CEMETERY
EAST
OCEAN SPRINGS
JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
East Ocean Springs
LOCATION: This family burial ground is located in the SE/4 of the NW/4 of Section 28, T7S-R8W on the west side of Pine Hills Drive in eastern Ocean Springs.
DIRECTIONS: From the intersection
of Washington Avenue and Bienville Boulevard (US 90) go south on Washington
Avenue .17 miles to Government Street. At Government turn left (east)
and go 2.2 miles to Pine Hills Drive. Turn right (south) into Pine
Hills and proceed .2 miles to Shady Oaks Lane, a private drive. At
Shady Oaks go right (west)
to the end of the drive. The Babendrier grave site is to the
south.
HISTORY: The Babendrier Cemetery is
named for Dr. Charles Albert Irving Babendrier (1867-1938) called Albert,
and his wife, Dr. Estelle Turner (1871-1958).
Albert Babendrier was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November
13, 1867 of German parentage while Estelle was a native of Mobile, Alabama.
She was born July 28, 1871. Her father was a native of North Carolina,
and her mother was a French speaking Swiss national.
Estelle Babendrier attended Plute Medical College probably located
at Kentucky. She grad-
uated in March 1896, after completing four courses in allopathic medicine.
Her experience as a physician was with Dr. J.E. Million of Kentucky where
she practiced for thir-
teen years.
The Babendriers may have arrived at Ocean Springs in late 1906.
They probably came here from Kentucky where their two children, Eleanor
Sophia (1901-1984+) and Eric
Turner (1903-1975) were born. It is generally believed that they
came here retired from their respective medical practices. Estelle
did develop her medicinal skills later
at Ocean Springs after being granted a license to practice
medicine in Jackson County on July 18, 1922.
On January 3, 1907, Albert Babendrier purchased
thirty acres of land in the SE/4 of the NW/4 of Section 28, T7S-R8W from
Mayor F.M. Weed (1852-1917) and merchant, Elias S.
Davis (1859-1925), for $840. This tract was described as:
thirty acres of land south of and adjoining
the land now owned by A.B. Ackander in subdivision of the SE/4 of the NW/4
in Section 28, T7S-R8W. Commencing at the SE/C of the said Ackander's
land, thence south along the subdivision section line 990 feet, thence
west along said section line 1320 feet to the corner, thence north along
said subdivision line 990 feet, thence east along the south line of the
said Ackander's land 1320 feet to the place of beginning. Meaning
to convey all of the land in the SE/4 of the NW/4 of said Section 28, T7S-R8W
except 10 acres previously sold to and now owned and occupied by the above
mentioned Ackander*.
* A.B. Ackander (1858-1926) immigrated to the United States from
Sweden in 1891, settling at Chicago. His wife, Annie Nilsson (1874),
was also Swedish. They bought 18.5
acres north of the Babendriers from Weed & Davis in March 1903
(Jackson County Deed Book 26, pp. 187-188). Here they grew citrus
and pecan crops on their estate called
"Ockess". Ackander's sister-in-law, Agnes Nillson, bought 25
acres to the west from Weed & Davis in 1904.
After building a unique, 3000 square-foot,
concrete home in the northeast corner of his estate and planting pecan
and citrus trees, Albert Babendrier came out of re-
tirement at the age of fifty three. He entered the machine and
foundry business at Biloxi in 1920. Babendrier was President of the
Biloxi Machine Works & Foundry Company. They were located on
the northeast corner of Railroad Street and Magnolia. The company
manufactured the Gulf Standard Gasoline Marine engine, gray iron, and
made brass and aluminum castings. Louis Braun served as Vice
President and J.R. McElroy was the treasurer of the organization.
When Dr. Albert Babendrier died on June 19,
1938, he was buried in a mausoleum like structure located southwest of
his home. This feature may have been used originally as
a cyclone cellar. Paul bearers at Dr. Babendrier's funeral were:
W.G. Wilkes, E.C. Tonsmeire, Willie Dale, W.A. Vierling, F.B. Royster,
and Dr. Lindstrom.
Dr. Estelle Turner Babendrier lived until
March 12, 1958. She was a member of the Gulf Coast Medical Society
and American Medical Association.. She specialized in skin
disorders and allergies. Her treatment of patients at Ocean Springs
is legendary as it is generally believed she prepared her own formulae
from herbs and plants grown in
her garden. Octogenarian, George E. Arndt, remembers Dr. Babendrier
giving him some "little pink pills" for a respiratory ailment. He
believes some of her medicine was manufactured by a pharmaceutical house
at St. Louis.
Many other people at Ocean Springs can relate
to having been treated for poison ivy and sumac by Dr. Babendrier.
Her treatments for these irritating skin ailments were oral liquids, salves,
and lotions. It appears the good lady doctor took her apothecarial
secrets to the grave.
photo caption: The Babendrier Cemetery-Located in eastern Ocean
Springs, this small family tomb was built by Fred Bradford for the Drs.
Albert Babendrier and Estelle Baben-
drier during the Depression years. Dr. Estelle Babendrier was
acclaimed for her treatment of skin ailments.The children of the Babendreers
both left Ocean Springs for other areas. Daughter, Eleanor, taught
Sunday School at St. Johns Episcopal Church. It is believed she
got a law degree, and later married Walter D. Moore, an accountant,
from Florence, Alabama.
Eric Turner Babendreer became an attorney and
may have practiced law at Ocean Springs until the late 1920s. He
and his mother may have had offices in the Farmers and Merchants Bank Building
on Washington Avenue. Eric moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he died
on December 1, 1975.
Estelle Turner Babendrier left the thirty
acre estate to her children as described in Cause No. 14280 in the Chancery
Court of Jackson County, Mississippi (Jackson County Will Book 6, pp. 202-204,
February 2, 1957). Evidently there was some disagreement or confusion
as to asset distribution as Eleanor B. Moore had to bring litigation against
her brother, Eric T. Babendreer (Cause No. 15,512). The Chancery
Court judge ruled in September 1960 that Eric Babendreer would receive
the west half of the estate, and Eleanor B. Moore the east half (Jackson
County Deed Book 201, p. 574).
Eleanor B. Moore began selling off her fifteen
acres in November 1960, when she sold 1.57 acres to Ed Barq, Jr (Jackson
County Deed Book 203, p. 403). The Babendrier
House was sold to John W. Adams on August 8, 1966 (Jackson County Deed
book 296, p. 212). Other purchasers of Eleanor B. Moore's land were:
J.H. McFarland (1963), A.C. Cuicchi (1972), C.B. Ishee (1972), and Thomas
B. Roberts (1984).
Eric Turner sold his fourteen acres to Nelson
and Charles Freeburg in April 1964 (Jackson County Deed Book 255, p. 371).
Nelson conveyed the tract to the Ocean
Springs Municipal Separate School District in September 1966 (Jackson
County Deed Book 298, p. 348). The Pecan Park Elementary School on
Hanley Road was built on this
acreage in 1967.
When Eleanor B. Moore sold the house to John
W. Adams and Myrtle D. Adams (1966) the following reservation was made
concerning the grave site of her parents:
Reserving and retaining however, for and on
behalf of myself and my brother, Eric Barbendreer, the right of ingress
and egress to and from the grave site of our father
and mother, it being distinctly understood that the grantees shall
keep and maintain said grave site so long as they are in possession of
the above described land.(Jackson County Deed Book 296, p. 212)
In June 1984, Eleanor B. Moore, a resident
of Lauder-dale County, Alabama released Thomas B. Roberts and Hollis M.
Roberts who had acquired the Babendrier grave site from
the obligation to maintain her parents graves. This instrument
was recorded in Jackson County Deed Book 800, p. 76, and appears as follows:
Now therefore in consideration of the Roberts accept-ing the hereinafter set forth condition, which they do by acceptance of this instrument, the said Eleanor B. Moore does hereby annul, alter and change the obligation above described so that the said Roberts and their successors in title to the parcel on which her Mother and Fathers graves are situated and designated on Exhibit A as Grave Site Lot shall only be under the duty and obligation of removing debris, caused if and when the crypt over said graves shall deteriorate to such extent as to cave in, crumble or collapse, then filling the graves to make them even with the surface of the surrounding ground and setting up the present markers, but the said Roberts and their successors in title shall be under no other or further obligation or duty with reference to said grave sites.
The Babendrier tomb is located on a grave site
lot approximately 123 feet by 40 feet. It rests on the extreme north
end of the lot near the road. According to Bette Bradford Milsted,
the Babendrier tomb was built during the depression years by her father,
Fred Bradford (1878-1951).
Mr. Bradford was a master mason and builder at Ocean Springs.
His skills were incorporated in such structures as John B. Honor's "Many
Oaks" (1918), the First Baptist
Church (1909), and Dr. J.J. Bland's New Beach Hotel (1909).
The Babendrier's tomb is enclosed by a 16
foot by 20 foot cement coping which is 4 inches tall and 6 inches wide.
The cement semi-mausoleum which is 9 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 3.75 feet
tall was originally constructed to house six bodies. The glass covered,
vacuum sealed caskets of the two doctors are resting in this underground
vault. Entrance to the subterranean portion of the tomb is
sheltered by an approximately 5 foot by 6 foot cement slab which has recently
been cemented shut. Two small marble tombstones (2 feet x 1.25 feet)
which mark the graves of the Babendriers are located north and south of
the tomb.
In addition to the Babendriers another grave
is located on the site. On February 25, 1955, Harriett Clough Hale
(1887-1955), a native of Maine was buried just outside of the cement coping
four feet to the north. Her grave is marked by a small metal marker.
Mrs. Hale came to Ocean Springs circa 1941. She lived on the property
and served as Estelle Babendrier's nurse when she became feeble in her
later years. Mrs. Hale also operated a branch of the Biloxi Laundry
on Washington Avenue in the early 1950s.
In addition several families in the neighborhood have
interred their household pets in the cemetery. The graves of these
animals are distinguished with wooden markers.
CEMETERY REGISTER
Albert Babendreer, M.D. Estelle
T. Babendreer, M.D.
November 13, 1867
July 28, 1971
June 19, 1938
March 12, 1958
Harriett Clough Hale
1887 to February 24, 1955
BABENDREER HOME-Located at 607 Pine Hills Road, the Baben-
dreer home was constructed of yellow pine and concrete. It
has eight-inch-thick concrete interior walls and eleven-
foot ceilings which rest over two basements. There are
two-hundred window panes and sixty-four doors. The John W.
Adams family restored the Babendreer home in 1964.
credit: Ray L. Bellande Architectural Archives
REFERENCES:
The History of Jackson County, Mississippi, "Citrus Grow-
ers", (Jackson County Genealogical Society: Pascagoula -
1982), p. 55.
Jackson County Cemetery Records, Requiem, Volume No. 3,
"Babendreer Burial Plot", (Jackson County Genealogical
Society: Pascagoula - 1972?), p. 112.
Physician's License Book No. 2, Jackson County Circuit
Court, Jackson County, Mississippi, p. 197.
Polks Biloxi City Directory (1922-1923), p. 87 and p. 92.
The Daily Herald, "Dr. Babendreer Dies at Ocean Springs",
June 20, 1938, p. 1, c. 4.
-----------------, "Dr. Babendreer Buried", June 21, 1938,
p. 3.
-----------------, "Mrs. H.C. Hale Obit", February 25,
1955, p. 2, c. 1.
-----------------, "Dr. Estelle Babendrier Obit", March 12,
1958, p. 2, c. 1.
Mississippi Press Register, "Babendreer", (1979-1984), p. 1.
Personal Communication:
Bette Milsted
Donald Scharr
Robert Friar
E.W. Halstead
Margaret Vallor
John Vallor
Greg Denyer
Orwin Scharr
Ruth Scharr
Mrs. Henry Weyerstall
George E. Arndt
Ray L. Bellande
PO Box 617
Ocean Springs
Mississippi 39564
January 12, 1993
Return to the Ocean Springs and West Jackson County Cemetery Web Page
Return to Ocean Springs Genealogical Society, Inc. Directory Page
of the public for Genealogy Research and may not be copied for commercial
purposes.
Visit
Jackson County, Ms Web page
Webspace Provided by RootsWeb
If you have comments or suggestions, email Ray Bellande
rbellande@cableone.net
This page created with Netscape Navigator Gold
on 6 Jan 2000