Cynthia Ann Parker (First Burial Site) - Foster Cemetery - Anderson County, TX - Homemade Tombstones on Waymarking.com

The historical marker reads:

(1827-1864)

Captured from Ft. Parker by Indians, 1836. Recaptured by Texas Rangers in 1860. Mother of Quanah Parker, war chief of Comanches. First buried here. Reburied in Post Oak Cemetery, Okla., 1910. Reburied Ft. Sill Post Cemetery, Okla., 1957.

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There is no indication either way as to whether this is an original grave marker. It is made of stone and mortar, with a sloped face at the top into which is etched "Cynthia Ann Parker". It looks like white rocks once filled the etching. Scratched into the lower corners are "Died 1864" and "Moved 11/1910", and these were probably added later, as they're inconsistent with the lettering for Cynthia Ann's name. However, it was actually her daughter, Topsanna, who died in 1864 (some accounts say 1863), and her mother outlived her, passing on in 1871.

Cynthia Ann Parker was one of five captives taken by the Comanche in the 1836 Fort Parker Massacre near Groesbeck, TX. Over time, four of those captives either escaped or were ransomed back to "white society", but Cynthia Ann ultimately went native. She was a young girl, anywhere from eight to eleven years old when she was abducted, and she was raised by a Comanche couple. At some point, she became the only wife of chief Peta Nocona -- it was common practice for chiefs to have multiple wives, something he eschewed due to his devotion to Cynthia Ann -- and they had three children, the best known of which was Quanah Parker, who has his own story.

Pecos, the second child, was not quite a teenager when he died in 1863, his final resting place unknown, while Topsannah (Prairie Flower) was born in 1858. She was with her mother at the Battle of Pease River, near Crowell, TX, when they were captured by a group of Texas Rangers led by Sul Ross. Some accounts indicate that Peta Nocona was killed in the battle, while others say that he escaped, only to die a few years later of his wounds. Cynthia Ann and Topsannah were repatriated to "white society", where they were discouraged from their "savage ways" by relatives north of here in Van Zandt County. Topsannah caught the influenza and died of pneumonia, leaving her heartbroken mother to finish her last days refusing food and water, unhappy about not being with the only family she'd ever known. Topsannah was buried in Asbury Cemetery near Edom, while her mother was buried here. Some accounts erroneously indicate that Prairie Flower was buried here, too, referring to the cemetery as "Fosterville" and referencing relatives in "Van Zandt" as if it was a city and not a county. Both now rest with the great Quanah Parker at Fort Sill.

Date of Birth: 10/28/1827 Date of Death: 3/1871 Material: Stone Web Site: [Web Link]

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