Harry John "Jitterbug" LaSane (1924-1984)

    Harry LaSane was born in Houston on September 30, 1924. At fifteen, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Army for five years, serving nearly his entire enlistment during World War II. It was during this period he met Marcus Lockman, a pro/am boxer who went by the odd nickname "Kid Chicken". Lockman saw something in LaSane and guided him into boxing, with Lockman serving as his manager. Once LaSane finished his enlistment, he and Lockman began training in a small club in Asbury Park, New Jersey. His first professional match (as a featherweight) was on March 27, 1946, taking his opponent Darnell Carter to a six round draw. Two weeks later, he beat Carter by points, again in six rounds. 

    Jitterbug (nicknamed for the way he bobbed and weaved), also briefly known as "The Houston Hurricane", was not a big puncher and depended on speed and defense for his success. The strategy worked, and by the age of 21 LaSane had a record of 26 fights, 24 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw. LaSane sustained his dominance well through 1950, and  by the end of the year his record was a very impressive 57 wins, 16 losses and 3 draws. For some reason, however, after that date he only managed a dismal record of 0 wins, 17 losses and 1 draw - no wins in eighteen bouts. He continued to struggle for the rest of his professional career, and at the time of his retirement in April 1954, his final record was 57 wins, 33 losses and 4 draws.

Section 1
Houston National Cemetery
Houston

29° 55.849, -095° 26.153  

John Smith Davenport Byrom (1798-1837)

    John S. D. Byrom, early settler, son of Henry and Catherine Smith (Davenport) Byrom, was born in Hancock, Georgia, on September 24, 1798. In 1806 he moved with his uncle and guardian, John Byrom, to Jasper County, Georgia. There on March 17, 1818, he married Nancy Fitzpatrick; they had three children. Byrom later moved to Heard County, Georgia, and later still to Florida. After his divorce from his first wife, he married Mary Anne Knott; they had a son and a daughter. In 1830 Byrom came to Texas and settled in what is now Brazoria County. He participated in the battle of Velasco on June 26, 1832. In 1835 he represented Brazoria at the Consultation, and the General Council appointed him one of three commissioners to organize the militia in the Municipality of Brazoria. Byrom was one of the four representatives from the municipality to the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos and there signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. He died on July 10, 1837. Source

Columbia Cemetery
West Columbia

29° 08.394, -095° 38.853

George Washington Petty (1812-1901)

    Born April 7, 1812 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Petty emigrated to Texas in the fall of 1835 and settled at Cole's Settlement (now Independence). As the Texas Independence movement took hold in early 1836, he was sworn into the Texican militia by Captain Joseph P. Lynch on March 1 as a soldier in Captain William W. Hill's Company. He remained in the service for just three months, during which time he fought at the Battle of San Jacinto, before being discharged from the army on June 1. Petty died during services at a revival meeting at Alexander Camp Grounds at Kenny, Austin County, on July 27, 1901.

Section 3
Prairie Lea Cemetery
Brenham

30° 09.331, -096° 24.526