This is the tombstone found for Elizabeth Jane Peek Fowler, who passed away in 1881, at the age of
75 years, and was buried on the property, where she made her home. She is most likely joined in the
cemetery with her husband, a number of children and grandchildren, and possibly neighbors from
the area in Southeastern Hopkins County.

 

Early Hopkins County "Burial Ground"
Found Amidst Brush and Debris

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Descendents of Jonathan Fowler, left to right, June Grissom, Sandra Glenn, Marc Mabrito, and Caleb Grisson,
work at clearing some of the debris from the cemetery on the land of their ancestor, in Southeast Hopkins County.

 

"We were even surprised!" declared Sandra Glenn, a descendent of Jonathan Fowler, as she described the discovery of approximately 100 graves in the ancestral burial grounds, off Hopkins County Road #2415. "Really, I figured there was approximately 14 or 15 graves in the cemetery, but we found nearly 100 graves!"

Glenn and other descendents of Jonathan Fowler had asked local "grave witcher," Lavyn Sisco, to accompany them to a remote location, near the St. Mark Community, in Southeastern Hopkins County, on Saturday, to locate graves in what they thought was simply a family burial ground. However, once Sisco began using her technique, they found many more graves in the area. "All we can assume is that our ancestor, Jonathan Fowler, allowed other families in the area to bury their dead in the cemetery on his property, too!" expresses Glenn. "We have no idea who many of them are and if anyone has any information as to the identities of these people, we'd love to discuss it with you!"

Glenn and June Grissom, both descendents of Jonathan and  Elizabeth Jane Fowler, knew that their ancestors were buried in the "family plot," but had no idea that there were this many graves in the cemetery. "We assumed that Jonathan Fowler, his wife, Elizabeth, and a number of his children and grandchildren were buried there, but we had no idea that there were so many people buried in what we assumed was just a family burial plot," advised Grissom. "This means we've got to go back and see what we can find in family correspondence, historical records, ect. and see what we can find, to try to identify some of these people!"

 

 

Grissom and Glen found the tombstones of both Jonathan Fowler (died on September 19, 1889 at 90 years of age) and his wife, Elizabeth Jane Peek Fowler (died May 20, 1881, at 75 years of age), but have only found a series of "stobs" and rocks for some of the other graves, and absolutely nothing for others. "We had Lavyn to 'witch' the area and she found a number of unmarked graves," allowed Glenn. "We assume they were simply marked by a wooden marker, or a simple rock, or cross, and those markers have been destroyed by a number of storms, cattle walking through the area, and general decay!"

 

This tombstone for Jonathan Fowler, family patriarch, was uncovered beneath the soil
and debris, in the family cemetery, on Saturday.

 

 

"If anyone has any information about someone that is buried in this area, we'd love to talk to them!" expressed Grissom. "It's one of those 'puzzles' that we're attempting to put back together!"

Glenn and Grissom, along with other family descendents of Jonathan Fowler, have scheduled a meeting with Mrs. Louise Martin, whom was reared in the area and indicated that she walked past the cemetery, daily, as she attended school at the Independence School. "We're hoping to find information from anything that Mrs. Martin might remember, as she made her way past the cemetery, on her way to school," indicated Glenn. "The folks in the area that would possibly know anything about the ancient cemetery and burial ground are fast 'dying off!"

 

 

 

The "Fowler Cemetery" is located in a "cow pasture" at the intersection of Hopkins County Roads 2414 and 2415. The original property was deeded to Mr. Jonathan Fowler, who received 320 acres (1/2 section) for his service in the Texas Independence War. Fowler was a pioneer and successful farmer in this area of Hopkins County and provided the area for a family burial ground, and undoubtedly allowed neighbors and friends to bury their loved ones in the cemetery, as well.

"The area of the family cemetery is 'grown up' and full of downed trees that were blown over by a storm, moving through the area," advised Marc Mabrito, another descendent, from Blanco, Texas, who came Saturday to learn about his ancestors. "We hopefully can find some information about the other people buried in the cemetery and identify them! It's a shame that these people were ancestors of other people in the area and have been completely 'lost' as to their identity!"

If you have any information regarding the old Fowler Cemetery, please contact Sandra Glenn at (903)383-2653. The family is hoping to clean-up the area and to identify others buried in the cemetery.

 

A number of rocks and stones are present in the area, that makes one wonder if they didn't originally mark graves of
early pioneers of the Southeastern portion of Hopkins County.

 

Family members faced a "maze" of undergrowth, downed trees, and saplings, where the nearly 100 graves are located, on the
property once owned by Mr. Jonathan Fowler and his wife, Elizabeth Jane Peek Fowler.

 

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