Lillian Richard - Fouke Cemetery - Fouke, TX - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Mrs. Williams is buried in the corner of the Fouke Memorial Cemetery, on Wood County Road 3841 (off of Wood County Road 3840), a bit northwest of the center of Fouke. Her grave is marked by a modern, gray, granite headstone with flowers that flank the inscription:

Our
Aunt Jemima
Lillian Richard
Williams

Mar. 23, 1891
July 2, 1956

A 2011 Texas Historical Marker at the nearby Fouke Community Center provides a mini-biography:

Born in the Fouke community in 1891, Lillian Richard was one of eleven children of Derry and Cornelia (Washington) Richard. In 1910 she moved to Dallas, working initially as a cook. In 1925 she accepted a position with the Quaker Oats Co. portraying "Aunt Jemima," a character from an 1875 song later popularized in minstrel shows, radio programs and movies. Lillian was one of several African-American women who traveled the country promoting Aunt Jemima brand pancake mix. Her career with Quaker Oats lasted 23 years until she suffered a stroke and returned to Fouke. She died in 1956 and was buried in Fouke Memorial Cemetery. Because of her legacy, in 1995 the Texas legislature named Hawkins the "Pancake Capital of Texas."

Description: Wikipedia (see Web Site) and the Texas Historical Marker pretty much overlap each other, although Wikipedia notes that her youth was spent here in Fouke, and she was the grand aunt of another area celebrity, San Diego Chargers safety, Stanley Richard. Date of birth: 03/23/1891 Date of death: 07/02/1956 Area of notoriety: Entertainment Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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