DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Merrell Cemetery, up there in Dallas County. Now settle in, because this one reaches back a good long ways. Elder Eli Merrell was born in 1787, and by the time 1844 rolled around, he and his wife Mary had made up their minds to put down roots in Texas.
They came to settle 640 acres near Bachman's Branch, in what was then Nacogdoches County. Six hundred and forty acres — that's a full section of land, and Elder Merrell, minister of the Disciples of Christ Church, staked his claim on every inch of it. He didn't have long to enjoy it.
Eli Merrell died in 1849, and when they laid him to rest, his was the first marked grave on that acreage. That patch of ground became the Merrell Cemetery, and from there it grew into something the whole surrounding area relied on — a resting place for pioneers who were carving a life out of raw Texas country. Numerous prominent citizens ended up there, and members of the historic Peters Colony among them.
Now, not long after, another family entered this story. William Strait, born in 1806, came to Dallas County in 1853 with his wife Mourning, also born in 1806. Their family put down deep roots and spread through the community, serving it in ways that would echo for generations.
William Strait's sons — William, Enoch, and Bennett — and Elder Merrell's own sons, George and John, all served together in the 19th Cavalry during the Civil War. Two families, two plots of Texas ground, one regiment. Enoch Strait, born in 1834 and living all the way to 1917, went on to serve as Dallas County Commissioner.
And William Strait's grandson Elmo — born in 1876 — rose to become Chief of Police for the city of Dallas before he passed in 1922. Pioneer settlers, ministers, soldiers, lawmen. It's all there in that ground.
The cemetery association organized in 1965, and its members include descendants of those same pioneer families, still keeping watch over the place where it all started — with one man, 640 acres, and the first marked grave.
What the marker says
Elder Eli Merrell (1787 - 1849), minister of the Disciples of Christ Church, came with his wife, Mary, in 1844, to settle 640 acres near Bachman's Branch in what was then Nacogdoches County. This cemetery is on a part of his acreage, and his was the first marked grave at this site. The Merrell Cemetery originally served pioneers from the surrounding area. Numerous prominent citizens and members of the historic Peters Colony are among those buried here. William Strait (1806-86) and his wife, Mourning (1806-77), came to Dallas County in 1853. Many of their family members remained in the area, serving the community in various positions. Strait's sons, William, Enoch, and Bennett, served with Merrell's sons, George and John, in the 19th Cavalry during the Civil War. Enoch Strait (1834 - 1917) served as Dallas County Commissioner and William Strait's grandson, Elmo (1876 - 1922), became the Chief of Police for the city of Dallas. Members of the cemetery association, which was organized in 1965, include many descendants of pioneer settlers. (1985)