FIRST Recorded Burial in Judson Cemetery - Cayuga, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member QuarrellaDeVil
N 31° 57.272 W 095° 56.520
15R E 221921 N 3539176
A 1993 Texas Historical Marker at Judson Cemetery notes that the first recorded burial in the cemetery was that of a young boy, Allen W. Barton, way back in 1863.
Waymark Code: WM11G1W
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/17/2019
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member model12
Views: 2

Findagrave (see URL, below) doesn't officially connect Allen W. Barton with his parents, but Thomas R. and Susan Mahulda Thomas Barton (who is buried way up in the Texas Panhandle) are listed there in a note, as they are for Martha I. Barton. Allen, Martha I., and Thomas Barton all share a small, marble obelisk, with inscriptions on three of the four sides. The compass and square of the Freemasons is on the obelisk shaft on Thomas's side, and the inscription reads:

Thomas R.
Barton,

Born
Feb. 11, 1819,
Died
Nov. 23, 1865

-----

Martha's side reads:

Martha I.
Barton,

Born
July 16, 1865,
Died
Feb. 5, 1868

-----

Allen's side reads:

Allen W.
Barton,

Born
Apr. 15, 1856,
Died
Sep. 25, 1863

----------

The Texas Historical Marker provides some background:

This graveyard traces its origin to the establishment of Judson Missionary Baptist Church of Christ on September 20, 1854. The church served the pioneer community of Wildcat Bluff (later called Cayuga). The congregation relocated here about 1856 from the nearby Gilmore's Chapel and Brush Arbor to a church building and acreage donated by Martin and Nancy Haywood on October 20, 1855. The first recorded burial here was that of 7-year-old Allen W. Barton on October 26, 1863.

Pioneer burials were a community effort. Members prepared the body, made the shroud, built the caskets and dug the graves. Cedar trees and large stones were used as grave markers. According to local tradition cedar tree stumps continue to disclose the site of unmarked grave sites. In 1910 a small parcel of land was added to the graveyard by donors L.J.M. Sutton, L.B. Clay, Mrs. Ida Harton, and Joe A. and Sarah Johnson.

Ellen and J.W. Seat donated 3¾ acres to the Judson Baptist Church in 1925 and sold additional acreage in 1954 for cemetery purposes. The Judson Cemetery Association helped establish a perpetual care fund in 1970 to maintain the grounds. The cemetery, deeded to the Cemetery Association by the Judson Baptist Church in 1986, continues to serve the church and community.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group

Date of FIRST: 10/26/1863

More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]

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