EARLIEST Known Burials in Zephyr Cemetery - Zephyr, TX
N 31° 39.895 W 098° 47.167
14R E 520276 N 3503315
A 1988 Texas Historical Marker at Zephyr Cemetery indicates that three children of the Staggs family are the earliest known burials in the cemetery, dating to 1878 and 1879.
Waymark Code: WM13YF3
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/13/2021
Views: 0
Findagrave does not shed any light as to the relationship between the children, but they're likely siblings or cousins. Each has a homemade sandstone grave marker, and W.T. Staggs was the 1878 burial. He and V.A. Staggs have nearly identical markers, with a finger at the top pointing Heavenward, and their inscriptions read:
In Memory of
W.T. Staggs.
Born Oct
17 AD 1878
Died Dec
17 AD 1878
---
In Memory of
V.A. Staggs.
Born Jan
6 AD 1877.
Died Jan
16 AD 1879
-----
J.M.'s headstone is a little plainer, without the pointing finger, although there are a few details that can be seen with close inspection. The inscription reads:
In Memory of
J.M. Staggs
Born Mar.
23 A.D. 1877.
Died Jan. 14.
1879.
--*--
The historical marker provides some background:
The unincorporated town of Zephyr, located on land granted to early settlers Benjamin Head and Felix Wardziski, was established in the 1860s. As the settlement grew, a school was opened in the 1870s, and churches and businesses were established. Mail was delivered weekly from Brownwood.
This cemetery has served the residents of Zephyr and the surrounding area since the 1870s. The earliest known burials in the graveyard are those of three children of the Staggs family, who died in 1878 and 1879. Another early grave is that of Ann Catherine Sewell Ward (1843-1879).
The first official deed of cemetery property took place in 1899, although it was in use prior to that time. Subsequent land acquisitions have increased the size of the graveyard to more than seven acres.
Among those buried here are thirty-three victims of the devastating tornado of May 29, 1909, which almost completely destroyed the town, and veterans of six wars: the Mexican War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
The Zephyr Cemetery stands as a reminder of the pioneer spirit of the area's early settlers. It is maintained by the Zephyr Cemetery Association.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 12/17/1878
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