McMullen Co. TX - CEMETERIES - McMullen County Cemetery Notes This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Renee Smelley Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In all cases where I have seen a cemetery moved to another cemetery by the state when Choke Canyon Resevoir was being built the state placed new headstones for individulals and even in those cases where a individual still had a headstone. All existing headstones were also moved. Many did not have headstones, the headstones had detereorated or where no longer existing. Many new headstones placed by the state are simply marked Unknown. The archeologists also took down notes from family or people that had arrived to watch these cemeteries being moved. In the case of the Yarbrough Family cemetery some information that was provided has been proven incorrect. The other information provided about the cemeteries in the archaeology reports may also be wrong. I am willing to do lookups for the Archaeology Reports on the cemeteries that are marked with the following source: "A Study of Five Historic Cemeteries at Choke Canyon Resevoir, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas" These arcaeology reports contain information about each grave that was exhumed as well as notes taken by the arhaeologist about the people or families that were buried in these cemeteries. Please send your lookup requests to Renee Smelley at Information from the McMullen History Book in most cases is scant or located within the text of information about a specific McMullen County family. I am not offering lookups for cemeteries marked only with that source. I also can't account for the accuracy of the information that was provided. These have only been listed to help others locate a cemetery on private property or may include their ancestors or family members. ---Byrne Cemetery------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- The Byrne Cemetery was located on the old Byrne Ranch and was moved in 1982 to Hill Top Cemetery in Tilden to make way for Choke Canyon Reservoir. Source: A Study of Five Historic Cemeteries at Choke Canyon Resevoir, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas ---Hasette Family Cemetery------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Hasette Cemetery is located on the Hasette Ranch Northwest of the Loma Alta Cemetery. One infant was burried there as well as several members of the Hasette Family. Source: McMullen County History Book (McMullen County History Book Committee, 1981) ---Johnston Cemetery-------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Johnston Cemetery was moved to the New Calliham Cemetery in the Calliham Community in 1982 to make way for the Choke Canyon Reservoir. One unknown female was exhumed. Source: A Study of Five Historic Cemeteries at Choke Canyon Resevoir, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas ---Kay Family Cemetery---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. and Mrs. Sid Kay have a baby girl buried on the place where they lived. There is no marker. Source: McMullen County History Book (McMullen County History Book Committee, 1981) ---Morgan Cemetery------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------- The Morgan Cemetery was located near the old Calliham town site on the Morgan Ranch. It was moved to the New Calliham Cemetery in the Calliham Community in 1982 to make way for Choke Canyon Reservoir. Probably nobody from the Morgan family was buried here. All graves from this cemetery remain unknown. Source: A Study of Five Historic Cemeteries at Choke Canyon Resevoir, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas ---Osborn / Claunch Cemetery-------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- The Osborn/Claunch Cemetery is located on the southwest side of the Loma Alta Hill on the John Martin Ranch. Mr. Bernice Claunch gave a list of the people that he knows are buried in the Loma Alta Cemetery. John Adolphus Osborn 1828 - February 1899 Jennie Claunch Osborn Lafette Osborn 2 children of Steve & Zackary Osborn Two infants of B. F. and Nancy Claunch Several children of Mr. and Mrs. Cox Several Mexicans Mrs. Lillard Nancy Blankenship buried in 1893 Infant son of John and Nancy Blankenship Murphy Source: McMullen County History Book (McMullen County History Book Committee, 1981) Renee's Note: From the information in the book it is not clear if the Osborn/Claunch Cemetery & Loma Alta Cemetery are the same cemetery. I believe that there is a Loma Alta Cemetery, but do not know if the Osborn/Claunch Cemetery mentioned is a seperate cemetery located near Loma Alta or actually located in the Loma Alta Cemetery. ---Weaver Family Cemetery------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------- This cemetery is located on the old Henry Shiner Ranch where the old San Diego and Tilden road crossed the Nueces River and near the Shiner Ranch barn. In 1981 the ranch was owned by Stack and Chisum. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver, their son and daughter, and a child of Tayo Herritage that died of Tetanus are buried here. Source: McMullen County History Book (McMullen County History Book Committee, 1981) ---William B. Morris & Martin Luther Taylor---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- William B. Morris and Martin Luther Taylor were moved to the Hill Top Cemetery in 1982 to make way for Choke Canyon Reservoir. Martin Taylor had come to McMullen County from DeWitt County and was married to Mr. Morris' daughter Sophronia "Frannie" Morris. Martin Luther Taylor was from the Taylor family for which a lot is known about the Taylor/Sutton feud that was going on during this time in De Witt County. A posse from the Sutton fraction came to get Martin and supposedly take him to the Oakville Jail in Live Oak County. William Morris accompanied the posse and his son n law, but both were murdered near Calliham, Texas and buried close to where they were murdered. Both William Morris and Martin Taylor are listed on the 1870 Mortality Schedule. After the death of her husband, Martin Taylor, Sopronia Morris Taylor married James Hemphill Walker Martin Luther Taylor 16 Feb 1843 - 23 Nov 1869 William B. Morris 1802 - 23 Nov 1869 Source: A Study of Five Historic Cemeteries at Choke Canyon Resevoir, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas, McMullen County History Book (McMullen County History Book Committee, 1981), 1870 McMullen County Mortality Schedule, Renee Smelley's Genealogy Notes. Renee's Note: The 1870 Mortality Schedule is located in the archives as well as at the McMullen County TXGenWeb Project. McMullen Archives http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/mcmullen/census/1870/mort1870.txt McMullen TXGenWeb Project contains further notes about the mortality schedule http://www.rootsweb.com/~txmcmull ---Yarbrough Family (aka Yarbrough Bend) Cemetery----------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Yarbrough Family Cemetery was located at Yarbrough Bend and was moved in 1982 to Hill Top Cemetery in Tilden to make way for Choke Canyon Reservoir. Renee's Note: John Swanson Yarbrough (1774 - October 20, 1862 age 88 yrs.) and his wife Francis Yarbrough (about 1813 - October 18, 1868) were the only remaining headstones. All others are unknown. Source: A Study of Five Historic Cemeteries at Choke Canyon Resevoir, Live Oak and McMullen Counties, Texas, Renee Smelley's Genealogy Notes.