Tillman County, OK - Dunkard Church and Cemetery  aka Brethren Church
http://files.usgwarchives.net/ok/tillman/cemeteries/dunkard.txt

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Copyright © 2000 by Carolyn Tharp
E-mail patharp@ou.edu
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the USGenWeb Archives. 
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Source: From "Now and Then" by Carolyn Maxwell, The Frederick Press, November 7,
1974, (reprinted in The History of Tillman County©, Volume II, published
1978)	 
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Dunkard Church and Cemetery

The Dunkard Church, which was properly called the Brethren Church, was
located five miles east and 6-1/2 miles south from Frederick. The church was
associated with the German Baptists. One of its rituals centered around
footwashing, which was done ceremoniously once or twice a year, but always
on the Lord's Feast, or Last Supper.

Mrs. Louie Mitchell and the late Mrs. A. P. Briggs were the daughters of one
of the church's preachers, A. G. Fillmore. Joseph Nill, father of Mary
Barbara Freeland, was a Sunday School teacher and lay preacher.

The women always wore "prayer coverings," a small white cap that tied under
the chin. In addition, they oftentimes wore bonnets. The men often wore full
beards and never wore ties.

Differing from other country churches that served, with the school houses,
as social centers, the Dunkard Church was never the scene of informal,
lighthearted gatherings. The religion was very strict.

The church failed, Mrs. Mitchell says, because the old members died and the
younger ones moved away. There are still some Brethren churches in
Pennsylvania and California and even one in Thomas, Oklahoma.

The church building was bought and torn down by Mr. Nill and Steve Hart. All
that remains of the Dunkards in Tillman County now is the cemetery, which
was adjacent to the church. Today the cemetery is fenced and surrounded by a
cultivated field owned by Mrs. Homer Williamson and farmed by Travis Akin.

Stones in this cemetery are for:

COX, Jimmie, son of J. T. and M. S. Cox, December 27, 1900 - April 30, 1913
HALL, Martha B., wife of A. Hall, November 13, 1869 - February 25, 1922
NOEL, Amanda J., wife of J. T. Noel, 1874 - 1939
NOEL, James Thomas, November 13, 1862 - October 22, 1911
MASHBURN, Oletha, 1929 - 1932
McCURDY, Sidney S., 10th Illinois Inf., Co. E
KIZER, W. J., August 8, 1842 - August 2, 1911
SMITH, W. M., 90th Ohio Inf., Co. K
WEBB, Outler, son of R. L. and M. N. Webb, December 29, 1908 - December 31,1908
DYKES, Thelma May, January 12, 1912 - January 24, 1912