EARLIEST Marked Grave in Grove Hill Cemetery - Leonard, TX
N 33° 25.951 W 096° 13.171
14S E 758507 N 3702695
A 1981 Texas Historical Marker at the front of Grove Hill Cemetery, north of Leonard, TX, notes that the earliest marked grave here is that of William R.A. Thomas, who died in 1862.
Waymark Code: WMXJ62
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2018
Views: 2
The historical marker says "William B.A. Thomas" but the name and year are quite clear on the headstone. Whoever T. and M.A. Thomas were, there is nothing to suggest that they're buried here with five of their children, none of whom lived into adulthood. There is floral detail -- mostly roses -- throughout the monument, and on the front is the family name, "Thomas." There are four very weathered and small footstones as well, and there are listings on three sides of the monument:
William R.A. Thomas
Born
Jan. 8, 1862,
Died
Sep. 16, 1862.
--
Infant of
T. & M.A. Thomas
Born
Feb. 14, 1864,
Died
Feb. 14, 1864.
Gone but not forgotten.
-----
Infant of
T. & M.A. Thomas
Born and Died
May 12, 1865
---
Suffer little children to come unto me.
-----
Bessie Thomas
Born
Nov. 20, 1878
Died
June 15, 1879
--
Sarah P.J. Thomas
Born
July 18, 1869,
Died
Dec. 30, 1881.
Each of us hopes to join you at last
On the beautiful heavenly shore.
The 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.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 09/16/1862
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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