Lathum Cemetery
Lathum, San Saba County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The burial site of four pioneer area settlers, this cemetery was first used for the interment of George Lathum (1859-63), the son of John (Jack) and Caroline (Couch) Lathum, who died as a result of a rattlesnake bite. Also buried here are Caroline's stepfather Chaney Couch, killed by Indians in 1864, Mother Isabella (Christian) Couch (d. 1887), and Grandmother Elizabeth Christian (d. 1868). Relatives of these pioneer settlers later started the nearby Deer Creek Cemetery and were responsible for the establishment of a school and chapel named in honor of Isabella Couch.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This small burial ground holds four pioneer settlers of the San Saba County frontier. The first grave was that of young George Lathum, who died of a rattlesnake bite in 1863; nearby lies Chaney Couch, killed by Indians in 1864, along with Isabella Couch and Elizabeth Christian. Relatives of these families went on to found the nearby Deer Creek Cemetery and a school and chapel named for Isabella Couch.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the hard realities of frontier settlement in Civil War-era Texas, where snakebite and raids claimed lives far from any battlefield.
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Related people
- · George Lathum
- · Chaney Couch
- · Isabella Couch
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
On This Site a Treaty of Peace
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