William P. Johnston Memorial Cemetery - Graham, TX - Worldwide Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

This cemetery is in fairly good condition, but while Findagrave has thirty-eight listings here, there are only a few headstones to be found, and one of them is problematical (Charles S. McCuistion). If we accept Findagrave's listings, it was last used in 1992 (Amy Davis, 1902-1992), but the latest visible date on a headstone is from 1960. The cemetery's Findagrave page notes that some burials from the Alford Cemetery were relocated here from a right-of-way on US 380, although Findagrave itself has no listing for Alford Cemetery. A Google search also turns up a few references to the Alford Cemetery, with one burial there -- James Welch Alford -- now resting at peace a short distance from here in the Pioneer Cemetery. There probably was more movement of graves than has been made available to the Internet at this point, possibly of other Alford family members.

William P Johnston, Jr.'s final resting place is marked by a faux crypt, but the inscription is worn off of the metal plaque. A very interesting find is the headstone for John Hicks, one of the first African American merchants in Graham who was apparently held in high esteem. His headstone has the emblem for the Woodmen of Union, an African American fraternal organization out of Hot Springs, AR. While there are no apparent ties to the Woodmen of the World, the emblem features a dove with an olive branch atop a tree trunk with the hatchet and mallet found on so many of the monuments placed by the Woodmen of the World. The meaning of "L.T. & J." on the tree trunk is unknown, although it is likely shorthand for a slogan or motto of some kind, like F-L-T with the Odd Fellows.

Near the front gate is a puzzling collection of headstones that do not appear to match up with any of the graves listed here. Some of them are likely to have been discarded with the placement of a newer headstone, like for Author R. Horton and William Edward Cooper (both buried at Restland Cemetery, Olney, TX), and U.G. West (1869-1930, Oak Grove Cemetery, Graham, TX). Very problematical is the military headstone for Charles S. McCuistion (Highland Cemetery, Lawton, OK), while there is also a headstone for an infant son (d. 1936) of the aforementioned Charles S. McCuistion and his wife, Zema McCuistion, who is buried with her husband in Lawton. There is no other Findagrave listing for the child. Findagrave also has no listing for Carrie Finlay (1867-1870), whose homemade headstone looks like it was broken out of concrete, or for Mary A. Stephenson (1887-1970).

City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: Graham, TX Approximate number of graves: 38 Cemetery Status: Inactive Maintained Cemetery Website: [Web Link]

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