Compere Cemetery
Anson vicinity, Jones County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This burial ground is all that remains of the farming community of Compere, established in the 1880s on ranch land sold by the Compere brothers. In 1900, Daniel and Callie Palmer settled in the area along with their children: Henry, Wilder, William, Roman, Vernon, Ford and Norbin. The Palmers deeded two acres of land for a community cemetery in 1904. The first known burial, that of the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. H. Ashby, took place the same year. Gravestones yield information on former residents, including Carrie Shannon Palmer, who died in the 1918 influenza epidemic, community leaders and veterans of military conflicts. (2001)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Compere Cemetery is the last trace of a farming community established in the 1880s on ranch land sold by the Compere brothers. When Daniel and Callie Palmer settled here around 1900, they deeded two acres for a burial ground, first used in 1904 for the infant daughter of the Ashby family. Its weathered stones record ordinary lives, community leaders, veterans, and a victim of the 1918 influenza epidemic that swept the nation.
Why it matters
Small rural cemeteries like this preserve the memory of vanished farming settlements, offering an intimate record of the families who worked the land of West Texas.
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Related people
- · Daniel Palmer
- · Callie Palmer
- · Carrie Shannon Palmer
Themes & tags
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