| Marker Text |
Members of the Jennings and Humphreys families settled in the Martindale area in the 1850s. They established a cemetery on land bought by Joseph Humphreys in 1855. Set aside on this raised area, the burial ground initially served family members who had settled the 2,000 acres adjoining the site. Randolph Reed Jennings (d. 1854), who reportedly died of yellow fever on his way to Martindale, was the first buried here, and the grave marker of Agnes Jennings (d. 1869) bears the earliest birth year, 1783. Joseph Humphreys (d. 1864) was the first buried in the Humphreys family plot, denoted by two obelisks. Tradition holds that a number of unmarked graves belong to former slaves of the pioneer families. Notable burials include the graves of early settler Jemima Crunk (1799-1876) and George N. Martindale (1842-1892), son of the community's founder. Today, families and descendants of those buried here meet regularly and maintain the cemetery, which was enlarged in 1946. This burial ground, a link to the area's early settlers, remains a symbol of Martindale and its rich history. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003 |
