HISTORY OF HILL COUNTY 1853-1980
Published by Hill County Historical Society
© 1980
Pages 42-42
Most churches had their own cemeteries and there were many small family cemeteries. Many cemeteries over the county have been disturbed by the installation of lakes. Mrs. Odette Bottom of Abbott has made an exhaustive study of the county cemeteries, those that have been lost and those that have been removed because of the lake water encroaching on the cemetery. She gives the following account:
Eugene and Odette Kennedy Bottom and Milford and Mayvette Kennedy Willis started in November 1975 listing the cemeteries and graves in Hill County. Three years later we had them listed, arranged in alphabetical order and typed--82 cemeteries. Some small family plots, others with thousands of markers.
For some, all that was needed was lots of paper, pencils, and clip boards, probe for stones that had fallen and was covered with dirt. Boxes and boxes of chalk to read the old and worn markers. In one cemetery, we wrapped our legs with newspapers because of grass burrs.
Some were easy to locate with the aid of a map of Hill County. Others we had to have help to find. Mr. Ellis Bailey helped locate the ones near Itasca. John and Martelia (Watson) Cochran went with us in the Irene area. After 3 attempts to find Steiner Valley Cemetery. Mr. Ray McNeely led the way.
Some of the small family plots are no longer there. The Stembridge Cemetery that dated back to 1850 and had 5 graves (some say seven) has been demolished, the markers all moved. It was located on the Joe Mikeska farm southwest of Abbott.
Burris....................................west of Malone
Rienzi....................................northwest of Malone
Zollicoffer.............................near Irene
Walling Family.....................near Brandon
Eureka...................................north of Hillsboro
Copperhead...........................west of Aquilla
Simons...................................near Bethel
Abbott
Jessie-Chatt
Scotts Chapel.......................southwest of Aquilla (off FM 1304)
Rockwall................................southeast of Itasca
There is a small cemetery near Latham Springs (formerly known as Offield Springs) that has one marker left. Others have been destroyed. The lone marker is that of Millerville Jeter, who died in 1866. Some of the old timers in the area say the other graves are of the Elliott family.
Lone graves-----I found these graves with the help of letters and too many phone calls to list:
There are other lone graves scattered about the county but do not have markers.
Cemeteries moved when Lake Whitney Dam was constructed: (From the records of U S Army Engineer, Fort Worth District.)
Captain Wilson, DeGraffenreid, Walling Bend, Towash (white), and two small Shuler Cemeteries were moved to Whitney. Towash (colored) was moved to a new location east of Whitney.
Allen Bend, Cedron Creek, Powell, Pogue, and Kimball Bend were moved to a new Kimball Cemetery, across the Brazos River into Bosque County, also a small Beasley Cemetery with no identifiable graves.
Fort Graham South and West , these were two small cemeteries near the larger Fort Graham. G. W. Webb, Benson and Phelps were moved to a plot just west of the Steiner Cemetery (in poor condition- but fenced) separate from Steiner Valley.