FIRST Grave in McKenzie Cemetery - Limestone County, TX
N 31° 21.343 W 096° 21.040
14R E 752019 N 3472058
A modern granite footstone at the final resting place of Elizabeth Etemon (and her baby) in historic McKenzie Cemetery indicates that hers was the first grave in the cemetery, back in 1865.
Waymark Code: WM160N8
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/08/2022
Views: 0
The footstone reads:
McKenzie Cemetery
First Grave
Elizabeth Etemon
Died May 1, 1865
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The actual headstone is in fairly poor condition, missing a bit of the inscription, while Mother Nature does her work with lichen. Findagrave (see below) has a nice photo of it, intact, and it appears that at some point, it was mounted on this base, which had a metal frame around it. That it's on its back only subjects it to further wear and tear. The inscription reads:
[Eli]zabe
th
Etemon
Died May
the 1 1865
A 1995 Texas Historical Marker also notes the first, and provides some background:
The area surrounding this graveyard was known as McKenzie Prairie, named for Joseph S. McKenzie and his family who settled here in 1853. The oldest grave here is that of Elizabeth Etemon and her infant daughter, who died while traveling through the area in 1865. The McKenzies set aside land for the burial. It was marked with sandstone carved by Elizabeth's husband, who then left and continued his journey. Gradually the one-acre plot became a community burial ground, the final resting place for the McKenzie family, their neighbors, and their descendants.
Findagrave elaborates. Mr. and Mrs. Etemon were traveling through the area when a pox claimed both mother and child. Mr. Etemon had difficult finding a burial location amid concerns about the disease, but Joseph McKenzie helped out, with a stipulation that Mr. Etemon handle the burial so as not to risk exposure to the McKenzie family. Once wife and child were buried, he carved this stone and went on his way. While the cemetery is still in use, early burials are well away from this grave, and even today, it's by itself.
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