Graham-Mason Cemetery
Apr 19th, 2008 by Ruth Stephens
Graham-Mason Cemetery is located southeast of Irene on CR 3449 in Hill County, Texas. It has been restored by the Graham-Mason Cemetery Association with iron pipe fencing added, broken tombstones repaired, and a Texas Historical Marker and Texas Historic Cemetery Medallion have been placed on the site. According to some family history, slaves and former slaves were buried in and around the site, and there is at least one grave marked only with rocks. The above information was obtained from Judy Graham.
Jennie Margaret Melton is buried at Graham-Mason Cemetery. She was the wife of my great-granduncle, Francis Lee Turner. According to the family lore, when Jennie and their infant son Claude died just months apart in 1887-88, Frank Turner was so devastated that he left their two daughters, Mattie and Lizzie, with his brother John Joseph Turner and disappeared, possibly to South America, and was never seen again.
This inventory was taken on 22 July 2006 and is shown in the order that I transcribed it, as I walked up and down the “rows”. This is an attempt to identity/maintain relationships. There is a total of 22 identified graves, many with accompanying marker stones with initials only.
A very special thanks to Frank and Judy Graham, who drove a long way from their home in order to meet me at the cemetery so that I could complete this labor of love.
Click on the thumbnail to see the original image:
Sarah Jane Jetton
1836-1920
Wife of J H Jetton
*****
James H Jetton
1839-1920
*****
Sarah Graham
16 Feb 1805
18 Feb 1892
(Wife of W A Graham)
*****
William A Graham
died 29 Aug 1881
“aged 73 yrs, 5 mos, 18 days”
*****
Maggie E Graham
died 23 Dec 1903
(Daughter of J A & J L Graham)
“Aged 14 years & 4 days”
“Gone but not forgotten”
*****
Infant Graham
9 Jun 1891
21 Jun 1891
(Daughter of J A & J L Graham)
“Sweet babe thy spirit now hath rest,
Thy sufferings now are o’er”
*****
Sophia E Graham
14 Aug 1832
16 Dec 1879
(Wife of R M Graham)
*****
Mary H Graham
died 29 Sep 1866
“age 6 yrs”
(Daughter of R M & S E Graham)
(This is a replacement stone for the original, which lies 15-20 feet away,
broken and essentially unreadable- see original stone below)
*****
Maggie J Graham
24 Feb 1867
3 Sep 1878
(Daughter of R M & S E Graham)
*****
Martha J Graham
1839-1920
(Wife of W J Graham)
*****
W J Graham
18 Sep 1833
1 Sep 1895
*****
Mary E Graham
22 Mar 1837
31 Aug 1868
(Wife of W J Graham)
“She sleeps in Jesus”
*****
Halbert C Graham
16 May 1875
4 Aug 1888
“A precious one from us is gone, A voice we loved is stilled,
A place is vacant in our home, Which never can be filled”
*****
Mary H Graham
(original stone)
*****
Lura E Graham
17 Nov 1878
17 Nov 1891
(Daughter of W J & M J Graham)
“Blessed be the pure of heart for they shall see God”
*****
Mary H Mason
6 Nov 1872
1 Jan 1873
(Daughter of A & M E Mason)
“A little time on earth she spent til God for her his angel sent”
*****
Unknown
(There are 2 graves here, marked only by stones, possibly a third grave to the right. One of these graves is believed to be that of Jennie Margaret Melton’s infant son Claudie Turner, 19 Apr 1887- 25 Jan 1888.)
*****
Jennie Margaret Melton
21 Mar 1864
21 May 1887
(Wife of Francis Lee Turner)
*****
A Mason
3 May 1842
10 Feb 1906
*****
Margaret Elizabeth Mason
13 Sep 1845
12 Feb 1922
(Wife of A Mason)
*****
Wm Robert Mason
1871-1948
Hallie A Mason
1875-1957
*****
George Stell
17 Nov 1916
17 Nov 1916
(Son of T C & H E Stell)
“Our little boy sleeps sweetly here”
*****
[...] 18 April 2008 by Ruth Stephens The Graham-Mason Cemetery photos and information are now available on the Cemeteries page. That was the smaller of the two [...]