The dedication of the Duffau Cemetery, located southwest of Stephenville, Erath County, Texas, with a 27" X 42" official Texas Historical Commission marker was May 10, 1997. On May 20, 1874, five acres of land was deeded, for a graveyard, to the Primitive Baptist Church, known as the Bosque Church, by Jacob McCarty (1834-1883) and his wife, Nancy Elizabeth (1838-1918), who was a Myers.
The opening invocation was given by Jesse Chaney; the Duffau briefs was given by Jimmie Ramage; the dedication of the marker was given by Mrs. Lillie Gibson, Chairman of the Erath County Historical Commission; the unveiling and appreciation was given by Mrs. Elwanda Stringer Sumrall and Mrs. Marilyn Gieseck Ewers; recognition of guests and awards was given by Mrs. Lillie Gibson; and the closing benediction was given by Joel Hillin.
Funds for the historical marker was made possible by the sale of the book "Some History of the Duffau Community Erath County, Texas" by Marilyn Gieseck Mills Ewers. She gives credit to many persons who made certain information available to her.
The following is the inscription of the marker.
FRANCIS T. DUFFAU WAS AMONG THE EARLY SETTLERS WHO ARRIVED IN THE LATE 1850s TO FARM IN THIS COMMUNITY. THE DUFFAU POST OFFICE WAS AUTHORIZED IN 1860. DUFFAU BECAME A THRIVING TRADE CENTER BUT LATER DECLINED AFTER SUFFERING SEVERAL DISASTROUS FIRES AND BEING BYPASSED BY THE RAILORAD. THE NEARBY DUFFAU MINERAL WELLS BECAME A HEALTH RESORT, ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO THE AREA. A SEPARATE POST OFFICE WAS IN OPERATION AT DUFFAU WELLS IN 1884. H.B. AND ELIZA HOLLIS SOLD LAND TO THE DUFFAU SCHOOL DISTRICT IN 1884; THE DUFFAU SCHOOL MERGED WITH HICO SCHOOLS IN 1960. CHURCH OF CHRIST, BAPTIST, METHODIST, AND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS.
THE OLDEST RECORDED GRAVE IN THE DUFFAU CEMETERY IS THAT OF NANCY SHIPMAN IN 1865. JACOB AND N.E. McCARTY DEEDED FIVE ACRES OF LAND FOR CEMETERY PURPOSES IN 1874. AMONG THE MORE THAN 950 MARKED GRAVES ARE THOSE OF VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR, WORLD WAR I, WORLD WAR II, AND THE KOREAN WAR, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF A NUMBER OF FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS.
THE DUFFAU CEMETERY ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED IN 1958, AND A TRUST FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1964 TO HELP MAINTAIN THE GRAVEYARD. THE CEMETERY CONTINUES TO SERVE DUFFAU AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. - - (1997)
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical Listing - A-B link.
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical Listing - C-E link.
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical Listing - F-I link.
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical Listing - J-L link.
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical Listing - M-O link.
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical Listing - P-R link.
See this DUFFAU Cemetery - Alphabetical
Listing - S-Z link.
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