William Lee was born ca. 1843, living as a “Colored” laborer in Egg Harbor Township, NJ in the years leading up to the Civil War, where he served in Co. I, 24th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Infantry. While William never became part of the Boling Family or lived in the settlement, he was a longtime friend of the family and, upon his death on August 24, 1895, was buried in the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery. Today, his headstone is the earliest-dated in the cemetery.

William Lee’s Grave

The Boling Cemetery today contains only 5 headstones, those of Charles Boling, Josiah Boling, Samuel Boling, William Lee, and Alexander Smith. It is believed, however, that as many as fifteen people are buried there.

Although William Lee’s is presently the earliest-dated headstone, Henry Boling was likely the first to be buried in the cemetery in 1879, eight years after the completion of the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Henry Boling’s death certificate, August 18, 1879

In 2002, it was found that the Boling Cemetery extended beyond property boundaries. Instead of disturbing the deceased, the boundary was shifted.

The Boling Cemetery