Interment source:
Bay View Cemetery Map, ca 1940
NO HEADSTONE
Speculation
The Headen family men came to Corpus Christi about 1855 from New Orleans and were early merchants of the city. William, Matthew, and Gregory were all active in the early years. William was born in Queens County, Ireland and had come to New York about 1845 before moving the next year to New Orleans. William Headen (the elder) also had a nephew named William Headen who is mentioned in early records. He was in the U. S. consular service in Mexico from 1899 until his death. This younger William Headen was executor for the estate of his aunt, Margaret Headen (widow of William the elder). There are clear indications that William (the elder) Headen was buried in Old Bayview when he died in March of 1886. His widow is confirmed as buried in Old Bayview. She died in 1900. It is also known that Mrs. Matt Headen was among the victims of the 1867 yellow fever epidemic and supposedly she too is buried in Old Bayview Cemetery. However, her name is usually given as Elizabeth in early census and deed records of our area. It may be that her middle name was “Maria†or that one of the other Headen family members (possibly even a child) had this name. The other very real possibility is that this person is in fact Anna Maria Headen. The name “Maria Headen†appears only on a map of the old cemetery. Unfortunately this can mean simply that this person had a reserved spot in the cemetery to try and insure that she would be buried near relatives. This “Maria Headen†was subsequently Mrs. William H. Maltby, the second wife of the widower. Two of her daughters are known to be buried in the cemetery—Lucy and Imogene. However, another spot marked on the map as for the “Maltby daughters†may either refer to their burial site or indicate further spaces reserved for their sisters Anna Margaret and Mary Swift Maltby. It is known, however, that these last two moved in later years to Los Angeles, California and are probably buried there. Since there is no marker for Anna Maria Headen-Maltby next to her husband, she too may have moved to California and lived out her final days there with her daughter and stepdaughter. It may be that the name of “Maria Headen†on the cemetery map refers in fact to a space reserved for Anna “Maria Headenâ€-Maltby. If this is so, it must be acknowledged that at this time (July 2007) it is not known whether she is in fact buried there or not.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell