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Cemetery
Information by Bryan
Bourland Cemetery
Belleville, Love County, Oklahoma
The information I have received from a Great Uncle, Michael Frazier Bourland
and my Grandfather Bud Watkins is that W. H. "Chickasaw Bill" Bourland, a
former Chickasaw Tribal Judge established this cemetery for family and
Native Americans to have a place for group burial, an Indian Cemetery.
Many graves are marked only by a sandstone rock, names unknown. Our family
graves have a metal fence placed there prior to statehood to keep cattle
from damaging monuments.
Grave spaces are free and restricted to families that reside there or former
residents that have family buried there. A Cemetery Association was
established to prevent people with no connection from taking advantage of
the free grave spaces. Now we have annual Memorial Day Service, donations
and perpetual fund to maintain cemetery.
When I was a child there was Dinner on ground and complete Cemetery cleaned
to bare ground with hoes on Memorial Day. In fall after frost Cemetery was
burned off to get rid of tall grass on graves with no family to keep clean.
I am so happy it is well maintained now!!!!
My father was a farmer/rancher at Courtney and my older brother still
resides there.
Just wanted you to know some of the History, hope I have not bored you. I
appreciate so much your contribution to history of old and sometimes
forgotten cemeteries.
Bryan Spivey
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