Date of Death: January 15, 1910
Interment source:
Bay View Cemetery Association, Corpus Christi, Texas. Record of Interments
NO HEADSTONE
Biography
John Holt is listed in cemetery records as deceased January 15, 1910. Unfortunately no local newspaper records exist to carry his obituary. What is known is that a “John F. Holt†married Christina Whetstone on February 16, 1884 (Nueces County Marriage Records Vol. E page 260) before Rev. (Solomon) Coles of the First Congregational Church. Christina had been living with the Norwick Gussett family as a servant prior to this and listed herself in the 1880 federal census of Nueces County as a widow. There is no listing for a John Holt in the 1880 census of Nueces County. However, there are two other John Holts listed in Texas, and one of them may have been the one who migrated to Corpus Christi and married Christina. There is also a Henry Holt listed in Corpus Christi in the 1900 and 1910 census records, and this may be a relative of John (see 1900 census record E.D. #133 sheet 5 and 1910 census record E.D. #102 page 16B). All are members of the African-American community that was active in the First Congregational Church which was formed shortly after the end of the Civil War to meet the spiritual needs of freedmen. In the 1900 census when both Christina and John would have been listed for the last time prior to their deaths, they are not listed together. Christina is clearly listed alone in her home near the residences of Fr. Jaillet (the local Catholic priest) and the Thomas Beynon family. She is a washerwoman who says she was born in July of 1855 and has been married 15 years. Possibly John was away from home because of the job market. There is a John Holt listed as living in San Antonio in the 1900 census record (Bexar County, E.D. #92, page 1B). He is a servant for the Oliver Woodhull family and lists himself as born in January of 1855 (in Tennessee) and married for 13 years. However, there is no spouse listed with him just as Christina has no spouse listed with her in that same census while she claims to be married for 15 years. John’s testimony may also indicate that the two are still legally married, but that they separated two years previously so he has simply listed the number of years that they were together in the marriage prior to this separation. Nevertheless, the couple are buried together in Old Bayview Cemetery where both could finally lay down the burdens of their labor.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell (April 2006)