Cherokee County, Texas

   SELMAN-ROARK CEMETERY 

(photo by Kaye Slover)

    Selman-Roark Cemetery is locate on Highway 21, in the Linwood Community, east of Alto, Texas

Submitted by Ira Gaylon White    

Photos and additions by Kaye Slover, 2013

SELMAN - ROARK CEMETERY

IN 1834 SURVEYOR WILLIAM ROARK (1803-1862) AND HIS FAMILY CAME TO TEXAS
FROM TENNESSEE. ROARK'S MOTHER NANCY (CHAMBLISS) AND BROTHER NAPOLEON WERE
BURIED IN THE ONE-HALF-ACRE GRAVEYARD ABOUT 1837-38. JOSEPH, DELILA, AND
JAMES H. DURST DEEDED THIS CEMETERY TO ROARK IN 1838. ROARK'S DAUGHTER
ELIZABETH MARRIED BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SELMAN IN 1855 AND THE SITE BECAME
KNOWN AS "SELMAN-ROARK CEMETERY." AS LINWOOD COMMUNITY GREW, MORE FAMILIES
USED THE BURIAL GROUND, IN 1961 A ROARK DESCENDANT DEEDED AN ADDITIONAL 0.8
ACRE ADJOINING THE CEMETERY.

(1979)***

Texas Historical Commission (MM), 2/27/79

18" x 28" Official Texas Historical Marker with post; Cherokee County
(Order #5365) Location: Cemetery entrance, on SH 21, 5 mi. E of Alto

                                 SELMAN - ROARK CEMETERY

This cemetery is located on Highway 21 about 5 miles east of Alto, Texas.
It is the oldest cemetery by deed in Cherokee County, Texas. It was copied
16 October 1997 by Mrs. Lou Rogers and Mrs. Ogreta W. Huttash. Some of the
stones are cracked. Some graves are of native rock, some of sawed rock.
Some are in bad shape from being "cleaned" by bleaches or something
similar.  Checked and updated in May 2000 by Ogreta Huttash and Gaylon White.

Bean, Candace Midkiff   1802 - Dec 1848  wife of Peter Bean.

                                 CANDACE MIDKIFF BEAN

    Wife of Peter Ellis Bean, born near Nashville, Tenn., in 1802, died
near Douglass, Texas in December, 1848.  One of those Pioneer women who
braved the Indian menace and rocked the Cradle of Texas Liberty.  --  1936
Texas Centennial Marker  

Blackman, Floyd Ray  1898 - 1943 on stone with Leona Mae

Blackman, Leona Mae  1903 - 1975 on stone with Floyd Ray

Boone, Jimmie   stone died 10 Dec 1882, age 9 years, daughter of J.R. and E.R. Boone

Boulter, James (no marker, but is thought to be buried here)

Cheatham, George Samuel Apr 1850 d. Aug 1853; in rock rectangle, dates tenuous

Crosby, Barbara A. (Fite)   Nov 10, 1945 - Future

Crosby, Birdie Frances  22 Feb 1889 - 27 Nov 1966; on stone with James Gregg

Crosby, Don K.    stone   Sep 21, 1940 - Mar 27, 2006  SP4 US Army

Crosby, Dorothy Fay  24 Dec 1925 - 24 July 1932; Daughter of J.G. and
Birdie Crosby

Crosby, E.G. "Pat"  30 March 1918 - 13 Sept 1991; on stone with Narean K.

Crosby, Elbert G. 30 March 1918 - 13 Sept 1991; WWII PFC U.S. Army

Crosby, Frank P. 22 July 1909 - 26 July 1944; HQ Co., 2 Bn

Crosby, James Gregg 14 Feb 1872 - 15 April 1948; on same stone with Birdie
Frances

Crosby, Lizzie  stone  15 Jan 1882 - 17 June 1882 daughter of W.J. and S.A.

Crosby, Narean K. 6 May 1919 - 20 Sept 1995; Married 10 Jan 1939; on stone
with E.G. "Pat"

Crosby, Sarah A.  28 April 1847 - 3 April 1888; Mother; on stone with
William J.

Crosby, Virginia 14 Dec 1907 - 18 March 1990

Crosby, William J.  14 Oct 1850 - 16 Feb 1920; Father; on stone with Sarah A.

Crosby, William J.  19 Jan 1908 - 24 Aug 1966; Texas seargent 42 Regt Sta
TC WWII

CROSBY, William Ratcliffe Crosby  l4 Dec 1877 - 24 Feb 1913 buried in City
Cemetery Kaufman, Texas. Son of W.J. and Sarah A. Crosby

Cummings, Ethel A.  11 March 1882 - 7 August 1968; on stone with George M.

Cummings, George M.  3 March 1882 - 8 Dec 1937; on stone with Ethel A.

Dickey, Annie Lee  13 June 1899 - 5 Sept 1901 daughter of Lee and Carrie

Dover, Feldon F.    picture November 13, 1918 - Jun 13, 2008 M SGT US Army WWII

Dover, Merle A. Mar 16, 1923 - Future

Engledow, Billy Charles    26 Nov 1926     (only date)

Garrett, J.M.  2 May 1840 - 18 Sept 1892; Mason

Goff, Albert Bunyan 28 Aug 1890 - 8 March 1967; on stone with Emma (Bettie)

Goff, Alma   1866 - 1956; on stone with Wade F.

Goff, Emma (Bettie) 27 Jan 1890 - 19 Feb 1972 Married 23 Jan 1910; on stone
with Albert Bunyan

Goff, Lois  19 July 1907 - 3 Oct 1999   "I wont be alone."

Goff, Wade F.  15 March 1861 - 29 August 1926  (beside the newer one)

Goff, Wade F.  1861 - 1926; on stone with Alma

Hill, Annie Selman  12 Feb 1861 - 22 March 1889, wife of J.B. Hill;
Daughter of B.F. and E.H. Selman

McCuistion, Mrs. J.A. 6 June 1835 in Nacogdoches County, Texas - 6 June
1913, wife of A.J. McCuistion (This large stone is in an iron fenced
enclosure. On the back of the stone: Erected by Mrs. J.A. McCuistion's
children.) (Has DRT marker)

Nance, Doris Ray   Dec 24, 1925 - Jan 31, 2004

Oldham, William  Co. E - 28th Texas Cav. - CSA

Power, Infant daughter of H. and M.

Power, Mary M.  3 March 1856 - 1 July 1880 wife of Holloway Power (stone
cracked)

Roark, Addie C. 3 Mar 1874 died 19 May 1912, wife of W.F.  (rock; birthdate
tenuous)

Roark, Brother of William  (Napoleon; DRT Marker)

Roark, Corrie  16 Nov ...2? died 12 Dec 1901 daughter of W.F. and A.C.
(rock; birthdate tenuous)

Roark, Father of William  (John Roark 1836-1845 DRT marker) b ca 1774

Roark, Franklin R. 1830-1863, Co. A - 18th Texas Infantry, CSA (also DRT
marker)

Roark, Freddie R.  2 Sept 1884 - 7 Sept 1884

Roark, Isaac N.  1837 - 1839

Roark, John B.  1850 - 1852

Roark, Margarete Reed  1808 - 1856; on stone with William (DRT Marker also)

Roark, Mother of William  (Nancy Chambless DRT marker) born ca 1782 d ca 1837

Roark, Russell  born 1846

Roark, William  1803 - 1862; on stone with Margarete Reed (DRT Marker also)

Selman, Albert B.  12 April 1864 - 15 March 1885; son of B.F. and E.H.

Selman, Alice  31 August 1856 - 11 Nov 1863

Selman, Alvie  10 Dec 1858 - 13 Nov 1863

Selman, B.F.  marker 4 June 1829 - 21 August 1887; Mason [son of Thomas & Polly]

Selman, Fannie  1 Dec 1891 - 3 Sept 1903

Selman, Frankie Jo  June 17, 1948-Oct 2, 2005 on stone with Tommie Troy

Selman, Hollis F.  1 Jan 1887 - 29 July 1887; son of J.V. and G.L. Selman

Selman, J.V.  6 July 1850 - 5 March 1900, husband of Georgie Ann

Selman, Major  24 March 1876 - 3 July 1945

Selman, Mrs. E.H. 2 Sept 1832 in Franklin County, Tennessee (DRT Marker) d.
29 May 1910 age 77 yrs 8 mos 27 days [nee Roark] wife of B.F.  Iron Fence

Selman, Stafford d. btwn 1850-60 (no marker, info from "Over the Mountain,
a Narrative History of Bean, Selman, and Germany Families" by Martha Crabb)

Selman, Thomas  26 Apr 1790 - 11 Apr 1866; Pvt 2 Tenn Regt Capt Caruther's
Co; War of 1812

Selman, Tommie Troy Jul 29, 1944 - Future  on stone with Frankie Jo

White, Luther J.  stone 20 Oct 1889 - 2 Nov 1890; son of W.J. and M.J.

White, William M.  stone 11 July 1883 - 27 Nov 1884; son of W.J. and M.J.

Williams, Caladonia I.  1 Oct 1862 - 7 Nov 1869  (cracked)


The Daughters of the Republic of Texas markers show the date 1836 when the
Republic started, plus their date of death. They were here by 1834 however.
owh

For more information go to Find A Grave.