Breedlove-Cooper Cemetery, aka Cooper Cemetery
Courtesy of Washington County Genealogical Society

Latitude 30º20’08 Longitude 96º16’12”.  This old cemetery consists of two rock-walled family plots and is located near a gravel road about one mile NNE of Bethlehem Lutheran Church at William Penn.

Pleasant Ellis Breedlove, born ca. 1792 in Virginia, married Hannah Moxley Crump, daughter of George & E. Dicey (Haynes) Crump, on  January 7, 1828 in Virginia.  P. E. sold his slaves and plantation in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, in order to pay off his brother’s debts and the family moved to Washington County, Texas, arriving on March 12, 1847.   After renting for a short time,P. E. purchased property in the E. Clampitt League in Washington County.   By 1850, he owned 5 slaves.   P. E. & Hannah had at least 5 children, but his will lists Mildred F., George, Mary Ann and Charles R.  Charles R. and Fanny (probably Mildred F) were baptized with Sam Houston on November 19, 1854.  In 1855, Fanny married George Bowen Davis.  Fanny taught in the female department of Baylor University while George was a dry goods merchant in Independence.  Fanny was instrumental in many organizations within the Baptist Church, Buckner Orphans Home, Mary Hardin Baylor College and the Protestant Home for Destitute Children.  P. E. Breedlove died between April 13 and September 6, 1852.  No death date is known for Hannah, though she may be the H. M. Breedlove buried in the Brenham Masonic Cemetery with no dates on the stone. 

Charles H. Cooper was born March 31, 1809 and his wife, Ann Eliza, was born ca. 1821, both in North Carolina.  Their children were Sarah, George, Alonzo, and Agnes.  In 1850, they lived in Lowndes County, Mississippi, where Charles owned 14 slaves.  In 1850,Charles purchased his first land in Washington County, Texas.   On December 27, 1859, Hannah Breedlove (P. E.’s widow) sold the homestead to Charles H. Cooper, “reserving unto myself  ½ acre of said land surrounding and including the graveyard in which lies the remains of the aforesaid P. E. Breedlove.”  In 1860, Charles owned 37 slaves and had 7 slave houses.  Ann ElizaCooper died in 1867, and Charles married Virginia A. Eldridge in 1868.  Charles died in 1879, leaving an estate that included large tracts of land in other counties.  His daughter, Sarah, married Henry Lockett, and another daughter, Agnes, married B. F. Robertson.  His son, Alonzo, married Mary Virginia Hendley in 1865.  Between 1865 & 1872, Alonzo & Mary V. had 7 children and all died between 1866 & 1872.  Mary died soon after.  Alonzo married Julia L. Graves in 1873; she died in 1876.  He married Lena (last name unknown) in about 1877.  By August 7, 1883, the family  was living in Bosque County.  On that date, Alonzo and Lena sold the homestead to Robert Moore “reserving out of this survey one acre of land including the graves of P. E. Breedlove and C. H. Cooper, the center of the square acre to be between the graves of said P. E. Breedlove and C. H. Cooper and this square acre is to remain free from intrusion of all persons forever”.  Lena died in 1883.  Alonzo then married Harriet Wood (?) in about 1884.  He had at least 4 more children after his first wife died.  He died in 1902 in Bosque County. 

Major Sources:  1850 Lowndes County Mississippi Census; 1850-1880 Washington County Texas Census; 1900 Bosque County Texas Census; Washington County Marriage Records; Grimes County Marriage Records; Washington County Deed Records; Washington County Probate Records;  A History of Independence Baptist Church 1839-1969 and Related Organizations, by Samuel B. Hesler, published by The Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas; Cemetery Records of Washington County Texas 1826-1960, by Judy and Nath Winfield, Jr., 1998, 2^nd printing.

 

BREEDLOVE, Eddie, Age 2 yrs., (no dates).
BREEDLOVE, P. E., (no dates), sp: Hannah Moxley Crump.
(COOPER), Alonzo, Jr., b. (no date) d. May 11, 1872.Son of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper
(COOPER), Ann Eliza, d. September 11, 1867, Age 46 yrs, .Wife of Charles H. CooperMother of Alonzo Cooper
COOPER, Charles H., b. March 31, 1809, d. June 27, 1879, sp: (1) Ann Eliza), (2) V. A. Eldridge; father of Alonzo Cooper.
(COOPER), Charley H., Son of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper, b. November 16, 1865, d. August 12, 1866.
(COOPER), George R., Son of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper, b. January 16, 1867, d. November 8, 1867.
(COOPER), Johnnie, Son of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper, b. May 27, 1868, d. July 12, 1872.
(COOPER), Mary Ivah, Dau. of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper, b. February 25, 1872, d. December 13, 1872.
(COOPER), Wm. M., Son of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper, b. December 3, 1869, d. May 29, 1870.
COOPER, Inf. Son of Alonzo & Mary V. (Hendley) Cooper, b. March 29, 1871.
DAVIS, Hattie F., b. January 31, 1856, d. May 8, 1859, probably the daughter of George Bowen & Fannie (Breedlove) Davis.
(LOCKETT), Sarah Ann, W. of Henry E. Lockett & Dau. of C. H. & Ann Eliza Cooper, d. September 27, 1867, Age 27 yrs
MORGAN, A. P., b. March 10, 1833, d. January 8, 1873, son of Drury & Mary (Getzen) Morgan, sp: Angeline Hendley; Initials A. P. = Abiah Pace.

Last Update Saturday, 21-Sep-2024 14:16:35 MDT



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