| Marker Text |
When the Marshall and East Texas Railroad was built through this area in 1907, the town of Rosewood was organized, replacing the earlier communities of Double Springs and Essex. Denny Dell McDonald, four-year-old son of J. P. and Zula A. McDonald, died February 16, 1907, and was buried in the nearby Hopewell Cemetery. Wishing to be closer to their son's grave, the McDonalds donated property for a Rosewood Community Cemetery, and the child was reinterred here a few months later. The cemetery was maintained in early years by members of the community, who often took turns digging graves. The plot was originally surrounded by barbed wire, which was replaced in the 1950s by a chain link fence. A variety of grave markers can be found here, including large granite stones, Woodmen of the World monuments, and an intricately carved angel on the grave of Clara McKinney (1909-1921). There are also monuments for local veterans, including one who was lost at sea during World War II in 1943. A cemetery association, formed in 1977, maintains the graveyard and hosts an annual homecoming and memorial service. |
