FIRST Burial in Potter Cemetery - Mesquite, TX
N 32° 42.235 W 096° 33.438
14S E 728975 N 3621101
A Texas Historical Marker in front of Potter Cemetery indicates that the first burial here was that of William L. Potter in 1867.
Waymark Code: WMQRMV
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/24/2016
Views: 1
William's hand-carved headstone has been weathered by time and the elements, and it is difficult to read. There is a photo in the gallery at his Findagrave entry, where someone either put shaving cream or chalk on the letters to make it legible. While the person probably had the best intentions, please don't do this, as it has the potential to damage the stone irreparably, unless you're prepared to finance a replacement. The inscription is:
In Memory of
William L. Potter
Born april 8th 1855 departed
this life July 14th 1867 Aged
12 years 3 Months and 6 days
Go home dear friends
And dry those tears
I must lie here
Until Christ appears
--
The 1998 Texas Historical Marker at the gate provides some background:
John P. (1827-1899) and Martha (Oden) (1835-1872) Potter, pioneer citizens of the Republic of Texas, bought a farm near the Haught's Store community in 1860. When their son William L. Potter died in July 1861 he was the first to be buried on this site; John Potter enlisted in the Confederate Army in the same month. After the war he served as justice of the peace; his landholdings included almost 1,000 acres. Most of the Potters' nine children are interred here. The last recorded burial was in 1947. A 1997 count revealed 16 possible graves. The Potter Cemetery remains a record of the settlers who shaped eastern Dallas County.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 07/17/1867
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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