Freestone County, Texas Cemeteries Groover Grave ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by: Marcia Dunnahoe Background: Elisabeth Bird (Heard) Groover was the wife to William W. Groover married on 13 Aug 1833 in Thomas County, Georgia. This burial is an early one for the county. William W. Groover and Elisabeth appear in the 1850 Thomas County, Georgia census and William's father, Solomon, age 74 is living with them. They move their family to Freestone Co., TX in 1852. After Elisabeth dies, William remarries Mrs. Matilda (Busby) Banks on 2 Oct 1853 in Freestone Co., TX. Matilda was the former wife of Martin W. Banks whom she married on 10 Jun 1841 in Adair Co., KY. Matilda appears on the 1850 Mercer Co., KY. census in the household of Milton Busby. In the 1855 scholastic census for F.C., TX, William is listed with three children between 6 and 16 yrs old: John and Sarah Groover, and a step-daughter, Mary? Margaret Banks. Also William and Matilda had a daughter, Martha Kyle "Mattie", together on 28 Oct 1855. William W. Groover and his later wife Matilda appear in the 1860 census in rural Freestone County with a Cotton Gin post office [page 29]. In the 1860 census are Elisabeth's children: William Lee, Sarah Jane, Franklin Heard, and John Sims. William Groover is buried at Cotton Gin Cemetery. The son, William Lee Groover, dies while in the Confederate army. The step- daughter, Margaret Banks, is lost from accounts now. Sarah Jane married Julius Ann Driver on 3 Jan 1861 in F.C., TX. Mary Cordelia married William Giles Driver. Franklin Heard marries Mary Putnam Carroll on 19 Jan 1865 in F.C., TX. John Sims marries Vannie S. Newell on 1 Oct 1874 in F.C., TX. Martha Kylie "Mattie" marries Thomas Charles Ramsey Sr. on 20 Dec 1876 in F.C., TX. Directions: From the intersection of Hwy 75 & Hwy 84, go west to Y (at Barry Capps Hardware). Take the right split which is Hwy 75 W. Go 10 miles and take a left on Hwy 80. Go 5.8 miles. Turn left onto County Road 930 and go 5/10 mile. Turn left onto County Road 933 and go 3/10 mile. The grave will be just inside the fence on the left side of the road. The grave is surrounded by a black wrought iron fence. Located on private property, Spring Hill Farm in Simsboro, Freestone Co. Texas about four miles northwest of Teague, on Farm Road 1366. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKED GRAVES: Groover, Elisabeth [Bird Heard] 12/18/1813-05/18/1852 w/o W.W. Groover "A devoted wife, fond mother, a friend to all." [She apparently died of complications from child birth as her son, Malachi, died eleven days earlier.] Groover, Malachi 05/07/1852-05/07/1852 ["Malachi's little headstone is facing his Mother and nothing is showing on that side." *1*] POSSIBLE UNMARKED GRAVES: UNCONFIRMED - Groover, Solomon 01/28/1769-1853 [This is William W. Groover's father who appears with him in the 1850 Thomas Co., GA census. H of F.C. TX. Vol I #370 on pg. 388 states that Solomon moved to Texas and spent the last years of his life with his son and family dying in 1853. Other family notes state Solomon died 3 Dec 1855 in Grooverville, modern day Brooks Co., GA.] =============================================================== NOTES *1* = Source - Paula *2* = H. of F.C. Tx. Vol II, pg. 78 fails to list Malachi. ============================================================= LEGEND FOR CEMETERY LISTINGS: FR = Fairfield Recorder newspaper F.C., TX = Freestone County, Texas *O* = Obituary listed elsewhere on this site *D* = Death Certificate listed elsewhere on this site *B* = Biography listed elsewhere on this site *P* = Photo of tombstone on this website *S* = Social Security death index listed elsewhere on this site y = year; mo or m = month; d = day(s); h/o = husband of; h1/o = first husband of; h2/o = second husband of w/o = wife of; w1/o = first wife of; w2/o = second wife of m = married to d/o = daughter of; s/o = daughter of ? = unknown birth date or death date (based on position) x2 marker = single marker for two graves, typically married couples TX = Texas; Cav = Cavalry CO = Company; Reg = Regiment; WWI = World War I; WWII = World War II; CSA = soldier in the Confederate States of America f.h. = funeral home marker h&f = husband & father