We began our journey searching for the Ira Malcolm Camp family cemetery/mausoleum located in Navasota. It is also the burial site of Miriam Beck Forrest Luxton (1801-Nov 15, 1867), the mother of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Using binoculars, we found it far inside private land. Private property is our greatest problem and risks when we search a town for sites to include in the magazine. Luckily, we were able to obtain the owner’s permission prior to entering. We open the gate and put the chain back to secure it after we entered and began the walk toward the mausoleum. Halfway there, we notice that a large numbe of cows in the pasture were beginning to stand and watch us. We don’t have any experience with cows. Suddenly, the cows begin a slow run toward us or the mausoleum – I don’t know which. After a very short discussion, we turned around and headed back to the car parked outside the gate. The cows returned to their previous unknown activity and they are no longer coming my way. There seems to be a faint vehicle trail heading to the mausoleum, so we decide that we should drive to it in the protection of the car. Open gate, drive in, close and secure the gate behind us and begin the drive at a slow rate in this pasture. The cows begin to run towards the mausoleum! We arrive at about the same time as the cows, but the cows stopped about 30 yards away and line up to look at us. We finally decide that they think we are the farmer/rancher bringing food. Parking very close to the mausoleum, we got out and quickly entered the fenced in area around the mausoleum. The pictures of the Ira Camp Mausoleum, not the cows, are included in this issue of the magazine. Navasota Texas has that small town atmosphere with an energy you feel as soon as you arrive. There are cultural events, shopping, golfing, family events, history and historical sites. We had an enjoyable time traveling and documenting the various places in Navasota. The people are friendly. The honoring of Mance Lipscomb tells you a lot about the town. Navasota was only known to me for two things. I went to a church function there in the 1960s and I knew that Mance Lipscomb was from Navasota. Mance Lipscomb was born Beau De Glen (or Bodyglin or Bowdie Glenn) Lipscomb near Navasota on April 9, 1895. His father was an ex-slave from Alabama and the name Lipscomb was the name of a Texas family he was sold to. Mance’s mother was a half Native American (Choctaw). He took the name of ‘Mance’ from a friend of his oldest brother Charlie (“Mance” being short for Emancipation). His father taught him the basics of fiddling and was self-taught on guitar. He had a distinctive finger-picking style. Lipscomb spent most of his life working as a tenant farmer in Texas and was “discovered” and recorded by Mack McCormick and Chris Strachwitz in 1960. He performed on the world stage and was world famous but Navasota remained his home. He died in Navasota on January 30, 1976 of heart disease, two years after suffering a stroke.
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