FIRST Burial in Saginaw Cemetery - Saginaw, TX
N 32° 51.576 W 097° 22.008
14S E 652816 N 3636905
A Texas Historical Marker notes that John David Bowman was the first burial in Saginaw Cemetery in 1899.
Waymark Code: WMNDYJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2015
Views: 4
The historical marker provides some background:
In the 1890s, John Allebaugh Bowman led 19 people to Tarrant County on a three-week journey from Missouri. John and his brother, Frederick Kline Bowman, owned adjoining properties midway between Haslet and Saginaw. John founded Saginaw Cemetery Association to meet the needs of nearby residents. In 1899, the Association incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas with trustees R.A. Barrow, S.A. Shelton, J.A. Bowman, Anderson Hunter, and H.L. Pierce.
John Allebaugh Bowman's son, John David, was the first person buried here on February 19, 1899. In the next six months, John A., his wife Susanna, and their other son, Roscoe, all died and were interred here, leaving nine young orphans in the Bowman family. At this time family plots were sold for $5.00 each, and spaces for $2.00. In 1900, W.L. Tate signed the deed to Saginaw Cemetery to H.L. Pierce for $50.00. The property was 300 by 200 feet measured from the southwest corner of the church and school lot. In March 1901, the first fence was erected around the cemetery. In July 1902, lots #132, 133, 150 and 151 were set aside for use as a potters field. A Mr. Worthington became the first paid caretaker in July 1903, receiving $2.00 each time he cleaned and cared for the entire graveyard. Around 1910, the cemetery expanded to the west to its current boundaries. The two sections can be distinguished by different grid systems. Most gravestones are limestone, granite, and concrete, and some family plots have concrete curbing. Military veterans from World War I to present are interred here. Most of the earliest records were destroyed in a 1925 fire. Saginaw Cemetery remains a chronicle of the history of the community and its people.
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All four Bowmans share the same grave marker. John David shares a side with his brother, Roscoe Albert, while their parents, John A. and Susanna, have their information listed on the main face of the monument. John David's inscription is:
John David
Son of
J.A. & S. Bowman
Born
Oct. 16, 1896
Died
Feb. 19, 1899
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 02/22/1899
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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