My paternal grandmother, Jane Garnett (1922-2000) was from Bellville Austin County, Texas. For years my family would travel to Bellville, Texas for family gatherings and our first stop was usually the cemetery where several relatives were buried. When I first started to research my paternal side, I only knew the name of my great-grandmother, Louise Garnett whom my grandmother frequently spoke of. As I started to locate more information about my family, my mother reminded me about my grandmother’s 1st cousin, Idell. Though she is a cousin most family members affectionately refer to her as “Aunt Dell” because she was raised as a sister to my grandmother and her sisters. My parents planned to visit her on a Saturday in Aug. 2006, but I worked on weekends at the time and was unable to take off. So my mother took my information with her and shared it with Aunt Dell to see what information she knew about our family.

When I returned home from work my parents shared with me the information Idell had given them. She mentioned her parents and the names of relatives that she had known or heard about. One of those relatives was her great-grandmother, Mary Travick who died some years before she was born. Idells mother, Rosie Smith spoke of eavesdropping on Mary’s conversations with others about life during slavery.  When Rosie became an adult she wrote the information in a family bible. In 2000, only a few months after the death of my grandmother Jane, Aunt Dell moved to another apartment. In the process of moving a younger boy who was helping her move apparently threw away the family bible thinking it was trash. Because of this, I have been unable to determine the name of the slaveowners which was written in the family bible.

During the week I decided travel to Bellville (About an hour away from Houston) and visit Pilgrim Rest Colored Cemetery. Thanks to a book called “Cemeteries of Austin County, Texas” I read that Mary Travick was buried there near her granddaughter Louise Garnett. I surveyed the cemetery trying to locate her headstone, but was unable to find it. I figured that her headstone had been covered over time.

About two and a half months ago, on our way to a family gathering in Bellville, my parents and I made our usual stop at the cemetery. While my dad was putting flowers on my grandmothers grave I glanced at the tall stone in the bushes. The area behind where my grandmother and great-grandmother are buried was generally overgrown. I’ve noticed that headstone in the bushes before, but it was barely visible. Someone (usually my dad or descendants of the other people buried there clean and maintain the cemetery) cleared just enough of the area for me to see the headstone. The Sun was shining directly on the stone in order for me to make out the name “Mary Travick” and I told my parents to “Look over here and check this out, its Mary Travicks heastone!” My dad brought a tree trimmer and cut the branches so we could see a little better. I had forgotton my camera at home and my mom let me use her camera phone to take a picture. In order for me to take a good picture of the headstone my dad held some of the bushes back.

Headstone Inscription "Died December 1, 1918; Gone but Not Forgotton"

I was bitten by bugs trying to snap the photo, but it was worth it to actually see living proof of her existence in person. I would really like to see an actual photo of Mary, but my fathers cousin has not gone through her mothers photos for me and it has been three years. This is probably the only photo I’ll have in connection to Mary Travick.