Crosby County
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The TXGenWeb Project Emma Cemetery Texas Flag

History and Burial Order

Burial Order             History

Location:

Latitude: 333642N   Longitude: 1012443W
From Ralls drive south 4.6 miles on HWY 207. Turn west on dirt county rd 188. (There´s a sign put up by a Ralls Eagle scout Travis Gregory showing to turn there to get to the Emma Cemetery.) Drive west 1.1 miles. Pass the white farm house which is surrounded by trees on north side of road. Drive to the turnrow where the high line crosses the road and continues north. Turn north on turnrow and drive 1/4 mile.
           
Spikes Family Plot

           
Silas Witt Family

History

Burial site for 12 Civil War Veterans and Crosby County´s first settlers, Henry and Elizabeth Smith.

Established in 1891 on land donated by J. W. Holt for the grave of his brother-in-law, Levi Jones. Land was bought by R. L. and R. R. Travis and deeded to Crosby County in 1917.

Irony of fate played a part in the Emma burying ground. Levi Jones, son of Mrs. Katie Jones who ran the Jones Hotel, said to Jeff Spikes and others standing by, "We have everything now but a cemetery. I guess we are going to have to kill off some old codger and start one since the county is so healthy no one is going to die." Levi was young so he knew he was not the "Old Codger".

It was summer time, wild red plums and purple grapes in the breaks were plentiful. Levi´s mother needed the fruit to make jellies and jams for her hotel guests. Levi took his gun, a two-horse wagon and headed for the breaks for a jog of wood and the wanted fruit. In some way when he lifted his gun from the wagon, it went off and shot him in the heart, killing him instantly. So the Emma graveyard had its first occupant and he was shot just as Levi had said it would have to be done.

(Information from the book Gone, but not forgotten and Through the Years, a History of Crosby County by Spikes and Ellis.)

Cedar Tree

The first Moore family member to be buried in the cemetery, followed by Aurie Moore in 1928. In 1927 Mrs. Bert Moore (Annie) purchased a small cedar tree which was planted by Richard and Shirley Moore, at the head of Jack´s grave. The Moore family lived 3/4 mile North of the cemetery and each day Grandmother (Addie), Shirley and Richard carried water to the tree to keep it alive. This tree still lives and is the only tree in the cemetery.

Submitted by Olive (Creed) Boydstun dated Sept. 19, 1998.

Link to: Texas Escapes Emma Cemetery

Burial Order

This cemetery surveyed by Boy Scout Troops Post 333, 1963
Cemetery surveyed and mapped by Marcia Lockwood 1989; Map to scale located at Ralls Historical Museum
Cemetery photographed by Linda Hughes June, 2000

More photos by Denny Mingus

This is a map made for locating burials in the Old Emma Cemetery; rows read from North to South and beginning on the West side as row 1. (The entrance is on the Southeast corner.)

Map for location purposes only

Row A B C D E F G H I J K L M N  
1             Unk Adult Cone,Lila           Little Nigger  
2   Graham, Noah     Brown, Elizabeth McDermett, Annie               Weatherby, William  
3 Unk Graham, Nora       Smith, Elizabeth   Cone, Selena         Goggans, William    
4 Unk Adult Graham, C.L.       Smith, H Murray, Rebecca Cone, James S. Assiter, Mary       Goggans, Jefferson    
5 Unk Adult Bedingfield, Claudia   Strange, John   Hawes, Charles Murry, John Unmarked Assiter, John Parrish, Luther Montgomery, Jesse Travis, Carl Goggans, Pattie    
6 Unk.           Murray, Susie Unmarked         Goggans, J.T.    
7   Stagner, W. H.       Bolinger, Olive Murray, John Watts,M.D.             Unk Adult  
8           Bolinger, W. Lee   Sharp, Helen              
9           Bolinger, Lora Unk Adult Ramseur, William       Smith, M.E.      
10           Bolinger, Jesse   Ramseur, Mary Black, James       Caldwell, Curttice Webb, Samuel  
11           Bolinger, Melvina   Ramseur, C.R. Black, Rachel Reed, Isolina   Bowman, Martha Unk Child    
12 Terrell, Stella   McLaughlin, Winnie   Unk Child Bolinger, Charles   Ramseur, Pat Black, Carrie     Bowman, Son   Unk Child(Hillis baby?)  
13     Chapman, Willie   Beene Twins Bolinger, Pearl Unk Child Unk Black, William     Bowman, Bernice Unk Adult Unk Adult(Hillis, James?)  
14 Bedingfield, Rufus Benedict, Olive Chapman, Robert       Unk Child       Poulson, Betsy Bowman Dau Unk Adult    
15     Reed, F. Marion     Shirley, Catherine   Chote, Alma     Poulson, A. Bowman, Maye      
16     Reed, Margaret         Choate, Ollie              
17     Foy, Cora Unk Unk Child Unk Child     Mann, Ella         Lewis, Lavina  
18 Luster, Reva   Davies, Lawrence     Unk Child   Rogers, Zella   Elkins, Leonard       Lewis, J.H.  
19 Luster, Hubert Unk Child Foy, Esther   Unk Adult Unk   Rogers, Ora              
20           Unk   Chote, Atlantic       Poulson, Dalton      
21     Unk     Unk Adult   Chote, Lonzo Moore, Thomas Unk Adult   Poulson, J.D. Reagan, Lithonia    
22   Martin, Thomas     Kidd, Kate Swim, Mary     Unk Adult   Unk Adult     McArthur, James  
23   Martin, A.J.     Kidd, Albert Swim, Maridel   Bicknell, Leonard Moore, Aurie       Reagan, S.A.    
24   Martin, Raymond Carter, Son     Unk Adult   Bicknell, Robert Moore, A.N. Milner, Martha   Lee, J.H. Reagan, C.A.    
25   Bullock, Rebecca Carter, Theresa     Unk Adult Unk Child   Moore, N.H. Milner, Elias Whited, James     Cunningham, Eleanor  
26   Martin, Mary Carter, James William M.D.   Unk Child Unk Adult Dumas, Rebecca   Cedar Milner, John Whited, Jesse     Cunningham, Dave  
27 Bedingfield, Son Martin, Robert   Witt, Frank   Unk Adult Newton, Mary Unk TREE Unk Adult Mathis, Rosiland   Unk Child    
28 Unk Child Martin, W.S. Witt, Silas Witt, Mary Kelso, Julia Unk Adult Newton, J.F.   Moore, Thomas Unk Adult     Unk Child Baby Prunty  
29     Witt, Emma Witt, Infant Kelso, Neuton   Newton, Albert     Unk Adult   Orand, Willie   Ezell, Son  
30 Megowan, Nancy             Hugh, John Elkins, W.O.         Ezell, Eleanor  
31 Megowan, William   Witt, Charles   Unk Child Burleson, Fannie Graham, Joe   Elkins, Mollisie Unk Adult       Ezell, Will  
32   Shipp, John       Burleson, Thomas Graham, E. R.     Unk Infant   Unk Infant   Ezell, Gertie  
33 Lamb, Albert           Graham, Mary   (--moved--Knight, Ferdinand) Unk Child Unk   Payne, John McDonough, Martha  
34     Long, Jane     Unk Adult     Knight, Winnie Unk Child Unk King, Thomas      
35       Unk Child   Unk Adult Unk Child Unk Child Knight, H.B.     King, Son Bonine Son    
36   Unk Adult   Carmack, Marvin Unk Adult Unk Adult Unk Child Worthington, Tony     Unk Adult Bonine, Sintha Bonine, Lena Wheeler,L.C.  
37       Unk Adult   Paschall Son   Allen, Mary       Bonine, J.W. Bonine, Earl Wheeler, Amanda  
38 Lee, Maggie     Unk Adult   Spikes, Julia Massengale, Dorotha     Unk   King, David M.D. Bonine, Arvel Wheeler, J.H.  
39   Jones, Levi   Moore, Oleara Unk Adult Spikes, John Massengale, Mattie     Jones, W.E.       Unk Adult  
40   Unk   Carr, Leolar   Spikes, George Massengale, W.B. Wimberly, John Townsend, Mattie   Horrell, Tommie King Dau   Gee, Laura  
41 Lee, Ephra       Rogers, Laura Spikes, John Nored, Laura Wilberly, Margaret Scales, R.E.         Unk Child  
42               Wilberly, Elta           Unk Child  
43                              
44               Marker             Entry

Last Update: Tuesday, 10-Nov-2009 21:16:59 MST
E-Mail If you know where the graves listed below are located or the names of the unknowns above, please contact Linda Hughes

Locations unknown:
Alford, Lawrence
Hubert, John 2/13/1920-2/19/1920
Hunter, Tommie
Whited, Child 1931 age 1 year
Williams, Katy




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