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Joseph Andrew Jackson Sheffield (1837-1920), his wife Rebecca (1844-1922), and their fourteen children came to this area of Jasper County from Georgia in 1885. They settled near here in an area known as Thickey community and established a large family farm. In 1899 they donated 1.5 acres of land to the community for church and school purposes. the church was named Friendship, and the community also took the new name. The first interment in the Friendship Cemetery occurred in 1899, when the Sheffields' ten-year-old granddaughter, Quebeck Mock, died and was buried on family land. About ten more people were buried in the graveyard prior to its official designation as a cemetery in deed records in 1906. In addition to Sheffield family members, those interred here include early Jasper County settlers, Texas Rangers, and veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Throughout its history, this pioneer cemetery has served citizens from a large area of the county. Containing hundreds of graves, it remains in use and stands as a reminder of the area's early heritage. |
