FIRST Burial in Dew Cemetery - Dew, TX
N 31° 35.605 W 096° 08.447
14R E 771303 N 3498917
A 1977 Texas Historical Marker at Dew Cemetery indicates that the first burial here was that of a young girl, Missouri A.E. Humphreys, dating to 1871.
Waymark Code: WM14M91
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/25/2021
Views: 0
Missouri is buried with her mother and brother, and her broken headstone has been restored and reinforced. The wear on the inscription suggests that the headstone had been on its back for a significant amount of time, facing up towards the elements, but it is still legible. Below a small hand, holding a rose, it reads:
Missourie A.E.
Dau. of
J.W. & N.M.
Humpherys,
Born
Jan. 14, 1868,
Died
March 9, 1871.
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Gone but not forgotten.
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The historical marker omits the final -s on the name -- Missouri's mother's headstone has "Humphries" -- and provides some background:
The first families in this community migrated from Alabama in the 1850s. Originally known as Avant or Avant Prairie, the settlement became Sunshine after the Sunshine Methodist Church moved here from Harrison Chapel in 1870.
In 1869 W. S. Compton, one of the early settlers, and D. A. Self, local merchant and dentist, donated land for this community cemetery. First burial was that of a young girl, Missouri A.E. Humphrey (1869-1871). Other early graves date from the yellow fever epidemic of 1873.
The town was renamed in 1885 when Dew Post Office opened. The name "Drew" was requested to honor a local resident, but postal officials misread the application. A market center for cotton farmers of the area, Dew had a cotton gin and several stores. Rural delivery replaced the Dew Post Office in 1909.
A land donation by Wiley Black in 1901 enlarged the graveyard, which lies adjacent to Dew Methodist Church where funeral services are held. About 1912-13 a cemetery association was organized. Descendants and community residents gather at annual Memorial Day observances to tend the 11 and 1/3 acre site. The 1000 graves here include many from the 1918-19 influenza epidemic.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 03/09/1871
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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