Lee Cemetery, Roxton Cemetery, Lamar County, Texas

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Lee Cemetery, Roxton, Lamar County, Texas

LOCATION: Lee Cemetery is located in Roxton in the southwest quadrant of the county in Block 45 of the Lamar County Road Map produced by American Drafting and Services revised December 1993. It has been also referred to as the Moon Cemetery, but the old timers call it Lee. It is called Lee Roxton Cemetery in this compilation because there are two other Lee cemeteries in the County.

DIRECTIONS: From Farm Market Rd. 137, turn left on 26500 at the Lee Cemetery sign. Proceed 1.7 miles to a T in the road. Turn left (26310) and proceed 1.1 miles and turn left on 25310, which is a gravel road. Follow the gravel road .5 miles to a locked gate. Cemetery is .4 miles the other side of the locked gate.

GPS COORDINATES: 33° 31' 59.30 N, 95° 46' 09.02 W
(33.5331389 Latitude and -95.76917222 Longitude)

OLDEST KNOWN BURIAL: The oldest inscribed grave is that of William Derrick, who died in 1831.

NUMBER OF GRAVES: There are 120 known graves in the cemetery. (July 2017)

SIGNS/MARKERS: There is not a state highway marker for the cemetery.
Historic Texas Cemetery: Yes Texas Historical Commission Marker: Yes (2000)
The following is from the Historical marker outside the cemetery: Lee Cemetery - Herbert J. Lee of Virginia moved to this area by 1859. One-year-old Georgiannia W. Derrick died in 1860 and was buried on the Lee property. Herbert Lee designated the land for a cemetery in his 1865 will. At some time after May 1908, two stones were erected bearing the names of George W. and William B. Derrick, who died in 1831. Whether or not the two pioneers are interred on this site remains unknow. Most graves are dated between 1870 and 1890. Money was tight during the Reconstruction era, which may explain the lack of ornate stones. An underground vault in the center of the graveyard filled with dirt and the markers within the vault deteriorated. At least one grave on this site it that of a citizen of The Republic of Texas. Others were veterans of the Civil War. The last burial took place in 1913. (2000)

LAST ENUMERATION: Jimmie Fletcher and Causewell Creed assisted Tony and Elizabeth Booth in recording the cemetery. Since that time, Jean Caddel and Betty Thoms have researched further into the history of the cemetery and have formed an association.

ADD'L INFORMATION: Lee Cemetery is about 4 miles west of Roxton, off Farm Market Rd. 137, on the Packard Ranch (now owned by Mr. Currin), between Roxton and the Noble community. The cemetery is on private property and behind a locked gate. The cemetery association holds a cemetery clean up the last weekends of April and September.

Jimmie Fletcher and Causewell Creed assisted Tony and Elizabeth Booth in recording the cemetery. Since that time, Jean Caddel and Betty Thoms have researched further into the history of the cemetery and have formed an association. The cemetery seems to have evolved around relationships to the Derrick Family. It is believed that the patriarch, Simeon Derrick is buried there. He appears in the 1850 Lamar Co. Census, Family #212, at age 80, born in Virginia, as a farmer, worth $1000. The oldest inscribed grave in the cemetery is that of William Derrick, who died in 1831.

From "Backward Glances" by A. W. Neville a column in The Paris News, Jan. 22, 1931: "When Herbert J. Lee, who lived in the Roxton settlement, felt his end near, he made his will and he apparently knew just what to say. Dated Aug. 7, 1865: 'I do will and direct that two tracts of land be divided into six lots containing 100 acres each, by running lines north and south, numbering the lots from, east to west. The two tracts are of the following description, the larger containing 593 acres, part of a survey of a league of land made by virtue of a headright certificate of John H. Fowler, sold and conveyed to me on the 1st. day of Aug. 1857, by J. W. Denton and Mary M. Denton. The smaller tract contains 8 acres and adjoins the larger tract on the east and is a part of the same headright sold me by John H. Fowler, 31 Aug 1857, recorded in the record office, Paris of Lamar County, Texas where these tracts of land were placed on record. It's my will and desire, I do give my son, Francis Lee, a Negro man, Westley, 27 years old, and 100 acres of land -lot 6, also 3 cows and calves. This gift [of a] Negro man and lot of land extends no further than the natural life of my son, Francis Lee. Then said Negro man, if living and said land reverts to the estate and is to be divided equally between my 5 children, Matthew, Cincinnatis, William, Lucy Ann Cread and Mary Fulton. To my son, Matthew Lee, I give a Negro man, John, about 15 years old and 100 acres of land, lot 3 and 1/5 of my stock of every description."

The Paris News, Jan. 23, 1931: "The Will of Herbert Lee, made in 1865, after certain property to his sons, Francis and Matthew: To my son William Lee, a Negro woman, Dicy, about 35, a boy 8 years old and 100 acres of land, lot 1 and 1/5 of all my stock. To Lucy Ann Cread, a Negro, Peter, 22 and 100 acres of land, lot 4 and 1/5 of all my stock. To Mary Fulton, Negro woman, Seller 19 and 100 acres, lot 5 and 1/5 of all my stock. To my three grandchildren, Herbert, Clarry and Mary, children of my daughter Susan L. Loyd, $50. each. To three other grandchildren, Samuel, Thomas and Mary, children of my daughter Elizabeth Dennis, $5.00 each. To my son Nathaniel Lee, $10. I reserve one acre out of my landed estate to include the burial ground on the larger tract of land. Said one acre not subject to be sold or to disposed of in anyway or manner, but to be retained for what it was intended for all time to come. The will was witnessed by Vincent Derrick and John F. Griffin. Mr. Lee died about Dec.1, 1865, a few months after making this will and James W. McDaniel was appointed executor of his estate. The will naming no executor and one of the sons joining in the request for McDaniel to he appointed. The executor gave a bond for $9,000 and entered upon his duties of disposing of the perishable property and dividing the land as the testator had directed."

PICTURE(S):

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LOCATION:	Lee Cemetery is located in Roxton in the southwest quadrant of the county in Block 45 of the Lamar County Road Map produced by American Drafting and Services revised December 1993. It has been also referred to as the Moon Cemetery, but the old timers call it Lee. It is called Lee Roxton Cemetery in this compilation because there are two other Lee cemeteries in the County.
DIRECTIONS:	From Farm Market Rd. 137, turn left on 26500 at the Lee Cemetery sign. Proceed 1.7 miles to a T in the road. Turn left (26310) and proceed 1.1 miles and turn left on 25310, which is a gravel road. Follow the gravel road .5 miles to a locked gate. Cemetery is .4 miles the other side of the locked gate.
GPS COORDINATES:	33° 31' 59.30 N, 95° 46' 09.02 W (33.5331389 Latitude and -95.76917222 Longitude)
OLDEST KNOWN BURIAL:	The oldest inscribed grave is that of William Derrick, who died in 1831.
NUMBER OF GRAVES:	There are 120 known graves in the cemetery. (July 2017)
SIGNS/MARKERS:	There is not a state highway marker for the cemetery. Historic Texas Cemetery: Yes Texas Historical Commission Marker: Yes (2000) The following is from the Historical marker outside the cemetery: Lee Cemetery - Herbert J. Lee of Virginia moved to this area by 1859. One-year-old Georgiannia W. Derrick died in 1860 and was buried on the Lee property. Herbert Lee designated the land for a cemetery in his 1865 will. At some time after May 1908, two stones were erected bearing the names of George W. and William B. Derrick, who died in 1831. Whether or not the two pioneers are interred on this site remains unknow. Most graves are dated between 1870 and 1890. Money was tight during the Reconstruction era, which may explain the lack of ornate stones. An underground vault in the center of the graveyard filled with dirt and the markers within the vault deteriorated. At least one grave on this site it that of a citizen of The Republic of Texas. Others were veterans of the Civil War. The last burial took place in 1913. (2000)
LAST ENUMERATION:	Jimmie Fletcher and Causewell Creed assisted Tony and Elizabeth Booth in recording the cemetery. Since that time, Jean Caddel and Betty Thoms have researched further into the history of the cemetery and have formed an association.
ADD'L INFORMATION:	Lee Cemetery is about 4 miles west of Roxton, off Farm Market Rd. 137, on the Packard Ranch (now owned by Mr. Currin), between Roxton and the Noble community. The cemetery is on private property and behind a locked gate. The cemetery association holds a cemetery clean up the last weekends of April and September. Jimmie Fletcher and Causewell Creed assisted Tony and Elizabeth Booth in recording the cemetery. Since that time, Jean Caddel and Betty Thoms have researched further into the history of the cemetery and have formed an association. The cemetery seems to have evolved around relationships to the Derrick Family. It is believed that the patriarch, Simeon Derrick is buried there. He appears in the 1850 Lamar Co. Census, Family #212, at age 80, born in Virginia, as a farmer, worth $1000. The oldest inscribed grave in the cemetery is that of William Derrick, who died in 1831. From "Backward Glances" by A. W. Neville a column in The Paris News, Jan. 22, 1931: "When Herbert J. Lee, who lived in the Roxton settlement, felt his end near, he made his will and he apparently knew just what to say. Dated Aug. 7, 1865: 'I do will and direct that two tracts of land be divided into six lots containing 100 acres each, by running lines north and south, numbering the lots from, east to west. The two tracts are of the following description, the larger containing 593 acres, part of a survey of a league of land made by virtue of a headright certificate of John H. Fowler, sold and conveyed to me on the 1st. day of Aug. 1857, by J. W. Denton and Mary M. Denton. The smaller tract contains 8 acres and adjoins the larger tract on the east and is a part of the same headright sold me by John H. Fowler, 31 Aug 1857, recorded in the record office, Paris of Lamar County, Texas where these tracts of land were placed on record. It's my will and desire, I do give my son, Francis Lee, a Negro man, Westley, 27 years old, and 100 acres of land -lot 6, also 3 cows and calves. This gift [of a] Negro man and lot of land extends no further than the natural life of my son, Francis Lee. Then said Negro man, if living and said land reverts to the estate and is to be divided equally between my 5 children, Matthew, Cincinnatis, William, Lucy Ann Cread and Mary Fulton. To my son, Matthew Lee, I give a Negro man, John, about 15 years old and 100 acres of land, lot 3 and 1/5 of my stock of every description." The Paris News, Jan. 23, 1931: "The Will of Herbert Lee, made in 1865, after certain property to his sons, Francis and Matthew: To my son William Lee, a Negro woman, Dicy, about 35, a boy 8 years old and 100 acres of land, lot 1 and 1/5 of all my stock. To Lucy Ann Cread, a Negro, Peter, 22 and 100 acres of land, lot 4 and 1/5 of all my stock. To Mary Fulton, Negro woman, Seller 19 and 100 acres, lot 5 and 1/5 of all my stock. To my three grandchildren, Herbert, Clarry and Mary, children of my daughter Susan L. Loyd, $50. each. To three other grandchildren, Samuel, Thomas and Mary, children of my daughter Elizabeth Dennis, $5.00 each. To my son Nathaniel Lee, $10. I reserve one acre out of my landed estate to include the burial ground on the larger tract of land. Said one acre not subject to be sold or to disposed of in anyway or manner, but to be retained for what it was intended for all time to come. The will was witnessed by Vincent Derrick and John F. Griffin. Mr. Lee died about Dec.1, 1865, a few months after making this will and James W. McDaniel was appointed executor of his estate. The will naming no executor and one of the sons joining in the request for McDaniel to he appointed. The executor gave a bond for $9,000 and entered upon his duties of disposing of the perishable property and dividing the land as the testator had directed."
PICTURE(S):