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By Teresa Benns When the winds blow and night comes early, LaVernia residents claim there are strange goings on near the Dorcy Colony Cemetery. Joe Applewhite isn't surprised, although he said he can only go on what his daddy and granddaddy told him. But some of the tales Joe tells were things he re members from his boy hood; things that may explain why a restless Spirit seems to roam the old Dorcy Colony grounds. Joe remembers Mr. Rodgers as a mean man— a man who did strange things and acted in strange ways. Leaning back in his chair and shaking his head, Joe's eyes grew wary and wide with recollected fear as he told the tale of the old settler. Mr. Rodgers lived alone behind the cem etery. He drove oxen and a wagon with a nine foot ball staff at night. Just before you get to the cemetery, in the middle of the road, there's a great big, old tree, Joe said. He got under that tree, at night. The moon was shining. That panther was up in the tree. He saw the panther comin' down on him. They say he throwed that panther down off him, got down on top of that panther, and beat his brains out with that bull staff. They tell me that panther was nine feet long. Joe said Mr. Rodgers would tell his daddy how to fight ghosts. He used to talk to my daddy in the yard, come there and eat with him. He'd say You never hit them (ghosts) with a straight hand, hit them with a backhand lick and you'll turn them every time.” One time, Joe says, Mr. Rodgers ran around outside whipping him self with a gunny sack. I said, ‘that old man's gone stone crazy.’ I'm sorry chile, but he did. Only thing I know is he cut a cow's tail off with a great big knife. I was looking at him when he done that. He took that knife out, cut her tail off -hoop— and took it back to the house. Don't know what he done with it. He had one of them fits.” Joe said when the man had fits, he would mut ter to himself and behave strangely. Another time, Joe said, the man wanted some snuff, and his momma told him to take it to him. After arriving with the snuff, Rodgers hollered, Wait a minute . The old man started for him. But I threw the snuff up on the porch and boom I was gone,” Joe said. Nobody could whup him.” According to Joe, Rodgers burnt up one day in his house. All my daddy found was his heart, and it was still pumping,” Joe said. The bones and everything was hurt, but that's what they got together and buried. And so ends Joe's tale of a strange, mean man, who in the end, had only his heart and a few bones left to bury in Dorcy Colony Cemetery. Joe Applewhite is one of the last survivors of slaves freed in the mid- 1800's by the Thomas Applewhite family in LaVernia. John and Shirley Grammer of LaVernia are working with the Applewhites to help restore the Dorcy Colony Cemetery on Dunn Road. They are asking for help from the community to restore the cemetery. The Gram mers can be reached at 210-779-2901. This column, sponsored by the Texas Through Time Living History Foundation, is part of a continuing effort to pre serve the heritage of this area. Readers are invited to send ideas for stories about the old days to this newspaper or call Teresa Benns at 1-800-788- 8268 for help in writing your story. Towns Through Time Sutherland Springs *Joresville LaVerniai Stockdale Cemetery located on Dunn Road off FM 775
Newspaper Details
Wilson County News
Floresville, Texas, US
Wed, Aug 10, 1994
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
Guest G.
USA 02 May 2026
Other Publications Near Floresville, Texas
Floresville Chronicle Journal
Wilson County News
