Freestone County, Texas
Cemeteries





COUCHMAN CEMETERY 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background:  
  The marked graves of this very old cemetery predate the later Africian-American 
community called "Coutchman" that followed.    
  Josephus Erwin Powell married Margaret Jane Hill on 22 Oct 1874 in Freestone County.
After his death in 1883, she remarried on 22 May 1884 to Mr. W. A. Rodgers/Rogers in 
Freestone County.  She is believed to be buried elsewhere.
  Benjamin S. Couchman married Ruth Wilson on Oct 2, 1834 in Owen County, Indiana and
moved to Texas to appear in the 1850 census for Limestone County, Texas (prior to 
Freestone County becoming a county). Ben died in 1853 before many settlers had arrived
in Freestone County making this one of the earliest cemeteries in the county.
  Ruth Wilson Couchman appears in the 1860 Freestone County census with her family and
is believed to have died in Apr 1880 although the location is unknown. Their daughter, 
Mary Elizabeth, appears in the 1855 scholastic census, married William Taylor Stubbs 
on Jan. 11, 1877 in Freestone County and is buried in the Wortham cemetery. Their son, 
John A. M. Couchman, marries Mary J. Frazier on Nov. 28, 1878 in Freestone County who 
died only two years later in Apr 1880, afterward marries Ella Franklin in 1885 and is 
believed to have died on 28 Mar 1891.
  
Directions: Take Highway 27 east of Wortham to F.M. 246.  Go northeast about 3
to 4 miles to an "S" curve just west of Cedar Creek.  This small cemetery is
about 200 feet to the right side of the road on Rudy Miller land.  There are
about 12 marked graves.  Five have legible tombstones.

Oldest Marked Grave: Oct 7, 1853  Benjamin S. Couchman

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Couchman, B[enjamin] S.                Mar 20, 1810 - Oct 07, 1853 [h/o Ruth Wilson]
Couchman, George                       Aug 22, 1841 - Aug 15, 1876 [s/o George & Ruth Couchman]

Powell, Infant Daughter of J.E. & M.J.  Jan 30, 1878 - Feb 12, 1879
Powell, Marcus B., son of J.E. & M.J.   Feb 06, 1880 - Sep 16, 1880
Powell, Josephus E[rwin]                Feb 19, 1851 - Feb 16, 1883 [h/o Margaret Jane Hill]
   
   
   [7 illegible tombstones]
   
   [Some possible unmarked graves.]