OLDEST Tombstone in Old Bethel Cemetery - Phalba, TX
N 32° 26.398 W 095° 55.736
15S E 224623 N 3592981
A 1986 Texas Historical Marker at the gate to Old Bethel Cemetery notes that the oldest tombstone in the cemetery belongs to Isaac Willingham, who was buried here in 1858, when the cemetery was established.
Waymark Code: WMZP6Q
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2018
Views: 0
The historical marker is way off about his age, but it reads:
In 1858, William and Nancy Palmer deeded five acres of land for a Methodist church and cemetery. The oldest tombstone in the graveyard, that of six-month-old Isaac Willingham, also dates from that year. In 1895, the church building was removed from the property, leaving additional acreage for the cemetery. At that time, the burial ground acquired the name Old Bethel. Over the years, it has served the residents of Bethel and surrounding communities and is the burial site of many of the early pioneers in the area.
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This is the only headstone in the cemetery with a death year of 1858, although there are some badly damaged false crypts nearby, whose inscriptions are hopelessly worn and illegible. There is no indication as to where the Texas Historical Commission got the age of six months, but all the Willinghams buried here grew to adulthood. While a brother, Jonathan W. Willingham, is buried nearby, Isaac shares a headstone with their parents, and there are inscriptions on three of its four sides, with an epitaph for each on their respective sections of the plinth. It reads:
Isaac K.
Son of
E. & I.
Willingham
--born--
Feb. 15, 1838,
--died--
Aug. 15, 1858.
Death loves a shining
mark.
------
Edward
Willingham
--born--
Mar. 13, 1800,
--died--
Nov. 14, 1862.
Sweet flower, transplanted
to another clime.
------
Isabella
His Wife
--born--
Feb. 16, 1804,
--died--
Aug. 22, 1868.
Here I lay me down
Change the cross for
a crown.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 08/15/1858
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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