Inscriptions in Triumph

Tombstone Inscriptions from the African American Cemeteries of Mount Calvary, Mount Olive, Fisher's Hill and Potter's Field

by Mae Breckenridge-Haywood & Dinah Walters


Formats

Softcover
£12.50
Softcover
£12.50

Book Details

Language : English
Publication Date : 01/05/2001

Format : Softcover
Dimensions : 8.25x11
Page Count : 192
ISBN : 9780759605886

About the Book

Two researchers, Mae Breckenridge-Haywood, the librarian of I. C. Norcom High School, and Dinah Walters, a graduate of I. C. Norcom and a family history researcher, have teamed up to put together the first and quite possibly the one and only listing of the people who are buried in the cemeteries of Mount Calvary, Mount Olive, Fisher’s Hill and Potter’s Field. This quiet but tranquil cemetery is located just off the Des Moines Exit at the intersection of Deep Creek and Pulaski Streets in the city of Portsmouth, Virginia. The title proper for their cemetery book is: Inscriptions in Triumph: Tombstone Inscriptions from the African American Cemeteries of Mount Calvary, Mount Olive, Fisher’s Hill and Potter’s Field. Actually, there may be as many as four cemeteries in this area, which city records estimate could hold as many as 13,000 gravesites. Some early signage identified the Mount Calvary Cemetery with the date of 1944. Also during the fifties, there was a black arch shaped sign near the back of the cemeteries, which identified another portion of the cemetery as "Mount Olive Cemetery." That sign has been long removed. There are over twenty pictures in the book which reads like a "Who’s Who" list of the African Americans of the city who are buried in the cemetery.

The book is divided into five major sections. The key sections are: the listing, tombstone inscriptions, and the section of photographs.

Bertha Winborne-Edwards, retired librarian from the Portsmouth City Public Library said, "This book contains listings that will make interesting and informational reading for those interested in the history of Blacks in Portsmouth. It also serves as an authoritative reference tool for future generations. It consists of family names and events especially useful for locating relatives and dates. The book is truly a "labor of love" for the authors who have made the "Table of Contents" easy to use."


About the Author

Mae Breckenridge-Haywood was born in Portsmouth, VA and graduated from I. C. Norcom High School and Virginia State College. She has been a librarian for some thirty years plus. She attended UNC-Chapel Hill also. One of her most inspiring experiences was as Information Specialist for the Virginia Beach Public Library System during the years of 1990-1996. Currently, Mae is the head librarian at I. C. Norcom High School, her alma mater. She is married to Freddie Haywood, HTC, RET. She has been working on the research topic: "Portsmouth: the other side" for several years. She is a member of the Portsmouth Genealogy Society, AAHGS-Hampton Roads Chapter, and the African American Historical Society of Portsmouth. She is secretary of that group. She has a son, Leonard E. Breckenridge, III and a daughter, Lolita E. Breckenridge.

Dinah Walters was born on Tachikawa AFB, Tokyo, Japan. She grew up overseas and in several areas of the states due to her father’s military moves.

Her father, a Portsmouth, VA. native, came home after his retirement from the military and Dinah has been here since that time. Dinah graduated from IC Norcom High School, George Mason University, and GoldenState University.

After serving four years in the United States Air Force, she started to work on her family tree. Currently, she works as a computer specialist for the federal government and has been working on her family tree for a several years. She is a member of AAHGS Hampton Roads Chapter.