Groundspeak Portal

I found several headstones in a small churchyard cemetery marked with "H.B.A. No. 205" no logo just the inscription and, of course, name and dates. Any ideas what this is? I assume some sort of association, perhaps since extinct since the dates of death were all prior to 1950.

I googled the heck out of this one, but didn't find anything that looked probable. Several cemetery listing on the genweb sites make a note of H.B.A. # after the name, and one said something about a HBA Lodge.

Lots of HBA's in acronyms, Home Builders Association , Home Buyers association being the two biggest.

I googled the heck out of it too, didn't come up with anything.

Someone in another forum suggested Hebrew Benevolent Association or Holiness Baptist Association. Since it was behind a baptist church the Holiness Baptist Association is a more likley choice, but I wouldn't think they would have lodges or their members would make a point of putting it on their headstone. Maybe an unsolved mystery.

After doing some more reading I think it has something to do with African-American Freemasonry. This church is an African-American church.

Could be.

This African American cemetery  has a few graves that are are listed as HBA 153.

Photo of grave dated 1938

And this cemetery lists HBA 58

I wonder if an email to African American Cemeteries Online might get some answers.

I've sent an email to the Grand Master of the Prince Hall Masons here in Mississippi as well as the Professor of Black Studies at Southern Miss. I'll keep y'all posted.  

According to another forum it means, "Holiness Baptist Association” the number referring to the chapter to which they belong. The H.B.A. has since waned and is almost non-existent.

"Holiness Baptist Association” looks like the likely candidate.  Interesting stuff you you learn waymarking.