Moffat Cemetery
Temple, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This burial ground began as a family and Masonic cemetery. Although many, possibly older, graves exist, the oldest marked grave is that of Mary Marshall (d. 1861). In 1869, eight years after Marshall's death, J.A. Grimes sold his farm to Mary E. Dean. The parcel of land excluded two acres set aside for a graveyard. In 1893, Dean deeded additional property for the cemetery to the Leon Masonic Lodge No. 193, AF&AM. R.J. and Hattie Goode conveyed additional land to the lodge in 1916. On July 23, 1921, the Masonic Lodge deeded the property to the Moffat Cemetery Association, which later acquired additional land for the burial ground. The association incorporated in 1976. The cemetery is the final resting place for numerous area settlers, including pioneer Isaac Thomas Bean (1821-1899), who came to Texas in 1823 with his family. The names of prominent families and military veterans are found on the numerous markers, which include vertical stones and stone cairns. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Moffat Cemetery began as a family and Masonic burial ground, its oldest marked grave that of Mary Marshall, who died in 1861. Land set aside from a farm sale in 1869 grew through gifts to the Leon Masonic Lodge and, from 1921, to a dedicated cemetery association. Among those resting here is pioneer Isaac Thomas Bean, who came to Texas with his family in 1823, and the grounds hold both upright stones and distinctive stone cairns.
Why it matters
The cemetery preserves the memory of the earliest settlers and fraternal lodges that organized community life across frontier Bell County.
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Related people
- · Mary Marshall
- · Isaac Thomas Bean
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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