This Week's News

Select the story

you wish to view.

To Subscribe Call (903)873-2525 or (903)567-4000

Asbury Cemetery home to legends
By Vince Leibowitz
EDOM A hundred years ago, cemeteries were regarded differently than they are today.
Early Texans thought nothing of spending a Sunday afternoon picnicking at a local cemetery,
visiting and maintaining their loved-ones graves.
Today, in an age of perpetual care cemeteries and the Internet, many regard older cemeteries
simply as something passed on a highway.
The Texas Historical Commission estimates that there are at least half a million recorded and
unrecorded cemeteries and isolated burials in the state.
Of those, the Commission has marked, through local historical commissions over 1,000 with
historical markers and the states historic cemetery designation.
Among those cemeteries marked as historic is Edoms Asbury Cemetery.
Nestled on the Van Zandt-Henderson County line, Asbury is one of Van Zandt Countys
oldestand perhaps most intriguingcemeteries.
Asbury Cemetery was started when Asbury Lowery, who died in July, 1855, was buried in the
area. The cemetery is located on Farm-to-Market road 2339 near the route of the Tyler-Porters
Bluff Road.
The cemetery contains approximately 400 marked and unmarked graves dating to the mid1850s.
Some grave markers have deteriorated due to exposure to the elements and have crumbled. The
engraving on others has disappeared entirely.
Several of the cemeterys graves are marked with Woodman of the World headstones, stone

obelisks made to look like tree trunks. Other graves are more elaborate.
Some graves are marked more simply, if at all. One grave is surrounded by four large stones,
while another is marked by a simple wooden cross.
Veterans of both World Wars are buried in the cemetery.
Also interred at Asbury is Texas Ranger Adren Anglin. Anglin was assigned to assist in the
construction of Fort Parker in Limestone County after becoming a Texas Ranger. In 1835, he
received a headright in Henderson county and married Phebe Parker.
As with most cemeteries in Texas, stories about those buried in Asbury have become part of
local legend and folklore.
Aside from stories about the grave of Topsanna (Prarie Flower), daughter of Cynthia Ann
Parker, a story about twin girls is perhaps one of the most often-told stories about Asbury
Cemetery.
As told by Sadie Palmer to Iona Pinkard Miller:
"Twin girls, Juanita and Oleta were born to John and Belle McLemee on March 13, 1918. Two
weeks before Junita McLemore died, Mrs. Jimmie Davis made the twins red dresses. Even
though the twins appeared healthy when presented the red dresses, Juanita said she was going
to Heaven in her dress."
Two weeks later, Juanita was buried in her red dress.
Her parents, who were also buried in Asbury Cemetery, followed her in death in 1937 and
1960.
Back to Van Zandt Home Page

Back to Van Banner