| Marker Text |
John William Turner, Jr. and his wife, Mary Alice, deeded two acres of their farm as a burial ground in 1920. At this time, the Idalou Cemetery Association was formed. The first interment was for the Turners' infant nephew, Weldon Fred Turner, whose grave is indicated by a homemade marker. In May 1921, C.J. and Mary Hallmark buried their infant son C.J., and 13-year-old Mable Gladis Andrews was interred in July. In 1928, the Turners and Selma Graves donate more land to the burial ground. Over the next decades, the association accepted additional land donations, which increased the cemetery to its present size of eight acres. In the early twenty-first century, a non-denominational memorial chapel named after Madison Sowder (1927-2007), longtime trustee, was added.
Early leaders who served on the cemetery association include E.T. Daniell, W.M. Weaver and H.W. Lasater. Throughout its history, the cemetery has always been a public entity, owned and operated by the community, with volunteers and families attending workdays to help maintain the site.
Today, the cemetery's features include curbed plots and numerous upright shoulder stones typical of 20th century grave marker designs, and the open prairie landscape highlights native plantings. Idalou is the final resting place of veterans of all branches of the U.S. military who served in peacetime and in all conflicts since World War I. Descendants from all over the United States are buried in the numerous traditional family plots located here. The cemetery is a link to the many generations who have contributed to the history of Idalou. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2002 |
