Merrilltown Cemetery

In Remembrance of

Eliza Sophronia Woodward Kemp
Birth: 14 Jan 1833
Death: 15 Dec 1918

Photo Courtesy of Laurie Parker

100 years ago today... In Remembrance of

Rachel Elizabeth Woodward Parker
Birth: 4 May 1841, Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee
Death: 6 Dec 1917, Merrilltown, Travis County, Texas
Burial: Merrilltown Cemetery Austin, Travis County, Texas

Our very own Laurie L. Parker, shared a story of her great great grandmother on Find A Grave, and I wanted to share it here with you.

Grandma Betty dipped s***f.

The family, except for Grandma Betty, all worked in the fields from daylight to dark picking cotton. When they got home Grandma Betty had done all the chores - milking, slopping the hogs, gathering the eggs, feeding the chickens, etc. - and she always had a nice supper all ready for the to sit down and eat right away.

At one time the entire family - there were nine of them - had the flu at the same time except for Grandma. She took care of everyone and nursed them all back to health. Another time, Alta, Clyde, Dude and Doc all had the chicken pox at the same time. They were quarantined and couldn't get out of the house. Grandma always pieced quilts and Doc and Dude were getting bored so they asked if they could help her sew on the quilt. She gave each of them a scrap of material and a needle and thread. They stayed busy for a long time.

Towards the end, Grandma Betty lived just across the road from the Merrelltown Cemetery. She would sit in the window and watch the cemetery and hallucinate about seeing carriages, etc. in her last days. After she died Grandpa D**k went to Florence to live with Aunt Nannie and Uncle Jasper Thompson. However, he was not happy there so he came back to Merrelltown and lived out his remaining years with his son Charles Lemuel Parker.

In Remembrance of:

Lawrence Malcolm Foster
Birth: 10 Aug 1903 in Elizabeth, Harrison County, Indiana
Death: 5 Dec 1965 in Austin, Travis County, Texas
Burial Merrilltown Cemetery Austin, Travis County, Texas

Father: Frank Foster
Mother: Hattie Turner

The new Merrilltown Cemetery website is active! I am currently working on creating individual memorial pages for each person that is buried here. I welcome your feedback and suggestions, along with any photos and/or stories that will help in remembering our ancestors. http://merrilltowncemetery.com/