Carr Cemetery , Fannin County, Texas

Fannin County TXGenWeb
Carr Cemetery

West of Elwood

New information from Michael Grissom below on page.
Written- September 14, 1975
By Michael Andrew Grissom

"In May, Aunt Norma and I went to a work day, and while there someone told us that there was an old cemetery called The Carr Cemetery around Elwood where the two twins of Hugh James McRae, Cyntha and Charlotte, had been buried in 1870. However, a man by the name of Richardson owned the land and had become annoyed with the cemetery and had bulldozed it off, grave markers and all! After hearing what this wretch had done, we had no hope of finding anything, and thought no more about going to it. Then, yesterday, Howard, Verlon, and I decided to go out and look for it. To get there, we took the first road to the right as we were leaving the Elwood Cemetery going south. I suppose the road that turns right (west) is not even 1/4 of a mile south of the Elwood Cemetery. Then, we went about four or five miles, I guess, due west until we came to the old place that used to belong to Winnie's dad, Mr. Johnson (Aunt Della's husband). There, on the north side of the road, we turned in by the corral and went through two gates into the pasture, and I suppose the Carr cemetery was located about 1/4 of a mile or less due north of the road. In the pasture, there is a little rise which starts sloping off to the NW down toward a valley. This little sloping hill is where Verlon said that the cemetery was located."

Here are the three graves I know of there. Of course, nothing remains but grass.

    Cyntha Charlotte                          Cyntha A.
       wife of                                          dau. of
   Hugh James McRae                      H.J. and C.C. McRae
   born                                                 born
   Feb. 24, 1831                                  July 27, 1864
   died                                                 died
   Aug. 24, 1877                                 August 24, 1870

Since thou canst no longer stay
To cheer me with thy love,
I hope to meet with thee again             Charlotte E.
In yon bright world above.                   dau. of
                                                               H.J. and C.C. McRae
    Harvey & Co., Denison
                                                               born
                                                               July 27, 1864
                                                               died
                                                               Aug. _____, 1870

I don't have the death date of Charlotte Evangeline at hand. I don't think they died on the same day,
but I think it was a day or two apart.

October 2004

" More on the Carr Cemetery. I have heard people say that that cemetery was never called Carr Cemetery after all. Some of the old folks say that it was really the McRae cemetery. And, some of those with whom I have talked recently (2002) say that they had walked through it several times in the past and that there were only McRaes buried there. Nothing -- not even the remaining scattered, broken stones of my earlier visit, remain now. But, old folks tell of a grave in that cemetery that had a little, long house built over it. The house was about waist high and had a roof. Being familiar with the Indians' custom in Oklahoma of building houses over their graves, I believe that we may be talking about the grave of Malcom Alexander McRae's mother-in-law, Barbry Whisenhunt. Barbry (sometimes listed as Barby or Barbara) was the mother of Mary Magdalene Whisenhunt, who first married a Mr. Stewart, and then upon his death married M.A. McRae in 1832 in Georgia. In 1856, they all arrived in Fannin County, Texas. Barbry was full-blood Cherokee, and she was last found in the 1870 census of Fannin County at the age of 99. Since her daughter, Mary M. Whisenhunt McRae was buried in that cemetery, we are fairly sure now that the Indian grave there was that of Barbry. She has not been found in any other cemetery in Fannin County."

Mike Grissom

USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on
the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long
as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from
the contributor of the file.
These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or
presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use
this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of
the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the
listed USGenWeb webmaster with proof of this consent.