OLD PONTOTOC CEMETERY
MASON COUNTY, TEXAS

Compiled by Frederica Burt Wyatt

and pictures sent by Ginger Andrews

After the "new" Pontotoc Cemetery (west of town on present-day Highway 71) was established December 9, 1888, the original cemetery in the village of Pontotoc, Mason County, Texas, was abandoned, supposedly for health reasons. This original site is on the Cherokee highway (#501) on the northeastern edge of Pontotoc. Names and dates on my list are from personal knowledge and data gathered during on-site visits in the 1980's and, again, in 2008. Other names were gleaned from MASON COUNTY GRAVES & CEMETERIES, a compilation by Ruby E. and Julius DeVos with a supplement by Jane Hoerster. Many of the stones seem to have disappeared since my first visit, and others are now illegible. Attached pictures are by Ginger Boerm Andrews.
This cemetery is, possibly, the burial place of my paternal great-grandfather, John A. Pearl (1807-1878). His descendants held a clean-up and restoration day for the cemetery on October 10, 2009. Help with this project was solicited and was greatly appreciated!
Name Birth Death
Ake, John W. "Seth" 1823 1887
Ake, infant son of G. W. & M. Pearl Ake 1875 1875
Bachman, Andrew 14 Apr 1888
Baker, J. L. 10 Aug 1883 03 Nov 1885
Black, Sarah 22 Nov 1881 01 Jul 1883
Burrow, M. E. See Note (daughter of P. S. & S. J. Burrow) 17 Sep 1886
Bush, G. M (son of G. W. & N.) 16 Mar 1884 27 Sep 1885
Carter Infant (No Dates) (No Dates)
Earnest, Edward Soule 09 Aug 1885 28 Jul 1887
Earnest, Wilbur Aug 1883 20 Nov 1884
Early, Thomas 15 Sep 1812 24 Apr 1884
Elkins, Henry 10 Jan 1856 01 Oct 1878
Elkins, Jimmie (son of Henry) (No Dates) (No Dates)
Gartmann, Ann 17 Aug 1810 22 Jun 1887
Gartmann, John Miledge 06 Sep ???? 26 May 1887
Holloway, infant daughter of W. H. 01 Oct 1882 01 Oct 1882
Light, infant son of E. & Amanda 18 Aug 1887 18 Aug 1887
Meadows, W. H. 29 Aug 1852 22 Aug 1882
Navarro, Mr. (No Dates) (No Dates)
Nowlin, Thomas H. (Deputy Sheriff killed in line of duty) 15 Feb 1863 05 Apr 1888
Perry, Rufus M. 14 Dec 1887
Pearl, Billy (son of Jack & Nancy New Pearl) 06 Sept 1877 13 May 1885
Pearl, Frankie (son of Jack & Nancy New Pearl) 10 Jul 1876 10 May 1885
Shaw, Joe circa 1886
Smith, Nancy E. (daughter of J. M. & J. E.) 06 Jan 1880 10 Sep 1880
Stephens, Minerva Maud (daughter of E. P. & Josie) 22 Oct 1880 25 Dec 1885
Teague, Mary A. 10 Mar 1810 17 Aug 1887
Tyler, Angeline 15 Feb 1857 21 Nov 1884
Wallace, Mary A. 25 May 1861 16 Sep 1862
Wille, D. R. 1888 1888
Willis, Benjamin, Jr. ca 1857 ca 1869
Willis, Jeffy 17 Nov 1884 30 Nov 1885
Willis, Samuel J. ca 1849 ca 1862
Willis, Serena Ellen ca 1825 ca 1870
Young, Annie I. 27 Feb 1869 17 Jan 1885

Note: Sincie Burrow, another daughter of P. S. and S. J. Burrow, is buried in the "new" Pontotoc Cemetery. She died December 9, 1888, and hers is possibly the first grave at the new site.

The following persons were noted as being buried at Pontotoc. Their death dates indicate they may have been in the Old Pontotoc Cemetery.

Conner, Carl Williamson

28 Jan 1886

24 Sep 1887

Griffith, Mary Elizabeth 03 Nov 1849 10 Oct 1888
McGinty, Lucretia 04 Aug 1812 14 Mar 1883
Paschal, J. G. 14 Nov 1850 14 Mar 1888
Westerman, Gertrude E. 01 Oct 1884 Spring 1886
Williams, E. H. 01 Nov 1883 01 Feb 1886

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