We die twice. Once when our last breath leaves our body,
Ancient Egyptian saying
and again when our name is spoken for the last time.
One of our goals at Friends of Geer Cemetery is to tell the stories of those buried here, to delay as long as possible the final mention of their names.
A number of these individuals, who were once enslaved, lived the latter part of their lives as free people struggling through the eras of Reconstruction and Jim Crow. Also found in Geer Cemetery are members of the first generation born after Emancipation. They, too, weathered the Jim Crow era.
Although the cemetery was built as a direct result of Jim Crow, it lives on as a testament to the strength, endurance, intelligence, and perseverance of the marginalized members of the community that built it.
These life stories are collaborations between the writers, researchers, and descendants who are Friends of Geer Cemetery. Contributors include Vera Cecelski, Tim Foley, Moneta Howland, Nicholas Levy, Nyrobi Manuel, Madge McKeithen, Jennifer Melton, Molly Mendoza, Lizzie Nist, Michael Reese, Bri Rochelle, Adam Rosenblatt, Lewis Shiner, Debra Taylor Gonzalez-Garcia, Carissa Trotta, Kayla Wells, and Michael Williams.
Browse or search to explore the life stories, or access our database for additional individuals buried in Geer Cemetery.
