Hawthorne Cemetery
Noonday, Smith County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Mississippi natives William and Emily Hawthorne moved to this area with their family in 1867. In the 1870 census, they were recorded as having ten children. This cemetery takes its name from the Hawthornes, although their name does not appear on any of the gravestones. Several, however, are only marked with initials. The first documented burial at the site is that of J.W. Adams (1879-1882), son of T.T. and M.J. Adams. Others from the area were interred here, with family names including Cone, Gandy, Glaze, Lewis, Jones, McCoy, Oldham, Templeton, Thedford, Turman and Williams. William Turman bought the property surrounding the burial ground in 1914, and the Turman family cared for the cemetery for many years, holding an annual cleaning and dinner; that was discontinued in 1957 as the Turman family began holding annual reunions. The family deeded the site in 1982 to the Noonday Cemetery Association, which continues to maintain the grounds and oversee the cemetery's operations. Known also as Turman Cemetery, the burial ground is a link to the area's pioneers and their families. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Mississippi natives William and Emily Hawthorne brought their large family to Smith County in 1867, and though the cemetery bears their name, no Hawthorne headstone survives among its graves—some marked only with initials. The first documented burial, in 1882, was the infant son of the Adams family, followed by neighbors bearing names like Cone, Gandy, and Turman. The Turman family long cared for the grounds with annual cleanings and dinners before deeding the site to a cemetery association in 1982.
Why it matters
Hawthorne Cemetery shows how a rural burial ground keeps a community's memory alive even when its namesake founders leave no marked grave of their own.
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Related people
- · William Hawthorne
- · Emily Hawthorne
- · William Turman
Themes & tags
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