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AUSTIN
COUNTY, |
Latest
Update: 24 Jan 2013 |
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Drusilla Cochran Sheldon, the energetic and
forceful lady behind this project, passed away 20 July 2012 in Corpus
Christi, TX. We are so saddened to
lose her, but so very thankful to have known her and been inspired by
her. Click here for her obituary. The
cemetery is on the former homesite of McGrady and Minerva (Lucas) Montgomery,
near the old town of Sempronius in Austin County, Texas. McGrady fought in the Battle of San Jacinto
and served in the Texas Army for several months following the war. He returned to his home in Gibson County,
Indiana, married and had five of his six children, before returning to Texas
in 1852, bringing his wife, his children and his parents, Isaac and Martha
(McClure) Montgomery. The Dedication Ceremony was held on Saturday, 15 September 2007 at 2 pm with at least 94 in attendance. We had great weather. Troy and Merlene Byler did a fantastic job
of preparing the place for the dedication ceremony. Drusilla Cochran Sheldon conducted a very
impressive ceremony. Click Here
for the program of the ceremony Click
Here for a list of attendees at the ceremony Click Here for pictures
taken at the ceremony Click Here for the Pledge of Allegiance to the
State Flag of Texas |
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Brief History of the
Land: In
December 1852, McGrady Montgomery bought 271 acres from N.W. Bush and wife
Judith A. Bush for $1900.00 as part of the “league of lands granted to James
Steefshinsen [Stephenson].” The last
sentence in the deed specifies “It’s expressly understood that fifty feet
including the burying ground each way is Reserved to the Said Bush &
unsold.” In 1895, after the deaths of
McGrady and Minerva Montgomery, their son Fielding Lucas Montgomery sold the
land to John Berger for $2695.00, describing it in the deed as 269-1/2 acres
being “a portion of my parents old homestead...and also being a portion of
the old N.W. Bush homestead...of which..one (1) acre is hereby reserved from
this sale to be located so as to include the old family graveyard.” In 1933, Malinda Berger sold the same tract
to Fritz Kramer. In 2002, Johnnie E.
and Lillie Mae Kramer sold 45.793 acres of that tract to W.T. Byler,
designated as including “an old family graveyard.” The
cemetery is located at 30° 03’ 34” N and 96° 16’ 45” W. [slight change made 10/5/2015] Click Here
for Road Map to the Cemetery Click Here for an Aerial View of the Cemetery [change made 10/5/2015] Click Here for an
Aerial View that includes Kenney and Cochran Cemetery Click
Here for Driving Directions to the Cemetery Military and Public
Service of the Interred: Several
individuals buried here are known to have served in Military or Public
Service. *Isaac Montgomery – Veteran of War of
1812 *McGrady Montgomery – Veteran of Texas
Revolutionary War **James Waddie Crump – Veteran of the
Confederacy *Judith A. (Thacker) Bush – Citizen of
the *Robert Brice McNutt – Citizen of the *Malinda (Collins) Cochran – Citizen of
the John Q. Wallis – first Mayor of Chappell
Hill (1856-57) Nathaniel Richardson Crump – fourth
Mayor of Chappell Hill (1859-61) Also
memorialized here are two brothers of James Waddie Crump: **William H. Crump – Veteran of the
Confederacy, who died and was buried in Houston in 1862. **George P. Crump – Veteran of the
Confederacy, who was buried in Lavaca County. * = gravemarker medallion commemorating
service ** = Confederate gravestone commemorating service
Historic Designation: The
Texas Historical Commission has designated the cemetery as an Historic Texas
Cemetery. Recent History of the
Principal Marker: A
four-sided spire shaped marker (obelisk) was originally erected here for McGrady,
Minerva, Isaac and Martha. There was
no fence around the graveyard, and cattle were knocking down, trampling and
damaging the stones. Sometime in the
1980’s Erette Reese Red, a great granddaughter of McGrady and Minerva
Montgomery, had this marker moved to a farm she owned where it could be
protected. She had the marker repaired
and cleaned as the top portion had been broken off (regretting that a better
job of repair was not possible). In
1996, Erette’s nephew, Jay Reese Jones, had it moved to the Masonic Cemetery
in Chappell Hill, a few miles from the Montgomery Family Cemetery, in
Washington County, Texas. During the
restoration of the cemetery, the repair on the obelisk was redone, and the
marker was reset on its original base.
It is now the most outstanding memorial in this historic cemetery. |
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Restoration Effort: On
30 June 1996, Drusilla Cochran Sheldon, a great granddaughter of McGrady and
Minerva Montgomery, photographed all four sides and transcribed the
inscriptions of the Montgomery obelisk, which was the beginning of several
years of effort and expense in restoring the neglected Montgomery Family
Cemetery. The
officers of the Montgomery-Bush Cemetery Association are: Drusilla Cochran Sheldon – president (click name to
email) Robert Paxton Pinkney – vice president Gaye McNutt – secretary Curtis Thomas Cochran – treasurer W. T. Byler – member-at-large of
executive committee Special
efforts made by: Mark van Hudson and Linda Reed –
dedicated volunteer cemetery preservationists who began recovering and identifying
grave markers in 2000 W. T. Byler – present owner of the property
who has supported the effort and provided materials and constructed
the wrought iron fence around the cemetery Kevin McWilliams of McWilliams Monument
Co. in repaired, cleaned and reset the
gravemarkers Joy Neely (of Bellville Historical
Society) – assistance in application for Historic Texas Cemetery designation Grave
Marker Medallions provided by: Drusilla Cochran Sheldon: Veteran of the War of 1812 – on grave of
Isaac Montgomery Clara Driscoll Chapter of DRT: Veteran of Texas Revolution – on grave of
McGrady Montgomery Janet Suggs Mangin: Citizen of Republic of Texas – on grave of
Judith A. (Thacker) Bush Gaye McNutt: Citizen of Republic of Texas – on grave of
Robert Brice McNutt Irad McGrady Cochran: Citizen of Republic of Texas – on grave of
Malinda (Collins) Cochran Confederate
Gravestones (obtained by Peggy Tombs from Veterans Administration): on grave of James Waddie Crump in remembrance of William H. Crump
(buried in inaccessible cemetery) in remembrance of George Patrick Crump
(buried in cemetery easily accessible to vandals) Monetary
contributions: Montgomery – Cochran (Nehemiah)
Family: Curtis Thomas Cochran, Florene
Cochran Trust Fund, Dr. Irad McGrady Cochran, James Murphy Cochran, John Fielding Cochran Jr. Trust Fund,
Susan Sheldon Crysler, Jack Clifton Jordan, Rev. Cathy Cochran Mordicai, Mary White Peticolas, Drusilla Chase
Sheldon, Drusilla Cochran Sheldon, Joan Cochran Terrell, Bradley Rhodes
Gifford grandchildren & great
grandchildren of John Fielding Cochran Sr. Montgomery – Crump Family: Kathy Copeland, J. Ford Griggs,
Elizabeth Morris, Peggy Tombs, William Lucas Crump Jr. Montgomery – Reese Family:
Pat Tottenham Johnson, Kathyrine Reese Jones, Kathyrine Jones Simank Bush Family (Taglioni Cochran): John Bush, Julia Suggs Cazayous, Eula
Bush Chance, Claudia Heidbreder, Loma Chance Hobson, Janet Mangin, Kenneth Mann Jr., Robert Paxton
Pinckney, Becky McDonald Walenciak Collins Family (Taglioni Cochran): Annabel Clemons Crow McNutt Family: Frank Andrew Klahn, Gaye McNutt, Tom
C. McNutt, Connie McNutt Stone, Linda Sue McNutt Wyatt Others: Clara
Driscoll Chapter of DRT |
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Click
Here for a Diagram of Family Relationships |
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Site |
Click on pictures below to see larger ones |
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1 |
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In Memory of Isaac Born Oct. 25 1776 Died July 15, 1861 Aged 84 Yrs, 9 M’s, 20 D’s |
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In Memory of Martha Born Sept. 10 1780 Died Oct. 10 1867 Aged 87 Yrs, 1 Mo. |
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1 |
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In Memory of McGrady Born May 23 1812 Died Sept. 19 1878 Aged 66 Yrs, 3 M’s, 26 D’s |
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1 |
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In Memory of Minerva Born Aug. 10 1822 Died Feb. 17, 1883 Aged 60 Yrs, 6 M’s, 7
D’s |
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1 |
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Footstone: I.M. |
Isaac
Montgomery father
of McGrady 26
Oct 1776 – 15 Jul 1861 |
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1 |
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Footstone: M.M. |
Minerva
(Lucas) wife
of McGrady 10
Aug 1822 – 17 Feb 1883 |
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1 |
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Footstone: M.G.M. |
McGrady
Montgomery 23
May 1812 – 19 Sep 1878 |
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1 |
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Footstone: M.M. |
Martha
(McClure) wife
of Isaac 10
Sep 1780 – 10 Oct 1867 |
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2 |
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Judith A., Wife of
N.W. Bush Born in Virginia Feb
15, 1813 Departed this life
Jan 10, 1861 |
Judith
(Thacker) Bush Her
husband, Nathan W. Bush, is buried in the Cochran Cemetery, Buckhorn, Austin
Co, Texas. Judith
and Nathan’s son, George Howard Bush, married Tagiloni Cochran, a sister of
Nehemiah Cochran (husband of Florence Montgomery). |
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3 |
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Zillah N., Wife of
W.T. Bush 11 Aug 1820 – 21 Aug
1857 |
Zillah
N. Sherrill married William Tandy Bush, a
brother of Nathan W. Bush and Eustatia A. Bush |
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Eustatia A., Wife of
W.H. Pearson Born Oct 1, 1826 Departed this life
Aug 29, 1850 |
Eustatia
A. Bush, sister of Nathan W., William Tandy, and Elizabeth Bush, married W.H. Pearson (who was listed in the
1860 census for the Buckhorn Precinct on pg 27 as “Pierson”, Planter, age 42,
born in Tenn). |
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5 |
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Sarah J. McNutt Born April 10, 1850 Died Jan 10, 1863 |
Sarah
J. McNutt, daughter of R.B. McNutt Fatally
burned while standing in front of open fire. |
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5 |
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Footstone: S.J.Mc.N. |
Sarah
J. McNutt |
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R.B. McNutt Born Feb 3, 1826 Departed this life
July 11, 1860 Aged 34 yrs. 5 mos. 8
days |
Robert
Brice McNutt married Elizabeth Bush, sister of Nathan W. Bush. McNutt
family – pioneer settlers in Buckhorn area per “Record of Southwest Texas” pg. 566 |
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Footstone: R.B.M. |
Robert
Brice McNutt |
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7 |
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Table
Top Slab: In Memory of Eddie who died Oct 24th Aged 7 days Frankie who died Dec 30th Aged 1 yrs. & 7
mos. 1855 Daughter and Son of W.W. and A.M. Bell Oh! Strangers, pity us For we loved them. Father & Mother |
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8 |
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Footstone: J.Q.W. (headstone
missing, but base located) |
Jonathan
Q. Wallis Listed
on the 1850 Austin County census mortality schedule as died Nov 1850 of
yellow fever. Age
30, born KY “Cemeteries
of Austin County” has death as 1859. |
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In Memory of Mary Frances Wife of John McNeese Died Apr 10, 1864 Age 26 yrs. 1 mo. 28
ds. |
Mary
Frances Collins married first John Q. Wallis and second John L. McNeese on 6 May 1863 |
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Mary
Frances, John Howard and Malinda are children of John W. Collins and Malinda
(Bush) Collins |
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John H. Collins Born Feb 26, 1849 Died Sept 12, 1871 Aged 22 Y, 7 M, 14 D Footstone: J.H.C. |
John
Howard Collins, first
husband of Taglioni Cochran, sister
of Nehemiah Cochran. Taglioni
m(2) George Howard Bush, son
of Nathan A. Bush and Judith A. (Thacker) Bush |
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In memory of Malinda Wife of N. Cochran Died Nov. 15, 1869, Aged 24 Yrs. 1 mo & 10
ds. |
Malinda
(Collins) Cochran first
wife of Nehemiah Cochran |
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11 |
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Footstone: M.C. |
Malinda
(Collins) Cochran |
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Gone Home Sarah Lue, Dau. Of N & F Cochran Born May 27, 1881 Died Nov 20, 1881 Sleep on sweet Daughter And take this rest. God called thee home, He thought it best. |
Daughter
of Nehemiah Cochran and Florence (Montgomery) Cochran Granddaughter
of McGrady Montgomery and Minerva (Lucas) Montgomery |
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14 |
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Footstone: J.P.C. |
John
Price Collins son
of Kinchen Collins and Mary (Cochran) Collins |
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Two
grave markers of fieldstone encased in cement and one of soft cement were uncovered
in close proximity to each other in 2002 by Mark vanHudson. All markings have disappeared. These are presumed to be the markers for
three individuals who family members reported as having been buried in the
family graveyard on the Montgomery farm. |
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15 |
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Nathaniel
Richardson Crump Born
abt 1811 in Virginia |
Father
of James W. Crump |
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16 |
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Harriett
Ingram (Deggs) (or Diggs) Crump Born
in Virginia |
Wife
of Nathaniel Richardson Crump and mother of James W. Crump |
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19 |
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James
Waddie Crump 10
Jan 1845 – 22 Jan 1889 |
Husband
of America Montgomery, who
was a daughter of McGrady and Minerva Montgomery |
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James
died six weeks after the birth of a daughter, and his parents died soon after
that. America
M. Crump lived until 1940, and was buried in the Oak Knoll Cemetery in
Bellville, Austin Co, Texas. |
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Some pictures of the Montgomery Family
Cemetery site before restoration |
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Webpage
copyrighted 2006 by William Lucas Crump Jr. (click name to email) |
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