Duke Family - Duke Cemetery - Alvarado, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member QuarrellaDeVil
N 32° 22.890 W 097° 11.038
14S E 670831 N 3584173
Five members of the Duke family are buried in the Duke family plot, which is anchored by a Woodmen of the World headstone.
Waymark Code: WM10307
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/15/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member TeamBPL
Views: 0

The cemetery's namesake, Dr. John Duke, is buried outside of the plot with his wife, Martha, and a good number of their children. Noted by headstones, inside the plot are buried:

Cecil L. Son of
J & S.C. Duke
Apr. 9, 1885
Dec. 17, 1891

Herman A. Son of
J. & S.C. Duke
Oct. 19, 1890
Feb. 16, 1895

Father
Dr. John Duke
1852 - 1913

Mother
Susan C. Duke
1851 - 1915

W.W. Duke
1871 - 1912

The plot headstone has the family name, "Duke", on each side, with calla lilies in the upper corners. On the side facing into the plot, the Woodmen of the World emblem is under the family name, while a cross and crown are on the other side. Given that Dr. Duke and his wife are in the center of the plot and that they lived the longest, it's likely that Dr. Duke was the member of the organization. W.W. Duke was most likely their son.

The cemetery began on the Duke family farm, and a 1998 Texas Historical Marker here provides some background:

Dr. John Duke (1827-1884), his wife Martha (1836-1888), and their family moved to Johnson County in 1854. They established a farm in the area later called the Willow Springs community. When their ten-year-old daughter Zilla died in 1870, they buried her on the family farm. Zilla was soon joined by siblings Orson and Lucy. Emma Griffin, a relative's child, was buried beside the Duke children in 1878. Dr. Duke deeded the burial ground to the community in 1879; four more Duke children had died by 1882. Other Willow Springs residents interred here include ranchers and farmers, teachers, merchants, ministers, and soldiers.
Was the inscription legible?: Yes

Location of Marker/Monument: Cemetery

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