George Graves
Virginia
Pvt. 24 Inf.
March 24, 1914
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
The date of death given for George Graves in records is March 24, 1914. Unfortunately the Corpus Christi Caller editions for that year are missing so no obit has been found as of this writing. Other records indicate that this is probably the “George Graves†who was living on Tiger Street in the 1880 federal census of Nueces County (page 15B). George is an African-American who reports in the 1900 census records of Nueces County (page 125B) that he was born in August of 1846 in Virginia where his parents also were natives (notice his tomb gives his state as Virginia). George married Harriet Mason in Nueces County in March of 1878 (see Nueces County Marriage Records, volume E, page 68), and by 1900 the couple had eight children as well as their niece (Julia Mason) living with them on Broadway Street near its intersection with Oso Street. George lists his occupation as that of a RR laborer (railroad worker) in 1880 and simply as a day laborer in 1900 (and says that he has not been out of work for any months previously). In the 1907-08 city directory of Corpus Christi, the family is listed as living on “ws Broadway, bt Capra, Topo†(i.e. on west Broadway between Capra and Topo). As late as 1913-14 (the year of his death) George is listed as still a laborer, with residence at 1311 W. Broadway. As far as is known, George and Harriet had eight children: Florence (b. Nov. 1873), Ruth (b. May 1876), Lillie (b. Dec. 1880), Sadie (b. Sept. 1882), Myrtle (b. April 1886), Nelson (b. May 1888), Yettie (b. May 1891), and Norwick (b. July 1898). In the 1900 census record, Harriet (Mason-Graves) and George had their niece living next door. Julia Mason is still unmarried at that time and lists herself as a laundress who was born in Texas in January of 1874. It is very possible that George’s wife Harriet is also buried with him in Old Bayview Cemetery, even though she is not listed in records. On the other hand, she may have moved away in later years and died near one of the children in another city to be buried there. Death records, for instance, indicate that the youngest son, Norwick Graves was born July 7, 1899 and died in San Antonio, Texas on April 15, 1968.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell