Hill Cemetery , Trenton , Texas

Fannin County TXGenWeb
Hill Cemetery History & Deed info.
Trenton , Texas

From G. Kay Hill

Oct 1, 1998
Janis Smith
City Secretary
City of Trenton
203 North Pearl Street P.O. Box 44
Trenton, Texas 75490
Dear Janis,
I visited with you some months ago when I was doing genealogical research on my family and specifically research on the Burns cemetery. In looking at your records, I reviewed the writeup on the Hill cemetery by Wynell Summers.
I commented at the time that there were a few discrepancies since the land was donated by my mother and me. I have rewritten a small portion which is attached.
Sorry this has taken so long, but I hope it will be of benefit and clarification.
Sincerely,
G. Kay Hill

Paragraph 7 came and settled sometime another to choose Trenton as their horn
town.
Rubertina Hill McCollom, a white citizen lady of Trenton, once married to the late Charles William Hill, dates are Jan.ll, 1891 - March 14, 1945, buried in Burns Cemetery, and her son George Kay Hill, who saw to the needs by allowing the colored to bury their loved ones within the town that they had chosen to call home.
It was after her husband's death, in 1952 upon the death of Joe Summerhill, who was a farm laborer for the Hill family for many years, that she and her son allowed his family to bury him t rest on their land.
Rubertina married Robert Noel McCollom in December 1945 and with her son George Kay Hi! moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On June 10, 1954, Mr. And Mrs. McCollom and her son 111 Hill granted, sold and conveyed ............................
This same story was al so published in the Trenton's Tribune newspaper on Page 1, Volume 81-No.35 of August 29,1991)
HILL CEMETERY
By: Wynell Summers
The Hill Cemetery is located about a and just down the back road of the Burns Texas off Highway 121.
Even though Trenton by 1877, already had a cemetery; which is known as Burns Cemetery, it was and never has been used for any Colored family to bury any of their loved ones within it.
As history replays itself even today the year being 1991; they still don't.
In Trenton's early days, as the Negro families came, whenever one of their loved ones died the family would return back home. Originally somewhere back east or using the Randolph, Bonham,Paris, Bells, or Whitewright cemeteries to bury to bury their loved ones.
It was not uncommon during Trenton's early days seeing them returning to their original home sites during their time of sorrow.
Among some of the first Colored families were the Halls, Looney,Green, Galbreath, Turner, Brown, and Massey.
Down through the years, Hailey, Harrison, Phillips, McFarland, stephens, Nobles, etc. came and settled sometime another to choose Trenton as their home town.
Rubertina Hill McCollom, a white citizen lady of Trenton, once married to the late Charles William Hill, dates are Jan. 11, 1891-March 14,1945, buried in Burns Cemetery, was one who saw to the needs of allowing the Colored to bury their loved ones within the town, that they had chosen to call home.
It was after her husband's death"in 1952 upon the death of Joe Summerhill, who was a farm laborer for the Hill family for many years, that she allowed his family to bury him to rest on her land.
Rubertina moved later to Pennsylvania to be with her son, George
Kay Hill. She then married R.N. McCollom and to them on June
10, 1954 they granted, sold and conveyed for $1.00 the land with-in a fenced area to be used as a public burial ground for the Colored.
With the trustees being: Plaza Green, George Massey, and Oscar Galbreath whom in returned named the cemetery after her, which to-day is still known as "Hil1 Cemetery" .
Today, the year being 1991, this cemetery holds 37 burials, the first being of Joe Summerhill, 1883-1952, the latest burial is of Willie Hue Nobles born Feb. 10, 1911, died Oct. 8,1989; he was a U.S. Navy World War II veteran.
There are several of these 37 graves where a funeral marker has been left to mark a loved ones site, however; either most or all its information upon showing its name and dates are missing.
It was upon the help of Jessie McFarland, who is the cemetery's vice-president, as well as the one who takes care of this cemetery today, was able to tell and identify each of these 37 graves.
The officers of the cemetery today are: Curley Paul Green, president; Jessie McFarland, vice-president; Tommy Green,
treasurer; and Joe Hall, secretary.
(This is a retype of the original copy of deed of the Hill Cemetery. retyped by:Wynell Summers, August 29, 1991.)
The 'State of Texas
County of Fannin.
KNOWN ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:
That we, R.N. McCollom and Rubertina Hill McCollom, husband ---dolla;s, and other good and valuable considerations, the receipt of which are hereby acknowledged and confessed, and the further consideration that the property herein conveyed by perpetually used as a public cemetery, have granted,
sold, and conveyed be perpetually used as a public cemetery, have granted, sold and conveyed and by these presents do grant, sell and convey unto Plaz Green, George Massey and Oscar Galbreath as Trustees of the Hill Cemetery Association, of the county of Fannin, State of Texas, all that certain tract or parcel of land, situated in Fannin County, Texas, out of the W.B. Burns survey, specifically described as follows: Beginning at the S.W. corner of approximately 129.2 acres of land described in a deed of trust from W.A. Wilson to C.F. O'Donnell Trustee, of record in Book 45, Page 633, Deed of
Trust Records of Fannin County, Texas, on the East side of a public road; .
Thence E. with the S. line of said tract and with an established
fence, 80 ft. to a corner in said fence;
Thence N. with an established fence line, 250 ft. to a corner in said fence;
Thence W. 80 ft. with an established fence line to the E. line of a public road;
Thence S. with the E. line of said road to the place of beginning the property herein conveyed being presently used by the Hill Cemetery Association Colored as a public burial ground.
To Have and to Hold the above described premises, together with all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto in anywise be-longing unto the said PI aza Green, George Massey, and Oscar Galbreath as Trustees of the Hill Cemetery Association, and their successors, as long as the premises herein conveyed are used as a public cemetery; but if and when said premises are abandoned or cease to be used as a public cemetery, all the right, title and interest herein conveyed in said lands and premises shall revert to and vest in the grantors, their heirs, and assigns, forever.
Witness our hands, this the lOth. day of June, 1954.
R.N. McCOLLOM
(Note) Their signature are on the original copy)
RUBERTINA HILL McCOLLOM
The State of Pennsylvania County of Mercer
Before Me, the undersigned authority, a Notary Public in and for said State and County,on this day personally appeared R. N. McCollom and Rubertina Hill McCollom his wife,known to me to be the persons, whose names are subscribed to the foregoing

continued of retyped copy of deed of Hill Cemetery.
the' purposes and consideration therein expressed; and the said Rubertina Hill McColloml wife of the said R.N. McCollom, having been examined by me privily and apart from her husband, and having the same fully explained to her, she, the said Rubertina Hi11
McCollom, acknowledged such instrument to be her act and deed, and she declared that she had willingly signed the, same for the purposes and consideration therein expressed, and that she did not wish to retract it.
Given under my Hand and Seal of Office, this the 18th. day of June 1954.
Signed by a Notary Public of Pennsylvania
(Note) Again on the original copy it is signed and also notarized. At the time I, Wynell Summers had received the original copy from Jessie McFarland, Vice-President of the Hill Cemetery on Aug. 27, 1991, however I II Wynell Summers could not find the time to make a copy of it, therefore; I merely retyped a copy off the original copy of which this Cemetery obtains today as of Aug. 27,1991.
(3)

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