Oakwood Cemetery brings eight historical figures back to life

Published 5:45 am Sunday, October 24, 2021

About 200 attendees gathered Saturday at historical graves at the Oakwood Cemetery in Tyler. With the higher purpose to awaken the spirits of Oakwood by telling their stories, members of the Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee dressed like those who lay at each gravesite and spoke in first person, narrating their lives.

Saturday marked the return of The Spirits of Oakwood walking history tour. The event, which began in 2005, was canceled last year and pushed back to fall this year due to COVID-19. The tour normally happens in the spring during the Azalea Trail time.

At the unique event, committee members selected eight individuals buried at the cemetery and researched their life. If family is available, a committee member reached out to them and sometimes they portrayed their ancestor. Otherwise, a group of historians stood at the grave site in period dress and brought that person to life, telling their life story.

Larry Wade, member of the Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee, was the only member who sat at a gravesite where the persons buried were unknown. Wade sat on a leveled area with only four to five markers to record who is buried where.

In 2016, technology identified 179 unmarked graves at Oakwood Cemetery. Right along Palace Street, an area was reserved for Blacks only. Former slaves and their descendants are resting there. Though local historians knew there were people in the area, they did not know how many or where they were.

In 1997, a large black granite marker was placed in the area to honor them. Wade sat there and told the story of how the unmarked graves were found.

“I am very moved and I’m very touched and very humbled to be sitting here knowing that I’m representing a race of people that were pioneers in this community, that helped build this community and that for so long have been overlooked,” Wade said.

The annual event is a way to raise funds for general improvements such as repair of damaged markers, cleaning the markers, purchasing and installing a kiosk, installing a self-guided walking tour and working to locate markers under the surface in Section 8 of the cemetery.

In attendance, former mayor of Tyler and several East Texas residents went from tent to tent to each marker.

Some historical figures discussed included Wm Chesterfield Day, a soldier in the American Civil War, who was a Smith County Tax Assessor and Treasurer for many years. He was portrayed by Jimmie Horton.

For the Francis Family, a local historian told the story of a day in Tyler history, Feb. 14, 1908, when a tornado killed four and injured several in the city.

James H. LeGrand was also one of the spirits featured as a historian told the story of when he came to Tyler as a boy in 1879 with his widowed mother. He went on to marry Sallie Goodman and joined her at her family estate on North Broadway in the city of Tyler.

Therese Kayser Lindsey was born in 1870 in the Chapel Hill area and was the daughter of a Hungarian refugee. She was the wife of a leading Tyler businessman and community leader. Her story told of her influence on Tyler society.

Lt. Marcus Leopold Fleishel was born in Austria in 1839 and immigrated to the United States with his brothers after the death of his parents. He fought in the Civil War and became one of the first families to own a business in Smith County. His wife, Florence Elizabeth Fleishel was born in Tennessee but moved to Swan, Texas in 1861 to escape the Civil War. Her story told of the impact she made in Smith County.

Alma Edelina Richter, born April 6, 1926, married John George Woldert in 1852. Originally from Adorf, Germany, the two moved to Texas and raised six children and contributed greatly to the development of Tyler.

John Durst lived in Nacogdoches and in Tyler. His story told of the transition and how he affected others along the way.

S. T. Newton was a reconstruction era citizen of Smith County and an attorney, justice of the peace, mayor, county attorney and district attorney. He was one of the early republicans in Smith County following the Civil War.

The Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee will return in the spring with the same event and with different historical figures to learn about.