JOHN LOVING
OLD INDIAN CEMETERY

John Loving was 23 years of age when he enrolled in "G" Company 1st Choctaw-Chickasaw Mounted Rifles June 22, 1861, from Sugar Loaf County of the Choctaw Nation. It is my opinion that the "old Indian Cemetery" was on John Loving's farm; the line being un-surveyed and perhaps 4 of his 8 children had been buried there in unmarked graves. Gertrude Kinslow's death 10 November 1900 was probably the 5th of their eight children.

The Union Agency at Muskogee issued order #13564, Feb. 8, 1868 for a Census of the Choctaw Nation. John Loving was not found. This Lafayette Township had been part of Sebastian County in the 1860 Population Census, before being annexed back to Scott County in 1861. Indians were not Citizens and could not be counted. The Choctaws were in doubt about this being in the Choctaw nation.

On 27 April 1874 Agency order #13573 was for another Census and John Loving is shown as being over 40 years of age, two daughters under 18 years and one daughter over 18 years of age, his wife Amanda is shown as "white". He had 50 acres under cultivation and produced 300 bushels of corn, he had 4 horses, 20 cattle, 60 hogs.

The location of the State Line had been a problem for years and Congress ordered another survey and stipulated that the line surveyed in 1825 be used and a 7 foot steel octagonal post/stake/marker be placed each mile of the 124 miles to the Red River. Each post would be numbered to show the miles from the starting point at the Commissary Building at Ft. Smith. The North side of the post shows miles "35M" and south side had "1877"; the East side had "Ark"; and the west side "Choc". Congress paid the Choctaw Nation 6 cents an acre for the 137,500 acres to the Red River. Mile post 35M placed on the new surveyed line is one quarter mile west of the "old Indian Cemetery" and mile post 36M was one mile south on Doyle and Norma Jean Tomlin Winters ranch on their east fence. John Loving and his farm and the old Indian Cemetery are in Arkansas. He probably thought he was in the Choctaw Nation. The Old Fort Museum at 4th and Rogers Avenue in Ft. Smith has one of these old "Markers".

This same new survey line went thru my John Barnes farm just 10 or 11 miles to the north, near West Harmony Cemetery and a mile south of Old Hartford. He kept the part his crops were on in the Choctaw Nation; because his wife Mary Wells Tucker was part Choctaw. He first appeared on the Tax list in 1846 when this area was Crawford County. Edward Wells Barnes was 1 year of age. Edward Wells Barnes died here in the Loving Community January 6, 1929; this Great Grandson was not yet 9 years of age. We called him Big Grandpa because he was a larger man than his son, and my Grandfather Albert Waymon Barnes.

This new Survey of 1877 left John Loving on the Arkansas side of this new surveyed Indian Territory-Scott County, Arkansas State Line. His intent was to be in the Choctaw Nation.

He probably moved one mile west down the Poteau River so he would be in the Choctaw Nation.

The Davenport homeplace was on the Loving -Weeks road on the Arkansas side of the State Line and a quarter mile south of the Davenport Cemetery/Old Indian Cemetery. In visiting with Glen Dowden years ago he had no knowledge of this Cemetery, Homer Manley owns this Ranch. Homer and this writer and Glen Dowden played football together at Heavener High School in 1935 and 1936.

Myron Davenport and his wife took Lynne Roop Pitchford and sister Sharon Roop Wiles to this old Cemetery some 10 or 12 years ago.

Delaine Edwards shows an old sign that identified this Cemetery as "The old Indian Cemetery".

This new Survey of 1877 established the new Arkansas State line with the Choctaw Nation. He thought he was living in the Choctaw Nation but is in Arkansas. He moved about a mile west along the Poteau River. Elsie Williams Cooper, Dawes Roll number #6500 stated that she was born at this place Sept 2, 1895 and had lived all of her 95 years within one mile of where she was born. John Loving died February 14, 1883. His grave stone reads John--Husband of Amanda Loving---Born Dec 1837; Died February 14, 1883. The Masonic emblem was at the top of the stone.

His wife Amanda King Loving is 43 years of age and shown as Head of the Family in the 1885 Census. An Intermarried "white" with Gertrude 12, Ada 10 and Daisy 3; 100 acres under cultivation and produced 800 bu corn, 400 bu oats, there were 2 horses, 20 cattle, 30 hogs.

Ervin Justice lives nearby in the 1885 census, had married Jane Loving; he had 60 acres under cultivation with 3 horses, 12 cattle, 40 hogs, 2 bales of cotton and 600 bushels of corn. The grave of Ervin Justice is near the grave of John Loving in the old Indian Cemetery and reads: E. C Justice Born May 1, 1853. Killed M___ 5, 18__? (Broken not legible). The Masonic emblem is at the top of his gravemarker.

Elsie Williams Cooper said he was killed a year or two before she was born 2 Sept 1895.

Numerous trips were made to visit Elsie Cooper in the 1990's. She was 95 years old and still on her feet and active. She attended the Loving Community Reunion in July 1990, as did her younger sister Wanda.She mentioned several families and the Stinsons family name always came up and the Sliger name too.

Grandaughter Elsie Williams Cooper stated that ..........she remembered her Grandmother Amanda Loving tell of the Survey Crew camping at their place and using their barn and barn lot when they surveyed the line in 1877, as they worked the local area."

In the 1900 Census Amanda stated that she had born 8 children, and four were living. The 1900 Census was the first Census that Indians were counted with white people. Our search was of Indian Territory; the eastern half of Oklahoma and not to be confused with the western half, called Oklahoma Territory and the Plains Indians.

Gertrude Loving Kinslow with her infant daughter died Nov 20, 1900 and is buried here near John Loving. Gertrude probably was the 5th of his family to be buried here with him.

Jane Loving Justice then married Ruben Norman and they lived another mile to the west. The Choctaw's established a school called the "Norman Neighborhood School" September 1, 1904 Term Report; with Monroe Tomlin as the teacher, a news item in the Heavener Ledger newspaper stated that there were 84 students enrolled with average attendance of 56.

Jane Loving Norman gave land across the road for a new Cemetery that is known as the Loving Cemetery. Jane Loving Norman Died 26 February 1907, and is buried at this location.

Ada Loving born 23 December 1878 married Columbus Williams at Gipson, Ark 29 Oct 1894. Her sister John Daisy (called Daisy) married James W (Will) Jackson; they gave property between Lovings Creek and Little Lovings Creek and this was the location of the Loving Church and School house built by the Choctaw Nation for the John Loving family in Sec 32, Twp. 5 N; R 27 E. in 1909. The new Loving Baptist Church was built back on the exact location of the old original Church and School House.

A Post Office was approved. Oklahoma already had a Norman so it was named "Loving" for the Loving family, established Dec 2, 1908 with Isaac Ward as Postmaster. Frank Ward stated that Isaac Ward was his father and he is buried in an unmarked grave in the Davenport Cemetery also called the "Old Indian Cemetery".

Amanda King, was born to Jonas and Jenni King Sept 3. 1840; as head of the family in the 1900 Census she stated that she had born 8 children with John Loving. My Grandmother Dora Autrey Barnes helped care for Grandma Loving; and cared for her at her death. Amanda King Loving died Nov 6, 1911; and was buried in the new Loving Cemetery along with daughters Jane, Ada, and Daisy. This new Loving Cemetery is two miles west of the Davenport or "Old Indian Cemetery".

Elsie Williams Cooper stated that she was expecting her baby when the Choctaws were building her house so she went to my Grandmother Dora Barnes home for the birth of Imogene Cooper Jan 18, 1918. Imogene Married James Ralph Roop and their 3 sons descend 5 generations from John Loving and Amanda.

So in my opinion......John Loving and five of his family were buried in the Davenport or "Old Indian Cemetery", which is in Arkansas by a quarter mile; and his wife Amanda with 3 of their daughters Jane, Daisy and Ada are buried two miles west in the Loving Cemetery in Loving, Oklahoma.

B. O. Roop, January 7, 2012

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