEMAN	VELMA LOUVERDE	5.21.1935	5.21.1953
Harlan, JR	Joseph	7.11.1838	7.21.1844	b Robertson Co., TX, s Joseph Sr. & Delilah Burke Harlan
Harlan, SR	Joseph	2.18.1796	7.21.1844	b Laurens Co., SC, s Aaron & Elizabeth Stuart Harlan, w1 Nancy Craig, m 11.15.1819 Laurens Co., SC, c1 William Craig (1822 - 1843), Jane Elizabeth (Mrs. Logan Almoren) Stroud[1] (1823 - 2.1.1905, m 5.19.1842, b Old Springfield Cemetery, Limestone County), w2 Delilah Burke, m 6.1825, Laurens Co., SC, c2 Martha (1827 - 1842), Eliphalet (1829 - 1906), Alpheus (1830 - 1909), Isaiah (1831 - 1864), Mary (1833 - 1850), Sarah (1835 - 1852), Joseph Jr. (1838 - 1844).  Some Harlan family information was obtained at www.familysearch.com.
Harlan				HARLAN, WILLIAM CRAIG, b Laurens Co., SC, 3.13.1822 - 1.30.1843, s Joseph Sr. & Nancy Craig Harlan
				UNKNOWN (in Harlan plot)
				JONES, LAURA, ? - 1.6.1941
				KNIGHT, REDMOND, 1939 - 1963
				SALTER, JEARLEAN, 5.25.1912 - 1.24.1978
WELLS	ALPHONSO	?	?	s Mr. & Mrs. Arlen A. Wells, brother of Samuel WellsWELLS, ARLEN A., ? - ?, father of Alphonso & Samuel WellsWELLS, MRS. ARLEN A., 5.3.1902 - 9.22.1964, mother of Alphonso & Samuel WellsWELLS, SAMUEL, 3.3.1932 - 6.29.1988, s Mr. & Mrs. Arlen A. Wells, brother of Alphonso WellsWILLIAMS, ETHEL MAE, 1919 - 1958WILLIAMS, JAMES SR., 1895 - 1972WILLIAMS, V. A., ? - 3.7.1963?, W. L. JR., ? - ?, footstone only..THER ..MES ..MKINS ...Born ...?.4.1877 ...Died ...?.12.1938" (might be Father James Tomkins) (stone has been split in half vertically)
Wells	Alphonso	7-Oct-1939	21-Dec-1991	son.......info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com
Wells	Arlena Williams	3-Mar-1907	22-Sep-1964	mother.....info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com  death certificate
Wells	Millard	Oct-1901	Aug-1977	son....info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com
Wells	Samuel	2-Mar-1932	28-Jun-1988	son.....info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

FREEMAN, RUSH or HUSH or HUGH, 3.6.1897 - 11.9.1973

FREEMAN, VELMA LOUVERDE, 5.21.1935 - 5.21.1953

HARLAN, JOSEPH JR., 7.11.1838 - 7.21.1844, b Robertson Co., TX, s Joseph Sr. & Delilah Burke Harlan

HARLAN, JOSEPH SR., 2.18.1796 - 7.21.1844, b Laurens Co., SC, s Aaron & Elizabeth Stuart Harlan, w1 Nancy Craig, m 11.15.1819 Laurens Co., SC, c1 William Craig (1822 - 1843), Jane Elizabeth (Mrs. Logan Almoren) Stroud[1] (1823 - 2.1.1905, m 5.19.1842, b Old Springfield Cemetery, Limestone County), w2 Delilah Burke, m 6.1825, Laurens Co., SC, c2 Martha (1827 - 1842), Eliphalet (1829 - 1906), Alpheus (1830 - 1909), Isaiah (1831 - 1864), Mary (1833 - 1850), Sarah (1835 - 1852), Joseph Jr. (1838 - 1844).  Some Harlan family information was obtained at www.familysearch.com.

HARLAN, WILLIAM CRAIG, b Laurens Co., SC, 3.13.1822 - 1.30.1843, s Joseph Sr. & Nancy Craig Harlan

UNKNOWN (in Harlan plot)

JONES, LAURA, ? - 1.6.1941

KNIGHT, REDMOND, 1939 - 1963

SALTER, JEARLEAN, 5.25.1912 - 1.24.1978

WELLS, ALPHONSO, ? - ?, s Mr. & Mrs. Arlen A. Wells, brother of Samuel WellsWELLS, ARLEN A., ? - ?, father of Alphonso & Samuel WellsWELLS, MRS. ARLEN A., 5.3.1902 - 9.22.1964, mother of Alphonso & Samuel WellsWELLS, SAMUEL, 3.3.1932 - 6.29.1988, s Mr. & Mrs. Arlen A. Wells, brother of Alphonso WellsWILLIAMS, ETHEL MAE, 1919 - 1958WILLIAMS, JAMES SR., 1895 - 1972WILLIAMS, V. A., ? - 3.7.1963?, W. L. JR., ? - ?, footstone only..THER ..MES ..MKINS ...Born ...?.4.1877 ...Died ...?.12.1938" (might be Father James Tomkins) (stone has been split in half vertically)

Wells	Alphonso	7-Oct-1939	21-Dec-1991	son.......info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com
Wells	Arlena Williams	3-Mar-1907	22-Sep-1964	mother.....info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com
Wells	Millard	Oct-1901	Aug-1977	son....info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com
Wells	Samuel	2-Mar-1932	28-Jun-1988	son.....info added 5/27/16 by Melonneis@yahoo.com

According to Bill Norton in early 2002, "This cemetery has been shrouded with bloodweed, blaspheme vine, & poison ivy, making access to many of the headstones impossible. A recent fire removed most of the vegetation and made these identifications possible.

[1]  Wolf Corlett, manager, Haunted Verdun Manor, submitted the following in 8.2002.  It is from the "History of Limestone County", written by Hampton Steele (from his recollections years later):

"I suppose he had it all arranged beforehand. So one morning he gave instructions to house-servants to have everything in apple-pie order for he was going after a wife. He got on his horse and went back down where he came from, Robertson County, on the Brazos River, just below where Calvert is now. He made the trip down there in one day, and was that night married to Miss Jane Haveland [actually Harlan - confirmed from other sources]."

"Now, you want to know how they started out on their honey-moon trip?  He saddled his horse and one for his bride the next morning, and they mounted and rode through to his home that day."