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Archiver > TX-CEMETERIES > 2002-03 > 1015630611
From: "Doris" <>
Subject: Re: [TX-Cem] Karnes county cemeteries
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 18:36:51 -0500
References: <10e.da1cd55.29ba7d77@aol.com>
Donna,
Thank you so very much for your kind help.
I will keep your letter in my family history notes, as the description is
very beautiful.
I believe the Strickland graves you found are of the family I'm researching,
as the name Myron is repeated in several places, and Mary C. is probably
Clarissa; they were both children of the family of Jerome & Nancy (Williams)
Strickland, who moved to Bandera county after 1870.
I believe the elder Stricklands are buried in the DeWitt county
Strickland cemetery, but may have to wait until I can arrange a vacation
trip back until I can try to find something there---looking in Texas
cemeteries is usually safest in late fall or winter, [especially the old and
not trimmed ones.]
I was so surprised to see that Ollie Reagan was buried there---this was not
expected at all!! However, it has to be the right one, since the birth date
is what we have from the bible records. We wondered why she wasn't buried
in the Reagan family plot in Del Rio.....she must have gone to live with
relatives in Karnes county---this is really news, and will help a lot to
fill the gap in her history.
I would love to have the pictures, and will look forward to getting them.
Please send your address and I will be happy to reimburse you for your
expense involved.
Thanks again,
Doris
<><
Doris....A Texan in Georgia.....
Still shaking the family tree and
dodging the nuts after 30+ years!
IBSSG
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, March 08, 2002 3:47 PM
Subject: Re: [TX-Cem] Karnes county cemeteries
Dear Doris and Dorothy,
I address this to you both since you shared an interest in the Stricklands
and the Helena cemetery. I have just returned from there, and will tell you
what I found.
The cemetery is about eight acres in size, with no rhyme or reason in the
order of burials. There are, I would guess, fewer than 100 graves, and they
are widely scattered across the property with a lot of space between. The
place is some distance off a country road, and very quiet, except for the
sound of goats in a neighboring field and some roosters and geese in a
nearby
farmhouse.
The graves generally date from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, with a very
few more modern burials. Except that those modern burials give evidence to
the contrary, I would say that the cemetery is a place forgotten. It is
maintained after a fashion; it looks as though someone occasionally takes a
tractor in and mows in the places where it is reasonably certain there are
no
graves. The rest of the place is overrun with tall grass and weeds. On the
positive side, I saw signs that, in a few weeks, the wildflowers will
totally
blanket the old graves. Irises have been planted in bygone times, and they
have multiplied as irises will. They, too, will be blooming in a few weeks.
I saw no trash whatever in the cemetery. It is an altogether peaceful
place.
As to the condition of the graves themselves . . . many are unmarked, and I
literally stumbled over them quite by accident. There are even more
headstones that have been broken, either by time or by vandals I could not
tell. I found one place where the headstones had been piled up, as though
no
one knew where they had originally been placed. All of the few aboveground
tombs are broken, and unfortunately many tombstones were made of concrete,
which does not stand the test of time. Those were virtually unreadable.
The
most poignant sight I saw was a little, broken, white marble headstone lying
flat on the ground, half buried by the grass. All I could read on it was
"Remember Me."
Doris, I found no trace of Schrier graves. The main names in the cemetery
seem to be Mayfield and Schuster. I found a large stone engraved with the
names Cooper, Reagan, and Lockhart. It seems to be the main marker for a
family plot, which is bounded by a concrete curb. The plot contains the
headstone of Ollie Reagan, born July 5, 1877, died November 24, 1957. There
is a metal marker also on the grave with the same dates that identifies the
occupant as "Miss" Ollie Reagan. Then there is a row of small stones about
4
inches by 8 inches set low into the ground. On each stone are initials and
years, and nothing more. They are as follows: A.M.C. 1828-1913, Mc.E.R.
1843-1898, C.C.C. 1857-1897, N.C.R. 1850-1881, J.M.C. 1844-1874, J.G.C.
1853-1879 and C.C.L. 1853-1881.
I did find two Strickland graves. One is the grave of Myron Strickland,
born
August 11, 1852, died February 4, 187(?)1. The other is of Mary C.
Strickland, born June 30, 1850, died February 7(?), 1865. At the bottom of
both stones are engraved the words, "We will meet the dear one in the sweet
by and by."
Those are the only graves I located in the Helena cemetery in which you
expressed an interest. I have taken photos of the headstones I mentioned,
and would be happy to forward copies to you once I have them developed and
get the scanned in.
According to the Karnes County TxGenWeb site, there is a Strickland Family
Cemetery in neighboring DeWitt County, but I don't see it listed on DeWitt's
TxGenWeb site. The Karnes County site has a lot of broken links, so I found
it only marginally helpful as far as cemetery lookups go.
Sorry I couldn't find more!
Donna
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