Some Notable Persons
in
First Street Cemetery
of
Waco, Texas
Compiled
by
T. Bradford Willis, DDS, MSD
2008
Dedicated
in honor of
Melvin Dotson
and
John C. Griggs, Ph.D (FirstStreetCemetery.org)
for preserving
the history of
First Street Cemetery
Some Notable Persons in First Street Cemetery of Waco, Texas
Frank Adams, 1865-1906. A Knight of Tabor, International Order of Twelve, 333-777.
Husband of Emma Adams, 1857-1906.
William M. Anderson, 1831-1882. A native of Winchester, Virginia. Came to Waco ca. 1855. A pioneer undertaker and furniture dealer. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M.
Clementine Jones Arnold, 1815-1855. Wife of Bentley D Arnold, ca. 1804-1868. Moved to Waco ca. 1851. In 1855, Bentley D Arnold opened a brick yard in East Waco. In 1858, he was elected a county commissioner. He served as the second deacon of First Baptist Church of Waco, and he served as a member of its first building committee in 1854. He was an officer in the 1850s of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M. and a trustee of Waco School District, No.1.
Fred J. Axling, ca. 1836-1876. A native of Sweden. A member of J. H. Gurley Lodge No. 337, A.F. and A.M. A member of the Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, of the Waco Fire Department.
Thomas Hudson Barron, 1796-1874. A native of Virginia. Son of John M. and Susan Mattingly Barron. In 1820, he married Elizabeth Curnell. Listed in Austin’s register of families. His company of rangers established Fort Fisher in 1837. Served as a captain of Texas Rangers. In 1857, he opened a steam mill on Barron’s Branch in Waco. Later served as a McLennan County tax assessor-collector. Texas Historical Marker.
Walter Wyatt Bennett, 1819-1860. A native of Christian County, Kentucky. Moved to Texas ca. 1855. A pioneer of Bold Springs in McLennan County. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey by Staton and Meredith.)
Margaret Jane Keister Beville, 1844-1893. A native of Blacksburg, Virginia. Married Dr. Alexander Archer Beville, 1841-1930, on Dec. 24, 1867. Moved to Waco in 1870. Her husband was Waco’s first dentist and was a charter member of Austin Avenue Methodist Church in 1901. Their son, Dr. Alexander Jacob Beville, returned to Waco to practice dentistry after his graduation from the Dental Department of the University of Maryland. She was buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery. (Her grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Mary Azalete Gurley Blocker, 1825-1902. A native of Alabama. Wife of Richard Furman Blocker and daughter of Davis R. and Patience Gurley. Came to Texas ca. 1852.
Richard Furman Blocker, 1824-1861. Attended LaGrange College. Moved to Waco Village to practice law in 1851. Richard F. Blocker and Edwards J. Gurley formed the first law firm in Waco.
John William Brinegar, Sr., 1851-1913. A native of Missouri. Brought his wife Sarah Hill and three children to Waco in 1881. A native of Kentucky, Sarah Hill died in Waco in 1889. He later married Julia Sanderson in 1890. His gravesite has a large granite ledger noting the history of his family and descendants.
Matilda Brown, 1802-1888. A native of Louisiana and a black midwife. (Her grave marker was found during the excavations for the new Texas Rangers’ Company F Headquarters building in 2008.)
Robert Brown, 1873-1906. A Knight of Tabor, International Order of Twelve, 333-777. Grave marker mentions his sister Maggie Patterson, born April 2, 1869.
William Calmes Buck, 1790-1872. A native of Virginia. Ordained in the Baptist church in 1812. A veteran of the War of 1812. Editor of the Western Pioneer and Baptist Banner. Served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Louisville, Kentucky. Did missionary work among the Confederate soldiers at his own expense. Came to Waco in 1866. Was a Latin, Greek, and Hebrew scholar.
Willis Field Buck, 1845-1888. A native of Kentucky. Son of Rev. William C. Buck. Served in 42nd Alabama Regiment during the Civil War. Graduated in 1867 from Louisville Medical College. Was McLennan County physician with Dr. Halbert in 1877. Married Nannie Harrison, 1848-1888, daughter of Dr. Richard Harrison. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M.
George Ewing Burney, 1814-1878. A native of Tennessee. Husband of Sarah A. Blair Burney. Elected to the Arkansas legislature. In 1847, he migrated to Texas and settled in Milam County. Elected to the Texas legislature in 1848, he introduced the bill creating McLennan, Bell, and Falls counties. In 1850, became a resident of Waco, and later served in Texas Senate. He introduced bills granting charters to Waco Bridge Co., Waco Tap Railroad, and Waco Manufacturing Co.
W.D. Chambers, 1833-1892. A native of Mississippi. Graduated from Louisville College of Law in Kentucky and entered the practice of law at Waco in 1853. Member of the 21st Regiment, Texas Volunteer Cavalry. Served as mayor of Waco from 1860 to 1861. Later served as district judge in Waco in 1870.
John Christianson, ca. 1838-1888. First tailor in Waco. A member of the Scandinavian Lutheran Church. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Alexander Michael Clingman, 1830-1870. A Civil War veteran. Graduated in 1860 from Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of the founders of the Waco Medical Association. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M.
Sarah Ann Coates Clinton, 1831-1906. A native of Virginia. Daughter of William C. and Susan L. Palmer Coates. Married William Swan Clinton in 1850 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Parents of seven children. A member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
William Swan Clinton, 1827-1912. A native of Hardeman County, Tennessee. Son of Robert and Sarah Conrad Clinton. Came to McLennan County in 1856. He was a Confederate veteran and served as deputy sheriff of McLennan County in 1866. A member of the Old Settlers’ Association. A member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Catherine Minerva Murdock Coates, 1846-1869. A native of Tallapoosa County,
Alabama. Married George T. Coates in 1861 in McLennan County.
George T. Coates, 1838-1891. A native of Tennessee. Son of William C. and Susan Palmer Coates. Married Catherine Minerva Murdock in 1861 in McLennan County. After her death, he married Arabella Frost in 1871 in McLennan County. Arabella Frost Coates, 1851-1929, was a daughter of J. P. and Mary Thurman Frost, and she is buried in Oakwood Cemetery. George T. Coates was a Confederate veteran and a pioneer of Waco.
William C. Coates, 1804-1863. A native of Halifax County, Virginia. Son of William Coates, 1781-1846. Married Susan L. Palmer in 1828 in Halifax County, Virginia. After her death, he married Nancy E. Lile/Lyle in 1846 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. Moved from Hardeman County, Tennessee to McLennan County ca. 1856. A planter, he owned land along the Brazos River in the area of Tehuacana Creek. Served as a McLennan County commissioner, precinct 3, from 1858-1862.
Edward D. Conger, 1835-1890. A native of New York. Son of Uriah and Hannah West Conger. Husband of Helen A. Wheeler Conger, 1842-1923, a daughter of Alvin and Jerusha Stevens Wheeler. A Civil War veteran. Came to McLennan County in 1871. With his two brothers, bought the Miguel Rabajo grant of land in northern McLennan County. Brought the first registered Durham cattle to Texas. Owned an ice factory in Waco. Later appointed postmaster of Waco in 1889.
James F. Davis, 1823-1885. A native of Tennessee. Husband of Brunette Elizabeth Selman, a daughter of John Hunter Selman, 1804-1841. Studied law under N. S. Brown, Governor of Tennessee. Came to Waco in 1850 and entered the practice of law in 1851. Elected chief justice of McLennan County in 1852. Served on the 1856 building committee
for a new McLennan County courthouse. In 1860 served as district attorney. Was a law partner for a while with Judge A. J. Evans and later with Dr. Thomas Moore. Was a trustee of Fifth Street (now First) Methodist Church. Was a Confederate veteran.
Thomas E. Davis, ca.1859-1898. A native of Waco. Son of James F. and Brunette Elizabeth Selman Davis. He was a planter and was a Baylor University supporter. He shot William Cowper Brann, editor of The Iconoclast, on April 1, 1898; W. C. Brann returned Davis’ fire, and both men died the next day. His feud with Brann may be related to attacks on Baylor University in The Iconoclast. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.) Texas Historical Marker for the Brann-Davis shooting is located in the 100 block of S. 4th Street.
Ann Evans Denison, 1838-1856. A native of Georgia. Wife of Franklin L. Denison, 1831-1889, who moved to Waco in 1854 and began his practice of law. He served as state prosecuting attorney for some time. Frank Denison founded and published The Register. He was a Confederate veteran.
Aunt Martha Downs, ca. 1841-1895. A philanthropist. Funeral at Saint James Methodist Church of Waco was attended by 2000 mourners, white and black. (Her grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Ann Eliza Harrison Earle, 1810-1881. A native of South Carolina. Wife of Dr. Baylis Wood Earle. Daughter of Isham and Harriet Kelly Harrison. A pioneer of Waco.
Baylis Wood Earle, 1805-1859. A native of Pendleton District, South Carolina. Son of John B. and Sarah Taylor Earle. Married Ann Eliza Harrison in 1829. Received his M.D. degree from Transylvania College in Kentucky. Moved to Waco ca. 1857 and built what is known today as the Earle-Harrison House.
W. D. Eastland, 1826-1877. A native of Alabama. A pioneer physician and druggist. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M. A member of First Baptist Church of Waco. On February 22, 1877, the edifice of First Baptist Church was destroyed by fire. Dr. Eastland helped other church members combat the fire and contracted pneumonia from this exertion and exposure. He died a few days later.
Andrew Jackson Evans, 1831-1897. A native of South Carolina. Came to Waco in 1850. Served as district judge from 1868-1870. Also served as the U.S. district attorney for the Western District of Texas, circa 1876.
John T. Flint, 1827-1897. A native of New York. Husband of Lavina H. Flint, ca. 1830-1876. Traveled from New York to Ohio to study law in private law offices. Moved to Waco and established the banking house of Flint and Chamberlin in 1866 and the law firm of Flint, Chamberlin, and Graham. President of Waco Bridge Company which built Waco suspension bridge. Served as a Texas legislator in 1861. A Confederate veteran.
Francis O. Flournoy, 1838-1882. A native of Gallatin, Tennessee. Wife of William Michael Flournoy.
Robert Willis Flournoy, 1828-1877. A native of Georgia. A Methodist minister, he served churches in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Married Mrs. Sykes of Albany, Georgia. After her death, he married Sarah Campbell in 1860. Came to Texas ca. 1874.
William Michael Flournoy, 1834-1911. A native of Louisville, Georgia. Attended college at Athens, Georgia. Moved to Waco in 1869. Appointed a special district judge for McLennan, Falls, and Bosque counties. Served as an alderman of Waco. Served in Confederate Army. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Samuel Johan Forsgard, 1828-1912. A native of Sweden. In 1855, came to Texas during the first wave of Swedish immigration. In 1857, married Mary C. Johnson, 1827-1897, in Austin. Moved to Waco and established a bakery, restaurant, and confectionary business. Established Ambold’s Sporting Goods Company. A Civil War veteran. His home at 1122 N. 4th Street is now a house museum. Texas Historical Marker.
William Aldridge Fort, 1826-1878. A native of Alabama. Graduate of LaGrange College in 1846. Married Dionitia Wilson in 1856. Came to Waco ca. 1850. Served in Confederate Army during the Civil War. He and George Jackson opened a private bank which later became Waco National Bank. His home at 503 S. 4th Street is now a house museum. He was later re-interred in Oakwood Cemetery.
Davis Robert Gurley, 1792-1861. A native of Johnston County, North Carolina. Son of Edwards and Mary Davis Gurley. Attended the Meadhill School in Wayne Co., North Carolina. Moved to Waco ca. 1852. Bought 1,600 acres of Brazos River bottomland for growing cotton, corn, and wheat. Built a gristmill, gin, saddleshop, and blacksmith’s shop on his plantation.
Patience Bland Smith Gurley, 1797-1885. A native of South Carolina. Daughter of Joshua and Mary Anderson Smith. Wife of Davis Gurley and a pioneer of Waco. She died at Liberty Hall, the Gurley plantation.
James Henry Gurley, 1829-1865. A native of Alabama. Son of Davis R. and Patience Smith Gurley. A charter member of Bosque (now Waco) Lodge No. 92, A.F. & A.M. Second Masonic lodge in Waco named in his memory. Attended LaGrange College. Came to Waco and engaged in general mercantile business. Later developed a large plantation. Married Lucy Barnard, ca. 1830-1869, sister of George Barnard.
Bonnie Bell Hamlett Hall, 1888-1968. A native of Waco. Daughter of Dr. S. B. Hamlett and Johnnie T. Johnson Hamlett. Wife of Thomas Gladdin Hall, 1887-1944. Her grave marker is the most recent known marker in the cemetery.
Johnnie T. Johnson Hamlett, 1862-1934. A native of Texas. Daughter of Lucy Virginia Helm, 1839-1928, and Fauntley Johnson, 1831-1909, who are buried in Oakwood Cemetery. She married Dr. S. B. Hamlett on February 11, 1885.
S. B. Hamlett, ca. 1846-1908. A native of Texas. Came to Waco ca. 1870. Enlisted at 15 years of age in the Confederate Army. A pioneer Waco physician and a manufacturing chemist. A member of the Waco Medical Association. He and Dr. W. H. Wilkes were in practice together. Served as a deacon of First Baptist Church of Waco. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M. His wife, Jennie H. Casseday Hamlett, died Aug. 31, 1877.
James Edward Harrison, 1815-1875. A native of Greenville District, South Carolina. Son of Isham and Harriet Kelly Harrison. In 1841, he married Mary Evans, a daughter of James Evans. A member of the Mississippi senate. In 1857, purchased a 6,000 acre tract in McLennan and Falls counties and built Tehuacana Retreat, the Harrison plantation. By 1861, he served on the boards of Trinity River Male High School and First Baptist Church of Waco. Promoted to Brigadier General in the Confederate Army in 1864. Able to speak
Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek languages. Served on the board of Waco University and served as first president of the Baptist General Association of Texas. Served as a trustee of Baylor University.
Richard Harrison, 1821-1876. A native of Alabama. One of a trio of brothers who all
gained rank of general in Confederate Army. He was a great grandnephew of U.S. President William Henry Harrison. Attended Kentucky Medical College. Was a physician prior to his army service. His first marriage was to Miss Ragsdale of Mississippi. After her death, he married Mary Tompkins, 1839-1869. His third marriage was to Emma Buck, 1837-1933, daughter of Rev. William C. Buck. Served as president of the Baptist State Convention of Mississippi. Moved to Texas in 1866. A trustee of Waco University. Served as chairman of the deacons of First Baptist Church of Waco. Texas Historical Marker is located about 10 miles north of Waco in a roadside park on southbound side of I-35.
John T. Harrison, 1862-1911. A native of Mississippi. Son of General Richard Harrison and Mary Tompkins Harrison. Husband of Lula Dickey Harrison, 1868-1896. In 1880, he received his A.B. degree from Baylor University and received his B.L. degree from St. Louis Law School. Formed a law practice with A. M. Harris. Elected justice of the peace in 1880 and 1890.
Thomas Harrison, 1823-1891. A native of Jefferson County, Alabama. In 1843, moved to Brazoria County, Texas, where he studied law. Represented Harris County in the Texas legislature. In 1855, moved to Waco, where he was a deacon of First Baptist Church and a trustee of Trinity River Male High School. In 1858, married Sarah E. McDonald, 1838-1882. Became a colonel of the Terry’s Texas Rangers. Promoted to Brigadier General in the Confederate Army in 1865. Elected district judge in 1866 and served as a trustee of Waco University. Later re-interred in Oakwood Cemetery.
J. B. Hayes, died 1876. Husband of Mary Elizabeth Hayes, ca. 1839-1900. Erected first brick building in East Waco. Served as president of the Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1.
Demetrius Hays, ca. 1801-1861. Brother of Judge Daniel Smith Hays. Came to Waco in the 1850s. A surveyor, he helped George Erath in the platting of Waco.
Jane Boyd Hays, 1808-1883. A native of Rockingham County, Virginia. Daughter of Elizabeth Burgess and John Boyd, Jr., a veteran of the American Revolution. Wife of Judge Daniel Smith Hays. Came to Waco ca. 1858 with her six grown children: John W., Mary L., Martha Jane, H. Clay, James Daniel, and Victoria A. Hays.
Walter Helm, 1850-1885. A native of Tennessee. Married Mamie Bowen on October 25, 1881. Waco pioneers. A graduate of Waco University in 1869.
F. M. Henschel, Sr., 1822-1893. A native of Germany. A Methodist minister.
John P. Houston, 1831-1871. Husband of Virginia M. Houston, 1840-1881. Graduated in 1853 from University of Louisville Medical College. Joined the Waco Medical Association in 1867. Practiced with Dr. J. H. Caldwell. A Civil War veteran.
Martha “Mattie” Jane Hays Howe, 1831-1900. A native of Kentucky. Daughter of Judge and Mrs. Daniel Smith Hays. Wife of Dr. Samuel D. Howe. Came to Waco in the 1850s. A member of the Daughters of the King at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church. The stained-glass window of the Good Shepherd at Saint Paul’s Church was given in memory of Mattie Hays Howe, wife of Dr. S. D. Howe.
Samuel Dunlap Howe, 1837-1871. A native of Fleming County, Kentucky. Husband of Martha Jane Hays Howe. A Confederate veteran and pioneer Waco physician and pharmacist. The stained-glass window of Saint Paul above the altar of Saint Paul’s Church was given in memory of Dr. Samuel D. Howe and Mrs. H. Clay Quarles.
Andrew Jackson Ish, 1830-1915. A native of Tennessee. Son of Alexander K. and Elizabeth Ish. Husband of Susan L. Henderson Ish, 1834-1898. A graduate of Emory and Henry College in 1849. A colonel in the Civil War. Moved to McLennan County in 1867. A charter member of Central Presbyterian Church.
William Danforth Ish, 1839-1877. A native of Blount County, Tennessee. Son of Alexander K. and Elizabeth Ish. Came to Texas in 1859. Member of L. S. Ross company of rangers in 1860. A Confederate veteran.
Telephus Telemachus Louis Augustus Albartus Johnson, 1822-1875. A native of Alabama. Son of Hezekiah Johnson. Moved to Waco in 1852 and became one of the wealthiest men in Waco. Originally interred in the large red brick mausoleum near the entrance to First Street Cemetery. Later re-interred in Oakwood Cemetery.
Fountain Jones, ca. 1829-1878. A native of Louisiana. Husband of Virginia Andrews Jones, 1829-1902. A surgeon and homeopathic physician. Came to Waco in 1874. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M. A Civil War veteran.
Mary A. E. Folts Jurney, ca. 1829-1876. Came to Waco in 1854. Wife of John C. Jurney, 1830-1903. A native of Kentucky, he was a Confederate veteran and served as a Waco alderman. After the Civil War, started Ripley and Jurney hardware.
Reuben Kaufman, ca. 1836-1912. Served as sexton of Hebrew Rest Cemetery. Helped his son move some graves from First Street Cemetery to Oakwood Cemetery.
Nancy J. Cooper Kellum, 1826-1855. Married in 1843 in Mississippi to William R. Kellum. Moved to McLennan County, circa 1854. In 1867, started Kellum and Sparks general merchandise. W. R. Kellum served as a deacon of First Baptist Church and served as a trustee of Waco Univeristy.
Robert Brown Lambdin, 1821-1891. A native of Virginia. Son of Rev. William Lambdin and Susan Corner Lambdin. Founded Waco’s first newspaper, The Waco Era in 1854. Served in 30th Regiment of the Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. Was later associated with The Independent Pulpit, published by James. D. Shaw.
Susan Corner Lambdin, 1786-1869. A native of Maryland. A pioneer of Waco. Wife of Rev. William Lambdin of Virginia. Mother of Rev. William McKendree Lambin, Lucretia Lambdin Prather, and Robert Brown Lambdin of Waco.
William McKendree Lambdin, 1811-1867. A native of Virginia. Son of Rev. William Lambdin and Susan Corner Lambdin. In 1834, he married Phebe G. Lamb, who later died in 1849. In 1855, he married Susan Amelia Thompson, 1830-1910. Came to Waco in 1857. Served as president of Waco Female College. Later served as pastor of churches known today as First Methodist Church of Waco, Bosqueville Methodist Church, and First Methodist Church of Houston. Texas Historical Marker.
Henry C. Lazenby, Moved to Waco circa 1866. A Confederate veteran. His son, Robert Sherman Lazenby, produced Circle-A ginger ale in Waco in 1884. The soft drink was regulation in the Army and Navy during the Spanish-American War. Robert Sherman Lazenby established the Dr Pepper Company.
Jacob Long, 1811-1878. A native of North Carolina. Served as a district judge, city recorder, and mayor from 1872-1874. Was an officer in Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and
A.M. from 1863-1866.
Mary A. Long, 1817-1899. A native of Tennessee. Wife of Jacob Long, a former Waco mayor. Came to Waco ca. 1859.
Mary Rebecca Majors, 1831-1858. A native of Philadelphia. Wife of William P.S. Majors, a Confederate veteran. A Waco pioneer.
Martha J. Murdock Maloney, 1848-1880. Wife of W. Harvey Maloney. Daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Gains Murdock. W. H. Maloney came to McLennan County ca. 1870 and was a farmer and cattleman. Martha Murdock Maloney was a member of the Missionary Baptist church.
Jacob Gustor Meissner, 1839-1902. A native of Dresden, Germany. Came to Waco ca. 1862. A member of the Odd Fellows. A Civil War veteran.
Daniel Moore, 1801-1873. A native of Jackson County, Georgia. Son of John Moore, a veteran of the American Revolution. Came to Fort Gates in Bell County in 1853. Served as first county treasurer of Coryell County from 1854-1856. Moved to McLennan County in 1859. Owned the first blacksmith shop in Robinson.
Elizabeth Davis Moore, 1809-1878. A native of South Carolina and wife of Daniel Moore. They married June 15, 1826 in Hall County, Georgia. Parents of 13 children. A pioneer of McLennan County.
James Yancey Moore, 1811-1869. A native of North Carolina. A pioneer of McLennan County. Brought family from Dent County, Missouri to Waco in 1856. Purchased a 118 acre homestead on Waco Creek, near the present Brookview/Fairgate areas of Waco. His gravesite has a large granite ledger noting the history of his family and descendants.
Shepart Mullins, ca. 1828-1871. Born a slave in Lawrence County, Alabama. Came to Texas in 1854. Purchased land in and around Waco between 1865-1870. In 1866 married
Sallie Downs. In 1867 served on the platform committee of the first Republican party convention in Texas. Member of Texas Constitutional Convention of 1868-69. In 1869 selected to serve as a McLennan County commissioner. Elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1869. Favored the establishment of the Texas State Police and a militia
to control violence.
James M. Norris, 1819-1874. A native of South Carolina. Husband of Sophronia E. Robinson Norris. Read law in the office of Humphrey and Avery at Columbus, Mississippi, and in 1841 moved to Washington County, Texas. He served as a colonel in the Civil War and later practiced law in Waco for seven years.
Mary M. Arnold Nowlin, ca. 1835-1858. Wife of J. W. Nowlin, who settled in Waco in 1850. They married on June 27, 1852 in Waco. An attorney, he was first associated with Richard Coke and later with M. D. Herring. The firm of Nowlin and Herring became a prominent practice in McLennan County. He was a charter member of Bosque (now Waco) Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M.
Charles Baer Pearre, 1834-1908. A native of Maryland. Husband of Harriet “Hallie” Kelly Earle. Attended Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Came to Waco in 1854. Elected city attorney in 1856. A member of Terry’s Texas Rangers. A major in the Civil War. In 1866 elected district attorney for Nineteenth Judicial District. In 1884 appointed U.S. district attorney for the northern district of Texas.
Harriet “Hallie” Kelly Earle Pearre, 1840-1893. A native of Mississippi. Daughter of Dr. Baylis Wood Earle and Eliza Harrison Earle. Wife of Charles Baer Pearre. Attended Judson College in Alabama. Came to Waco ca. 1857. Elected one of seven deaconesses of First Baptist Church of Waco in 1877. (Her grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Caroline Peters, ca. 1824-1851. A native of Alabama. Wife of Hutson Peters who was born ca. 1820. Moved to Waco ca. 1851 from Rusk Co., Texas. He was a charter member of Bosque (now Waco) Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M., and held Masonic offices from 1852 to 1856. He served as McLennan County tax collector from 1857 to 1865. Her grave marker is the oldest known marker in the cemetery.
Conrad Peters, 1833-1875. First cobbler in Waco. Immigrated to Texas from Berlin, Germany, before the Civil War. Made boots and shoes for the Confederate soldiers.
James C. Pettigrew, ca. 1816-1892. A native of Washington County, Missouri. Son of John and Sarah Baird Pettigrew. Moved to Victoria County, Texas ca. 1837. Came to Waco in 1851 where he constructed many early buildings. A member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M., and the Odd Fellows. A charter member of Central Presbyterian Church. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Margaret Lattimer Pettigrew, ca. 1828-1907. A native of St. Louis, Missouri. A pioneer of Waco. Came to Waco in 1851. A charter member of Central Presbyterian Church. (Her grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
George W. Prather, 1806-1874. A native of Tennessee. Ordained a deacon in the Methodist church in 1847. Moved to Texas in 1854 and bought 3,000 acres along the South Bosque River. One of the original investors in Waco Bridge Co.
Lucretia Lambdin Prather, 1813-1875. A native of Ohio. Wife of Rev. George W. Prather. Sister of Rev. William McKendree Lambdin and Robert Brown Lambdin of Waco. A pioneer of Waco.
Henry Clay Hays Quarles, ca. 1833-1877. A native of Kentucky. A daughter of Jane Boyd Hays and Judge Daniel Smith Hays. Wife of William “Fred” Friedrich von Steuben Quarles, ca. 1833-1898. A native of Tennessee, he served as a vestryman of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in 1868 and was a tinner. A Confederate veteran, he is buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. The stained-glass window of Saint Paul above the altar of Saint Paul’s Church was given in memory of Dr. Samuel D. Howe and Mrs. H. Clay Quarles.
James Harvey Richey, 1829-1886. A native of Tennessee. Husband of Bettie S. Richey, 1834-1871. A Methodist minister for 30 years. Moved to Waco in 1867. Was McLennan County tax collector from 1876-1882. A member of the Knights of Honor.
Armstead Ross, 1821-1883. Slave and companion of Shapley Ross. Came to Texas with Ross in 1839. Assisted in building the first house in Waco. Worked as an independent drayman. Was entrusted with responsibility of caring for the Ross family while Shapley Ross was absent on Indian expeditions and during the Civil War. Was one of the original twenty-one settlers in Waco Village.
Thomas Jefferson Selman, 1834-1885. A native of Alabama. Son of John Hunter Selman, 1804-1841. Husband of Margaret J. Moore Selman, 1845-1905. Came to Texas in 1850 and settled in Waco in 1851. Joined the Lone Star Guards and served in Hood’s brigade in 1861. Elected captain of his company. Was first superintendent of the Waco suspension bridge. He was later re-interred in Oakwood Cemetery
Mary Martin Somervell, 1812-1893. Wife of Judge Willis L. Somervell, 1811-1864.
He was a member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M. Pioneers of Waco.
John K. Street, 1837-1914. A native of Tennessee. Son of Joseph and Mary K. Street. Moved to Texas in 1854. Served in the Confederate Army and later moved to Waco where he became a newspaper publisher and editor. Established Street’s Monthly and was editor of the Central Texan. During the 1880s had charge of Waco Examiner. A member of Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities.
Agnes Keziah Gurley Taylor, 1830-1878. A native of Franklin County, Alabama and daughter of Davis R. and Patience Smith Gurley. Wife of Rev. Howell L. Taylor.
Howell L. Taylor, 1828-1886. A native of Haywood County, Tennessee. Attended La Grange College. Came to Texas in 1863. A Methodist minister and a Confederate veteran.
James H. Torbett, 1823-1913. A native of Augusta County, Virginia. One of the first settlers in Waco. In 1845, served two years in a U.S. regiment during the Mexican War and was with the army of occupation in Mexico City. A Civil War veteran. In Waco, he served as an alderman, deputy district clerk, and city recorder.
Sarah A. Herndon Torbett, 1831-1898. A native of Clarkesville, Georgia. Wife of James H. Torbett. Came to McLennan County in 1852. Died in Marlin, Falls County, Texas.
Benjamin Walker, 1819-1870. A native of East Tennessee. Ordained an elder in 1843 by Salem Baptist Church. Came to Waco in 1866 and was first pastor of East Waco Baptist Church. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Almira G. Wallace, ca. 1835-1903. A native of Alabama. Wife of James D. Wallace. Came to Waco in 1857. He served as county treasurer from 1878-1890. (Her grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
Tempie Lewis Williams, 1867-1910. A native of McLennan County, Texas. Daughter of Howell and Pleasant Lewis. Wife of Columbus Williams. Grave marker has the following inscription: S. M. T., Knights and Daughters of Tabor, and International Order of Twelve.
Shed Willis, ca. 1817-1903. A native of Virginia. Husband of Isabella Willis, 1833-1885. Slave of Judge Nicholas William Battle. Moved to Waco in 1855. A blacksmith. Served on the city council for two terms after the Civil War. (His grave marker was missing at the time of the 1962 cemetery survey.)
John A. Winn, ca. 1816-1870. Waco pioneer. Husband of Eveline A. Winn, ca. 1823-1864. Served as Waco mayor pro-tem in 1860. A charter member of Waco’s I.O.O.F. Lodge in 1854, and a member of Waco Lodge No. 92, A.F. and A.M. A Civil War veteran.
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Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
- adapted from The Book of Common Prayer
References
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Central Texas Genealogical Society
1965 McLennan County, Texas, Cemetery Records, Vol. I.
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1852-1952.
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1893 A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell
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