 The Bufferin Cemetery, image and copyright, Kristen Boyd 2023 | By C. Paxton, Friends of Black Bayou Director at Large |
Timothy Cemetery site, image and copyright Kristen Boyd 2023. The Bufferin and St. Timothy cemeteries were both associated with tenant farming communities on the former plantations abutting the beautiful Bayou Desiard. A great many graves are thought to comprise the Bufferin Cemetery, grown up now with mature mixed bottomland woodland, pictured above, (image and copyright, Kristen Boyd 2023).
Erin Bellavia, Refuge Manager for the Black Bayou Lake, D'Arbonne, Handy Brake, & Upper Ouachita NWR's says “The eventual goal of this project is to be able to tell the story and honor those who lived on this land and translate that human experience to the larger conservation story of land use over time and human impacts on the ecosystem.”
Erin explains that as only a few graves of potentially hundreds are marked, a huge part of Kristen’s research has involved tracking down Mr. Mackie Freeze (age 96) who grew up on Parker Plantation and went on to be a legendary football coach.
Kristen spent many hours recording conversations with Mr.Freeze and has uncovered some incredible information that would otherwise have been lost to posterity. Amongst other things she has been able to add a few names to the list of those buried in unmarked graves.
Both in terms of family history and local Louisiana’s history this is like uncovering buried treasure.
Mr. Freeze unfortunately passed away in January 2024, Erin says “We are so thankful for the time that we had with him!”
In her Project Outline for The Friends of Black Bayou, Kristen tells us that her investigations uncovered “Mr. Mackie Freeze, Sr. 's profound familial connections to both sites. With Mr. Freeze's assistance, I was able to uncover the names of deceased family members and friends of the Freeze family buried at St. Timothy Cemetery, whose graves were unmarked, but their legacies remained. Since the project's extension in October, I have collected audio recordings of the Freeze family's oral histories, generously shared by Mr. Mackie Freeze, Sr. I had the privilege of fostering relationships with Mr. Freeze, his family members, members of the St. Timothy Baptist Church members (previously located on refuge grounds), and the community members who demonstrated interest in continuing this project. Additionally, I have unearthed original photographs from descendants who lived on the refuge during its plantation days, thanks to Mrs. Bertha Scott!” The image left shows the St. Timothy Cemetery site (is copyright Kristen Boyd 2023).
Erin Bellavia, Refuge Manager for the Black Bayou Lake, D'Arbonne, Handy Brake, & Upper Ouachita NWR's says “The eventual goal of this project is to be able to tell the story and honor those who lived on this land and translate that human experience to the larger conservation story of land use over time and human impacts on the ecosystem.”
Erin explains that as only a few graves of potentially hundreds are marked, a huge part of Kristen’s research has involved tracking down Mr. Mackie Freeze (age 96) who grew up on Parker Plantation and went on to be a legendary football coach.
Kristen spent many hours recording conversations with Mr.Freeze and has uncovered some incredible information that would otherwise have been lost to posterity. Amongst other things she has been able to add a few names to the list of those buried in unmarked graves.
Both in terms of family history and local Louisiana’s history this is like uncovering buried treasure.
Mr. Freeze unfortunately passed away in January 2024, Erin says “We are so thankful for the time that we had with him!”
In her Project Outline for The Friends of Black Bayou, Kristen tells us that her investigations uncovered “Mr. Mackie Freeze, Sr. 's profound familial connections to both sites. With Mr. Freeze's assistance, I was able to uncover the names of deceased family members and friends of the Freeze family buried at St. Timothy Cemetery, whose graves were unmarked, but their legacies remained. Since the project's extension in October, I have collected audio recordings of the Freeze family's oral histories, generously shared by Mr. Mackie Freeze, Sr. I had the privilege of fostering relationships with Mr. Freeze, his family members, members of the St. Timothy Baptist Church members (previously located on refuge grounds), and the community members who demonstrated interest in continuing this project. Additionally, I have unearthed original photographs from descendants who lived on the refuge during its plantation days, thanks to Mrs. Bertha Scott!” The image left shows the St. Timothy Cemetery site (is copyright Kristen Boyd 2023).
| FoBB's President, Dr. Joydeep Bhattacharjee said "We at FoBB are delighted to provide funding for this project. Initiatives like these greatly enhance FoBB's scope and impact as an organization. I firmly believe that such endeavors are vital, benefiting not only the refuge but also the broader community." The Friends of Black Bayou Lake Board of Directors are so pleased with her work research so far that they requested that Kristen submit a detailed proposal with project milestones and due dates for the next phase of her work to assist in their consideration for to extending their Board funding of this valuable project. The Board has recently voted to fund her a second time! |  Kristen's image of herself and Mackie Freeze (Copyright Kristen Boyd, 2023). |
What does the future hold? The proposal is in the pipeline. Kristen tells us “Another undertaking is an educational program that combines the history of the refuge's land with a focus on conservation efforts and how the environment and landscape have evolved over almost a century.”
Kristen says “I am also developing a Black History program to honor Mr. Freeze and his family's extensive history and connections to the land. This program serves not only as an educational initiative but also highlights an integral member of the surrounding community.”
Kristen tells us “Several initiatives are currently underway regarding this project. One of them is the production of the podcast, "Untold Stories: Black Bayou," which delves into the history of Black Bayou before it became a refuge and features firsthand accounts from Mackie Freeze Sr. as direct descendant. The recording and editing of the second episode is in the final stages, while the third episode pays tribute to Mr. Freeze's life following his recent passing. Kristen says, “Additionally, I am compiling and organizing numerous hours of recordings between Mr. Freeze and myself, along with other community members, including Bertha Scott, Ericka Kelley, and Hugh Tucker.”
Kristen is also “planning to organize a “’Descendant's Day’ celebration as a community event that pays tribute to the history of the refuge and the individuals buried on the property.”
She says “This event becomes especially important in light of Mr. Freeze's passing. Descendant family members would have the chance to connect with each other and share their stories, history, and cultural traditions with the community. Hosting this event would also help the refuge to enhance its engagement with the public, expand community outreach, and promote its efforts in historical preservation and conservation.”
Kristen says "This journey has been one of my greatest accomplishments in life. It was an absolute adventure of a summer tracking down Mr. Freeze and the rest of the information I found! It was an incredible journey and though I encountered several road blocks, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I had many people tell me that I wouldn’t find anything and that researching the people buried at cemeteries almost completely unmarked would be nearly impossible. I made it my mission to prove these people wrong as absolutely no one deserves to be forgotten or erased from history."
When asked about the challenges she answered "I will say that it was challenging digging through records both digital and physical as African-Americans were not given nearly as many resources as others half a century ago. Looking through Census records and newspapers from the 30s and 40s was also a major road-block in my research. Census records from those decades were not as reliable as there was typically a different person going door to door handwriting Peoples records and spelling their names however they thought they should be spelled!"
"Another challenge I faced was differentiating between the amount of land and sharecroppers that were actually specific to the plantation as John B. Parker and John P. Parker were both prominent plantation owners back in their day and happened to be in neighboring areas though they shared no relation."
The rewards, however, were well worth the troubles! Kristen says "This project has become so special to my heart and getting to know Mr. Freeze in his later days is something I will forever cherish. He was an extraordinary man and someone who impacted not only my life, but hundreds of others in many ways. Through this project I was also able to meet his wonderful family, members of the St. Timothy Baptist Church, like the delightful, Mrs. Bertha Scott, whose stories will be featured later in the podcast, and Mr. Hugh Tucker, whose familial connections to the refuge’s land also run deep."
Kristen is grateful for the support for the project, "Refuge Manager, Erin Bellavia, has been so supportive during my time with this project, and honestly, one of my biggest cheerleaders. Any time I found new information, she was just as excited as I was and pushed me to keep going on days I continuously hit roadblocks. I have made lifelong friendships through this project and am so thankful for Black Bayou."
When asked about her wildlife encounters Kristen said "I have seen alligators and snakes here and there, but nothing too crazy. I know to most, that actually might seem “too crazy,” but as an avid nature and wildlife lover, I just saw it as another day on the refuge. I fell in love with Brother (one of the refuge's captive Louisiana Pine Snakes) my first week at the refuge, although I can’t say the same for Grouchy, LOL! "
"Falling asleep and waking up to nature’s symphony was also one of the highlight’s of being at BBL. It is such a peaceful place and getting to know the land and so many other people that care about it was so touching."
Kristen says "Black Bayou will always have a piece of my heart."
"American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities for young adults and emerging professionals of all backgrounds to explore and improve public lands while gaining practical professional experience."
Since 1976, every US President has celebrated the achievements of African Americans and recognized their central role in U.S. history.
Learn More About Black History Month
Kristen says “I am also developing a Black History program to honor Mr. Freeze and his family's extensive history and connections to the land. This program serves not only as an educational initiative but also highlights an integral member of the surrounding community.”
Kristen tells us “Several initiatives are currently underway regarding this project. One of them is the production of the podcast, "Untold Stories: Black Bayou," which delves into the history of Black Bayou before it became a refuge and features firsthand accounts from Mackie Freeze Sr. as direct descendant. The recording and editing of the second episode is in the final stages, while the third episode pays tribute to Mr. Freeze's life following his recent passing. Kristen says, “Additionally, I am compiling and organizing numerous hours of recordings between Mr. Freeze and myself, along with other community members, including Bertha Scott, Ericka Kelley, and Hugh Tucker.”
Kristen is also “planning to organize a “’Descendant's Day’ celebration as a community event that pays tribute to the history of the refuge and the individuals buried on the property.”
She says “This event becomes especially important in light of Mr. Freeze's passing. Descendant family members would have the chance to connect with each other and share their stories, history, and cultural traditions with the community. Hosting this event would also help the refuge to enhance its engagement with the public, expand community outreach, and promote its efforts in historical preservation and conservation.”
Kristen says "This journey has been one of my greatest accomplishments in life. It was an absolute adventure of a summer tracking down Mr. Freeze and the rest of the information I found! It was an incredible journey and though I encountered several road blocks, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I had many people tell me that I wouldn’t find anything and that researching the people buried at cemeteries almost completely unmarked would be nearly impossible. I made it my mission to prove these people wrong as absolutely no one deserves to be forgotten or erased from history."
When asked about the challenges she answered "I will say that it was challenging digging through records both digital and physical as African-Americans were not given nearly as many resources as others half a century ago. Looking through Census records and newspapers from the 30s and 40s was also a major road-block in my research. Census records from those decades were not as reliable as there was typically a different person going door to door handwriting Peoples records and spelling their names however they thought they should be spelled!"
"Another challenge I faced was differentiating between the amount of land and sharecroppers that were actually specific to the plantation as John B. Parker and John P. Parker were both prominent plantation owners back in their day and happened to be in neighboring areas though they shared no relation."
The rewards, however, were well worth the troubles! Kristen says "This project has become so special to my heart and getting to know Mr. Freeze in his later days is something I will forever cherish. He was an extraordinary man and someone who impacted not only my life, but hundreds of others in many ways. Through this project I was also able to meet his wonderful family, members of the St. Timothy Baptist Church, like the delightful, Mrs. Bertha Scott, whose stories will be featured later in the podcast, and Mr. Hugh Tucker, whose familial connections to the refuge’s land also run deep."
Kristen is grateful for the support for the project, "Refuge Manager, Erin Bellavia, has been so supportive during my time with this project, and honestly, one of my biggest cheerleaders. Any time I found new information, she was just as excited as I was and pushed me to keep going on days I continuously hit roadblocks. I have made lifelong friendships through this project and am so thankful for Black Bayou."
When asked about her wildlife encounters Kristen said "I have seen alligators and snakes here and there, but nothing too crazy. I know to most, that actually might seem “too crazy,” but as an avid nature and wildlife lover, I just saw it as another day on the refuge. I fell in love with Brother (one of the refuge's captive Louisiana Pine Snakes) my first week at the refuge, although I can’t say the same for Grouchy, LOL! "
"Falling asleep and waking up to nature’s symphony was also one of the highlight’s of being at BBL. It is such a peaceful place and getting to know the land and so many other people that care about it was so touching."
Kristen says "Black Bayou will always have a piece of my heart."
"American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities for young adults and emerging professionals of all backgrounds to explore and improve public lands while gaining practical professional experience."
Since 1976, every US President has celebrated the achievements of African Americans and recognized their central role in U.S. history.
Learn More About Black History Month
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