Muse Cemetery

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm passing it along straight. Out here in Anderson County, there's a burial ground called Muse Cemetery, and even the name carries a little mystery in it. The cemetery takes its name from the pioneer Thomas Fletcher Muse family.

But here's the thing the marker wants you to sit with: records show the ground was already in use before the Muse family ever settled in the area following the Civil War. And there are no indications that any of the Muse family members are actually buried there. A cemetery named for a family that may not rest in it.

That's a Texas riddle if I've ever heard one. Now, the oldest marked grave belongs to Mary E. Gilmore, who died February 6, 1859, at the age of six months.

Six months old. You let that land a moment before you move on. The oldest section of the burial ground is covered with sand, while grass grows on the newer sections.

Time works differently on different parts of the same ground. A survey was conducted in 1969, and it located some 261 unmarked graves. Those graves were then designated with cement markers.

Two hundred and sixty-one people who had lain without any marker at all, finally acknowledged. The first section wasn't officially deeded for use as a cemetery until 1909, and two additional sections were added later, in 1958 and in 1981. A cemetery association was formed that same year, 1981.

Several generations of some area families are represented here, with most of the grave markers cut from stone, though there are also some above-ground vault burials. To the east of that oldest section sits another small cemetery, and it holds the graves of black citizens of the community. The oldest marked grave in that plot is of Jackson Roach, who died September 1, 1882.

Two cemeteries, side by side, each carrying their own histories, their own silence. Muse Cemetery. A name borrowed from a family that may never have lain here, sheltering generations of folks who did.

The sand covers the oldest part, the grass covers the newer, and somewhere underneath it all, 261 people finally have a marker to their name.

What the marker says

The oldest marked grave in this cemetery is that of Mary E. Gilmore, who died February 6, 1859, at the age of six months. The oldest section of the burial ground is covered with sand, though grass grows on newer sections. A 1969 survey located some 261 unmarked graves, which were then designated with cement markers. The cemetery takes its name from the pioneer Thomas Fletcher Muse family, though records show it was in use prior to the family's settlement in the area following the Civil War. However, there are no indications that any of the Muse family members are buried here. The first section was not officially deeded for use as a cemetery until 1909. Two additional sections were added in 1958 and 1981. Several generations of some area families are represented here. Most of the grave markers are of stone, though there are also some above-ground vault burials. A cemetery association was formed in 1981. To the east of the oldest section is another small cemetery, containing the graves of black citizens of the community. The oldest marked grave in that plot is of Jackson Roach, who died September 1, 1882. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986