crosses

 

The telephone poles along FM 193 mimic the shape of the crosses in the Cone Cemetery.  Established in 1897, the cemetery is a few miles down the road from the village of Cone -- population maybe 50.  Cone is about 7 miles from Farmer, Texas -- childhood home of Ima Mae Smith, former First Lady of Texas.

 

Cone Cemetery

Crosby County, Texas

9.21.2013



souls lost to time

 

Perched on the edge of the Caprock just east of Crosbyton, the Mt. Zion Cemetery is testament to the black population of the community.  The Mt. Zion Church, an African-American church built in 1924, established the cemetery which was in use until the 1970s.   It then lay neglected for many years and history was lost.  A Boy Scout Eagle project repaired the cemetery and "ditching" led to finding graves.  Today those unidentified graves are marked by simple white iron crosses. 

 

Mt. Zion Cemetery

Crosby County, Texas

"budded on earth to bloom in heaven"

 

Young Joseph is buried in the Estacado Cemetery. The cemetery, started by the 1879 settlers, is one of the first on the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains.  This child's gravesite is marked by a cast concrete stone with a bas relief lamb.  Early  2oth century tombstones have a variety of engravings and sculptures as symbols marking the life or passage of a deceased loved one. Baby lambs represent a lost child and innocence.  What's more remarkable about Joseph's site is the presence of irises.   "White cemetery iris" are found throughout rural cemeteries.  These flowers survive--considering lack of water and attention.  We've been in drought conditions for three years and this winter has had snow and freezing weather yet there is still a touch of green in this clump of iris.  They probably weren't planted by Joseph's mother in 1912 but by the beautification committee in 1939 when the land was deeded to the cemetery association.

Estacado Cemetery

Crosby County, Texas

2.1.2014