Grove Hill United Methodist Church and Cemetery - Leonard, TX
N 33° 25.901 W 096° 13.168
14S E 758514 N 3702602
Grove Hill United Methodist Church is at 5501 FM 1553, nearly five miles from Leonard, TX, with the Grove Hill Cemetery next to it. Sunday services are at 10:45 AM.
Waymark Code: WMXJH8
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/19/2018
Views: 1
The church and the adjacent cemetery are about all that is left of Grove Hill, and a 1981 Texas Historical Marker provides some background:
The earliest settler in this area was George M. Smith, a native of Georgia, who moved here in 1844. By the early 1850s, a community had developed and a post office was established under the name Oak Hill. The first church, a Baptist congregation, was organized in 1855 at the home of pioneer settler Joseph Ring. During the Civil War several residents formed a Confederate militia unit known as the Oak Hill Home Guard.
The first church building, completed in 1869, was also used for Masonic lodge meetings and school classes. In 1878 William Thomas Clark, F.K. Taylor, and T.C. Cobb, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, purchased four acres at this site for a community schoolhouse, sanctuary, and cemetery.
The earliest marked grave in the community burial ground is that of William B.A. Thomas (d. 1862). Other graves include those of pioneer settlers and at least one former slave, Jack Sudderth (1799-1898).
The settlement of Grove Hill began to decline in the early 1880s after the nearby railroad town of Leonard (3.5 mi. SW) was established. The Masonic lodge moved there soon after and the school merged with the Leonard District in 1942.
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The paragraph that refers to the first church building refers to the Methodist church building, which burned in 1947 while the congregation was having a revival on the grounds. The pews were outside at the time, so they were saved, and a new sanctuary was built from what remained of the old school down the road. The congregation worshiped here until February of 2015, when fire struck again. This new sanctuary was completed in late 2017, and life begins anew.
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There are two very interesting burials here. A 1962 Texas Historical Marker complements the headstone for Joseph F. Fenner, who fought in the cause for Texas's independence. It provides a couple of sound bytes, "Texas War for Independence veteran" and "Member Shackelford's Company, Colonel Fannin's command, 1836", while his headstone notes that "He was with Fannin at Goliad and Houston at San Jacinto." The inscription is:
Joseph F. Fenner
Born Nov. 20, 1820
Died May 5, 1896
As a husband, devoted,
As a father, affectionate,
As a friend, ever kind and true.
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Referenced on the historical marker, Jack Sudderth lived to be nearly 100, and one would like to think that his life was better after gaining his freedom, knowing that the South during Reconstruction wasn't all bunnies and light. His headstone reads:
Jack Sudderth
Beloved Slave of Abraham Sudderth
Born About - 1799
Died About - 1898
Someone has taken it upon themselves to scratch out "slave" on the headstone, probably thinking that their cause is just enough that they can deface what doesn't belong to them. Mr. Sudderth is buried away from the others here, and his former master and his family are buried on the other side of the cemetery.
Name of church or churchyard: Grove Hill United Methodist Church and Cemetery
Approximate Size: Large (100+)
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