Gholson Cemetery
Gholson, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This site was first used as a cemetery in 1871 when the infant daughter of pioneer area settlers Thomas W. and Charlotte Rozell was buried here. The oldest marked grave is that of Sarah Kiker (1802-1877). In 1885 W.F. Umberson, who settled in the area before the Civil War, set aside two acres here as public burial ground for the Gholson Communty. Located on the property was a one-room building, The Kellum School, which was also used for local church services. A cemetery tabernacle was built in 1925 and additional land was acquired in 1950.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This burial ground began in 1871 with the grave of the infant daughter of pioneer settlers Thomas and Charlotte Rozell, its oldest marked stone belonging to Sarah Kiker, who died in 1877. In 1885 W. F. Umberson, an area settler from before the Civil War, set aside two acres as a public cemetery for the Gholson community. A one-room Kellum School on the grounds doubled as a place of worship, and a cemetery tabernacle followed in 1925.
Why it matters
The cemetery and its schoolhouse-chapel embody how tiny Texas farming communities wove together mourning, learning, and faith on a single patch of ground.
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Themes & tags
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