Lola V Harris
The Death of her Grave
Grave was registered in 2004 with the State of Texas as a cemetary including GPS coordinates.
The stone reads; LOLA V HARRIS, DIED JAN 15, 1838, AGE 63 YEARS.
An email reply from Daughters of the Republic of Texas
From: "Warren Stricker" <wstricker@drtl.org> To: "JOHN WALKER" <jwwalker@wt.net>
Subject: Re: LOLA V HARRIS
Date: Friday, January 02, 2004 6:32 AM
Mr. Walker:
I am afraid that no immediate sources provide information on Lola V. Harris. If there is a connection with Dilue Rose Harris, it would be through her husband, Ira Harris, who she married in 1839. I have not located a source with family information on Harris, who came to Texas in 1836 at age 20. Perhaps the best avenue for research will be through local history sources in Fort Bend County. Local historical or genealogical groups have often conducted surveys of cemeteries and may have documented this site. Research in county land records might also provide some clue. I'm sorry not to offer more, but if you have other questions, please let us know.
Warren Stricker
Hello Daughters of the Republic of Texas,
The attatchment is a photo of a tomestone I found on the banks of Long Point Creek, on the Moses Shipman survey [Original 300 of the Austin colony] in Fort Bend county, Texas. The closest town is Arcola, about 16 miles south of Houston. The closest possible relation is Mrs. DELUE ROSE HARRIS who gave a description of her part in the runaway scrape including the return to her home in this area. The closest to an address she gave was a description of the water level of the Brazos river and that she lived 15mi from Sims Bayou. DELUE was about 13 at the time of the runaway scrape. If she is related at all, LOLA V HARRIS would probably be her grandmother on her fathers side. Can you give me any solid evidence as to who LOLA V HARRIS is?
Warm regards
John Walker
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Warren Stricker, Archivist
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
P.O. Box 1401
San Antonio, TX 78295-1401
(210) 225-1071 Email: WStricker@drtl.org
Fax: (210) 212-8514
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OUR NEWS ran a series of articles on the tombstone with several local residence responding. None of the information provided by the residents or by records of Fort Bend County support the date 1838 carved on the tombstone. Instead all records indicate it should read 1938.
The Divoky family indicated the Harris family was one of the first Black familys to own land in the area and that there are 2 graves with the marker to the second being lost.
This photo indicates a lack of respect for the dead and prompted an investigation by the State of Texas via Fort Bend Co Sherrif Dept. The following is a string of conversations regarding the investigation.
Mr. Jimmy Harris operated a dozier for Bill Wootton in the 60's and cleared the banks of Long Point Creek. He discovered the Lola V Harris grave by scrapping a layer of oyster shell. Oyster shell would discourage animals from digging.
James H Stokes was a friend of Albert [Scrap] Harris who was a brother to Lola Harris. The other grave with a lost marker was Lola Harris's mother, Margret Harris, who died in 1897.
The sheriff investigation caused an excavation [which used inacurate GPS coordinates]. Investigator Louis Hearn stopped the excavation at 3 feet because 'They didn't bury them any deeper back then'.
Edward Divoky took the following photos of the excavation 5/19/2006. Can you see anything that may indicate the ground has been disturbed buy digging a grave. Because the coordinates were wrong I believe they accidentally dug the Margret Harris or her son, Albert [Scrap] Harris grave.
This is Albert's [Scrap's] Death Certificate
The following is information from county records.
Wellington Harris in 1887 wed Margaret Harris
Died 1902 Died 1897
There were 6 children;
1. Tom Harris Died in 1923 & was married to Julia Harris There were 3 children
Albert L Harris
George B. Harris Died 1942 was married to Beatrice Died 1950
No Children
Girl, Unnamed died at childbirth
2. Shephard Harris died 1957 Married Leona no children
3. Albert [Scrap] L Harris died May 31, 1958 wed Fannis died 1947 no children. His death certificate states he is buried at Arcola (rural) Texas in the Harris Family Cemetery.
4. Neddie Harris Died 1925 no children never married
5. Lola V. Harris wed Steps and divorced after 1 year Died Jan 15, 1938 Age 63 Born 1875 Raised Author Stacy
6. Bosia Harris died in 1957 wed Lucinda no children
Wellington Harris purchased 15 acres of land from D. O. Mason on October 18, 1881. The deed was registered with Fort Bend County.
The property the tombstone is located on was in the Wellington Harris family during a time that his wife Margret and daughter, Lola V Harris lived and died.
F. W. Neuhaus purchased land from the Albert L. Harris estate Februrary 13, 1957. The deed was registered with Fort Bend County.
Lola V Harris lived in English and held gambling games at her brick house before she moved to Arcola. She was a 'large woman' probably over 300 lbs. This is in line with the cause of death of 'Congestive heart failure, acute.'
I have found several people who knew Scrap {Albert} Harris. The are all intheir eightys or older. They all say they remember him when they were children.
Joe Fenn [White man of the Fitzgerald Fenn family] says Scrap didn't associate too much with other Blacks. He came to town {Arcola} on Saturday's driving his buckboard.
O. G. Cooper is the Elder Deacon of the black- New St Phillips Baptist church in Arcola. He remembers Scrap had no teeth. One day Scrap was in town and was offered some peanut brittle candy. At first he turned it down, but a while later everybody heard this loud crunch as Scrap 'gummed' the candy.
Rosie Jones was a black lady that died in 2009. She never learned to read or write. She told me the location of the Mulberry Cemetery. She said Scrap was mean to the young [black] girls and liked to scare them. He called Rosie to his buckboard and surprised her with a Rattle Snake. It was a long time before he told her it was dead.