Myers Cemetery is located in the Springdale area of Cass County. It has not been cared for in many years, it is out in the woods and there are only ten graves marked by iron ore rocks and two with tombstones. Following is the history on the cemetery:
100 Years After They Died, Their Lives Melted Into Mysteries
This article was taken from the Citizens Journal , 7 January 1982
Ravages of a forest fire from days gone by linger on the bark of a nearby tree. Small scrubs, grass and a tangle of weeds have grown over the once mound grave. Two marked graves seem to center the graveyard, back in the woods near Springdale. One can see at least 13 graves, Judging from the size of the graves, none of the people buried there are adults. Of those 13, almost half are infant graves. The mystery remains, Who were these people?
The first marked tombstone is inscribed "Green D." Under the name is written, "Son of J. J. and C. E. Myers, born April 5, 1862 Died January 10, 1871. Green D. Myers, the name enchants me, he was 10 years old, his parents are listed, but who was he? The footstone is engraved G. D. M." Beside this tombstone lies another marked one, "Dora" is written in big letters, "Daughter of J. J. and C. E. Myers," born March 24, 1868 and died January 11, 1871. She was apparently the sister of Green D., the grave has no footstone, only the headstone to identify the girl. She comes to life again in my mind. Maybe she was a blonde-haired blue eyed beauty, maybe she captivated her family with enchanting green eyes. Their tombstones tell me only that they existed while ignoring the questions running through my mind. Why did they die one day apart almost 111 years ago? Of what did they die? Why were they buried here? Who are the people buried around them in the unmarked graves?
I immediately wanted an answer. The first place to look would be in the county clerk's office. But there are no answers there. Texas law did not require deaths to be recorded until 1903 and even so, accurate records were not kept until the 1940's. This graveyard is one of hundreds in the county, many have unmarked graves and many are like another graveyard found less than two miles away.
Descendants, Ancestors Reunited
This article was taken from the Citizens Journal 9 October 1983
The dead are not forgotten. Their ancestors have been found. In the January 7, 1982 edition of the Citizens Journal, a story was written about a small cemetery in Queen City, near Springdale, which contained at least 13 small graves, of which only two were marked. The cemetery is located on International Paper Company land, it is marked only with concrete blocks at its edges. Otherwise it is lost in the woods. There appeared to have been no one caring for the cemetery. Indeed there had not been. But the living descendants and the dead ancestors have, in a way been reunited.
Iris Wise VanEtten of Texarkana is a direct descendant of some of the ones buried there, the cemetery is the Old Myers Family Cemetery. Mrs, VanEtten had once lived in the Atlanta area and cared for the cemetery personally befoe the land was owned by the paper company. Through the passage of time, however, she moved and in the interval, the company took over the land and changed the appearance. When she came back, "I couldn't find the cemetery." "The land was once owned by my mother's people, James Jones Myers," she said. "He owned 640 acres of land up there. He came there as a young man and settled a homestead there before there were railroads. He later sold a right-of-way to the railroad for $1."
Myers was married twice. His first marriage was to Eliza Goodwin on February 21, 1841. She died in 1846, however, He then married Caroline Skinner on June 8, 1851. It is not known whether he and Eliza had children, he and Caroline had several children, two of which are those marked in the small cemetery: Green D. and Dora. It is my understanding that many of them died of yellow fever that was rampant during that time,: Mrs. VanEtten said.
In the Bible records is also listed a J.B. Myers, apparently a brother of J. J. Myers. He, ironically. was killed on the railroad as he was found dead near it. he rode the railroad back and forth to work at the sawmill, located where Atlanta is now. He was married but his wife Ceville, didn't live long.
J. J. Myers was born December 19, 1816 and died November 3, 1879. His wife, Caroline was born December 15, 1834, but it is unknown when she died. Mrs. VanEtten has a picture of J. J. Myers in a Confederate uniform but has been unable to determine what his status in the Army was.
Other children listed as born and date of their deaths include James V., Nathan Dodd - 1857, Oscar -1859, Green Dora -1861, Mary Virginia -1863, Ada - 1865 and another Dora - 1868.
J. B. Myers second wife, was born September 19, 1860 and J. B and Vaney are Mrs. VanEtten's grandparents. Her mother, Caroline Elizabeth Myers, was born February 10, 1881. Then there was Mrs. VanEtten.
Now we know, an old abandoned cemetery has meaning. The dead have not been lost from someone's memory. They belong to someone who still lives today. Not as sad a story as it was almost two years ago when they were apparently was lost in a sea of forgetfulness. As Dora's inscription says on her tombstone, "Though it be hard to part. Though it rends my aching heart. Since an heir of glory gone. Let the will of God be done." It's comforting to know the living and the dead are once again, in a way, reunited.
Green D. Myers 5 April 1861 - 10 January 1874
Dora Myers 24 March 1868 - 14 January 1874 [Citizens Journal in 1982 article list both children died 1871 and Dora died 11th, instead of the 14th]
James J. Myers 19 December 1816 - 3 November 1879
Eliza GOODWIN Myers 25 November 1821 - 20 August 1846
Caroline SKINNER Myers 15 December 1814 - Unknown
James Baldwin Myers 1 October 1854 - Unknown [Married Fannie HARCROW 2 August 1876, she is not buried here.]
James Myers 17 February 1880 - 26 June 1881 s/o J. B. and Fannie
Eliza Aveline Myers 21 March 1852 - 20 September 1854 d/o J. J. and Caroline
Savila BROWN Myers 24 January 1855 - 25 July 1874 w/o J. B. Married 28 June 1874
Unknown Grave
As researched by Connie Draper
sources: Volume 1 Cemeteries with Cass County Connections; Citizens Journal
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