History

The purpose of this site is to list the current officers & directors of the Dodd City Cemetery Association, provide a brief history, show a map & photos, and provide an index of names and lots. Also included are several interesting links on Fannin County and Dodd City, TX. The cemetery is located 3 miles east of Dodd City, Texas on Hwy 56. It is 8 miles east of Bonham, Texas which is the county seat of Fannin County.

The following is a brief history of the Dodd City Cemetery.

This list can be searched by using the Ctrl+F function which is supported by Windows 95 and most browsers. Do a Ctrl+F and enter the year you want to look at and press enter or find next.

History of Dodd City Cemetery

Collected by
Nelda Darling Hilliard
Debra Hilliard Granstaff
Sherri Hilliard Weeks
starting on May 15, 1991 with the following revisions:
revision #1 12-31-1992
revision #2 3-4-1995
revision #3 9-2-1997

The first land for the cemetery was donated by Major Edmund Hall Dodd in the early 1800's. The first person to be buried in the cemetery was Frances J. Dodd on November 7, 1842. She was the daughter of Major Dodd. Later he gave the cemetery to the Dodd City Masonic Lodge.

According to Ruby Spelce Holleman, her grandfather, James L. “Jim” Spelce (B. 1850 D. 1911) and his wife Matlie donated an unknown number of acres that adjoined the southwest end of section A adding rows 16-33. James was the caretaker for a number of years.

The Pavilion burned around 1955 because of a fire left by workers on “Cleanup Day”. Apparently the fire flared up during the night and spread to the Pavilion. Ruby said she remembered the "Cleanup Day” that the following letter from Shellie talks about. “Everyone would bring a cover dish and would clean their families graves first, then help others with the rest of the cemetery. We would eat lunch at noon, there was always lots of good food! We had a good time, but it was hard work. The place was a mess!!”

The Masons provided the upkeep for the cemetery until the late 1940's, at which time it was turned over to the people of Dodd City. In March 1949 the town organized the Dodd City Cemetery Association. The Association has been able to pay for all the equipment and maintenance through the generous donations of friends and families of the cemetery. The cemetery fund also provides for the employ of a fulltime caretaker. The founders would be extremely proud of the year round appearance of the cemetery.

THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO MRS. MYRTIE TAYLOR BY MRS. SHELLIE MILLS. JUST TWO OF MANY WHO WORKED HARD TO START THE ASSOCIATION.

Dear Myrtie,

                FOR YOUR RECORD.   We met March 2nd 1949 in the 1st National bank, Lee McGee kept it open as she collected gas bills there. The meeting had been well advertised through all the churches, The Daily Favorite, and by word of mouth, so, there was a good "turn out" for the meeting. I had my fingers Xed but I was delightfully surprised at the size of the crowd and interest & enthusiasm. Mrs. S.P. Mills opened the meeting and there was an open discussion by all, & plans made and verified and election of officers to _wit:___

                President Mrs. S.P. Mills.
                Treasurer Mrs. W.C. McGee.
                Secretary Charles Rayburn.

The five men on the committee to hire caretaker and over see the care of the cemetery. The five men were Collie Bridges, Pete Berryhill, Fred Hammer, Gomer Fry & Floyd Lowery. They hired Mr. Claude Wommack as care taker.

The cemetery was in such a bad condition, wire, rocks, bottles etc and Johnson grass, so, we voted to have a all day "Clean up" before turning it over to the care taker. Ladies took lunch & the men took wheel barrows, hoes, rakes, axes, iron rods to straighten up the leaning stones, which were many. All trees were trimmed & every foot of that cemetery was raked & cleared by sundown. "lots of sore backs too!" Charles sent out the letters & they came pouring in with returns & money. Our system is a good one and is still working. We had several little towns to ask "How do we do ours"? & how did we get going? Well, it has been no trouble since "we got going" and I am so proud it is doing just that. I do not have the 1st letter of '49 that Charles sent out, but, I'm enclosing his 2nd letter of 1950. He died in March 1956, the names were on his desk there, so I had some ladies to come to my house to get them out. We sat around my dining room table, Faye Self, Lee McGee, Jessie Fletcher, & I can't think of the 4th that was in 1956. Then, I think, I'm not sure, but, I'm almost certain that Annie Merle took the Secretary's place. I know I was at Netties(Nettie Latta was Myrtie Taylor's mother) talking with her and Annie Merle came in, I was taking about who would be best for a secretary. Then letters were type written by the secretary. I remarked that we need someone who could type and Annie Merle remarked, "Well I can type" so she was elected and we soon decided better to have Secy. & Treas, combined & she was the first Secy. & Treas. I kept the 1956 letter, but, that is lost. So Myrtie, I don't know if all this is what you want or not. We did take the fence down as grass grew thru, o & under it. & put up the "Dodd City Cemetery" at the 2nd. opening. Is it still there?

Well bye ole "Dumpling" and good luck in what you are doing, couldn't have a better one.
Shellie

                                LATER
               This lettle Xtra note--

                During the organizing & electing officers, I appointed Willard Brent(He was in business up in the corner,(torn down now) any way he was appointed to bargain & buy a lawn mower, and Simon Mills & John Johnson were appointed to see that wheel barrows & other tools were there to work with, and there were a plenty.

___________________________________

This is personal, and not for record, as I said in the beginning I had my fingers Xed if? things would catch on fire (spiritually and other wise), so the work day came & the men went early, while we ladies fixed lunch. Simon came for me O 10 oc. I (with my wondering if?) I said, "I guess about 6 or 8 there" Simon replied "Shellie they are just like a flock of black birds down there, some up in the trees & all around". So, as I said a B I G - D A Y and I haven't had my fingers Xed since.

__________________________________

Sorry this is such scribbling & long one. But, you know how I go "Hipity Hop".
Shellie

The Dodd City Cemetery was a free cemetery until approximately 1958. The oldest records we have of any paid lots are in 1958. The cost of a lot was approx. $2.00/foot. (18 feet = 4 lots approx 4 1/2 feet wide)

The first person to be buried in Section B was Anderson Alder in 1936.

The first person to be buried in Section C was Mathew D. Sharb May 11, 1960.

The first person to be buried in section D was Loretta Delaney Chapman on Sept. 7, 1993. She had Doyle (her husband) to promise he would install a yard light on the west side of section D by her grave. She said, "I don't want to be in the dark." The light was installed and paid for by Doyle Chapman.

PAST OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
OF THE DODD CITY CEMETERY ASSOCIATION

Organized March 2, 1949

1949 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT.............MRS. SHELLY P. MILLS
SECRETARY...........MR. CHARLES M. RAYBURN
SEC/TRES.............MRS. W.C. (LEE) McGEE
CARETAKER...............MR. CLAUDE WOMACK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
COLLIE BRIDGES
PETE BERRYHILL
FRED MAMNER
GOMER FRY
FLOYD LOWERY

1957 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..................MRS. LOU SPARKS
SECRETARY..................MRS SAM DEVAULT
TREASUERY...................MRS. GOMER FRY
CARETAKER................MR. W. G. BRIDGES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EDMAND CROSS
COLLIE BRIDGES
PETE BERRYHILL
FRED MAMNER
GOMER FRY
FLOYD LOWERY

1958 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..................MRS. LOU SPARKS
SECRETARY..................MRS SAM DEVAULT
TREASUERY...................MRS. GOMER FRY
CARETAKER.................MR. W.G. BRIDGES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
L. E. HOLLEMAN
COLLIE BRIDGES
PETE BERRYHILL
ALVIS TAYLOR
J.L. SELF

1959 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..............MRS. SHELLIE MILLS
SECRETARY.................MRS SAM DEVAULT
TREASUERY....................JOHN JOHNSON
CARETAKER.......................MR. KYZER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ALVIS TAYLOR
ROY MORRIS
MRS. E.E. CROSS
MARVIN FLETCHER
WILLIE G. HORTON
CLARENCE HILL

1961 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT.............MRS. SHELLY P. MILLS
SEC/TRES..................MRS. SAM DEVAULT
CARETAKER.......................MR. KYZER*

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ROY MORRIS
MARVIN FLETCHER
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
WILLIE G. HORTON
* MR. JACK PAULK REPLACED
MR. KYZER AS CARETAKER

1967 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT............MRS. SHELLY P. MILLS
VICE PRES...............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
SEC/TRE...................MR. W.R. MORRIS
CARETAKER..................MR. JACK PAULK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON
MARVIN FLETCHER
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
W.R. MORRIS

1969 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
SEC/TRE..................MR. W.R. MORRIS
CARETAKER.................MR. JACK PAULK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON
MARVIN FLETCHER
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
W.R. MORRIS

1970 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRES...............MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRE..................MR. W.R. MORRIS
CARETAKER.................MR. JACK PAULK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON
MARVIN FLETCHER
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
W.R. MORRIS

1974 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRES.............MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRE..............MRS. MYTIE TAYLOR
CARETAKER...............MR. JACK PAULK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON
MARVIN FLETCHER
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
W.R. MORRIS*
*MR. MORRIS PAST AWAY
CHOICE WILSON REPLACE HIM

1975 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRES...............MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRE................MRS. MYTIE TAYLOR
CARETAKER.................MR. JACK PAULK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON
MARVIN FLETCHER*
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
CHOICE WILSON
* MR. FLETCHER WAS RELPACED
BY JOHNIE MILLS

1979 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT...............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRES................MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRE.................MRS. MYTIE TAYLOR
CARETAKER..................MR. JACK PAULK

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON
JOHNIE MILLS*
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
CHOICE WILSON
*JOHNIE MILLS RESIGNED &
WAS REPLACED BY HAROLD SMITH

1987 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRES...............MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRE................MRS. MYTIE TAYLOR
CARETAKER................MR. JACK PAULK*

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WILLIE G. HORTON*
HAROLD SMITH
ALVIS TAYLOR
CLARENCE HILL
CHOICE WILSON
* MR. JACK PAULK RETIRED AND WILLIE G.
RESIGNED FROM THE BOARD TO REPLACE HIM.
WILLIE G. WAS REPLACED BY JACK PEEBLES

1989 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT...............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRES................MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRE..............MRS. NELDA HILLIARD*
CARETAKER................WILLIE G. HORTON

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JACK PEEBLES
HAROLD SMITH
JOHNIE HILLIARD*
CLARENCE HILL
CHOICE WILSON
* AFTER ALVIS TAYLOR PASSED AWAY
MYTIE RETIRED. JOHNIE REPLACED ALVIS
AND NELDA REPLACED MYTIE

1990 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT.............MRS. ZELMA TAYLOR
VICE PRESIDENT.........MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRES............MRS. NELDA HILLIARD
CARETAKER..............WILLIE G. HORTON

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JACK PEEBLES
CLARENCE HILL
CHOICE WILSON
HAROLD SMITH
JOHNIE HILLIARD

1992 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT..............MRS. H.R. TAYLOR
VICE PRESIDENT.........MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRES............MRS. NELDA HILLIARD
CARETAKER..............WILLIE G. HORTON

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JACK PEEBLES
CLARENCE HILL *
CHOICE WILSON
HAROLD SMITH
JOHNIE HILLIARD
* Mr. Hill past away May 5, 1992
but was not replace in 1992

1993 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT.............MRS. H.R. TAYLOR
VICE PRESIDENT........MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRES...........MRS. NELDA HILLIARD
CARETAKER.............WILLIE G. HORTON

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JACK PEEBLES
JIMMY DOYLE RENCHER*
CHOICE WILSON
HAROLD SMITH
JOHNIE HILLIARD
* JIMMY RENCHER TOOK
MR. HILL'S POSTION

1994 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT................MRS. H.R. TAYLOR
VICE PRESIDENT...........MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRES..............MRS. NELDA HILLIARD
CARETAKER...............WILLIE G. HORTON*

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JACK PEEBLES
JIMMY DOYLE RANCHER
CHOICE WILSON
HAROLD SMITH
JOHNIE HILLIARD
* MR. W.G. HORTON RETIRED DEC. 31,1994

1995 OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT................MRS. H.R. TAYLOR
VICE PRESIDENT...........MRS. O.L. HORTON
SEC/TRES..............MRS. NELDA HILLIARD
CARETAKER...............BRENTON HORTON