Fairview Cemetery, Memphis, Texas

11/11/2023

ATTENTION VOLUNTEERS
We have decided to cancel putting out flags at the cemetery for today due to the weather. We appreciate everyone who helps with this endeavor, but are thinking of their health and safety. Please remember and honor all veteran's privately in your own way. Again thank you for your support and understanding.

05/30/2023

The Fairview Cemetery Association would like to thank everyone who came out today at 8:00 AM to place flags on our veteran's graves and again at 5:00 PM to pick them up. This is our way of honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice with their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms and privileges we all have today. We would not be able to accomplish this without the support of our volunteers. Once again, thank you.

05/28/2022

Volunteers needed!!

Help us honor our veterans by joining us to place a flag on the grave of each veteran buried in our cemetery. Please meet at the chapel on Monday, May 30 at 8:00 AM. Flags will be picked up on Monday at 5:00 PM.

11/12/2020

The Fairview Cemetery Association would like to thank all the volunteers who came out yesterday to help put flags and then to take them up on all our veteran's graves. This is a great way of honoring our veterans and is always an impressive sight to look across the cemetery and see all the flags waving in the breeze. There are currently 813 identified veterans buried in our cemetery. Flags are put our twice each year at Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Volunteer support makes not only this but everything we do possible. Again thanks to our volunteers and thanks to all veterans who have served our country.

11/05/2020

05/25/2020

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! This morning about 30 people came out and helped to put flags on all the veteran's graves for Memorial Day. Today 808 flags were placed on the graves of veterans buried in the Fairview Cemetery. Veterans are represented from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, the Indian Wars, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, the Viet Nam War and several of the more recent conflicts. We appreciate the community support in honoring our veterans.

05/19/2020

Volunteers are needed!

04/24/2020

The Re-Organization of the Fairview Cemetery Association

On March 25, 1993, a group of individuals came together for their first formal meeting for the purpose of re-organizing the Fairview Cemetery Association. There had been a Fairview Cemetery Association that was operational in the late 19teens and early 1920s. At that time, this group was very active and an integral part of the evolution of the Fairview Cemetery. Documented accounts in the local newspaper of the time indicate that the association was responsible for fundraising activities to purchase additional land for cemetery expansion and beautification improvements to the cemetery including sidewalks, fencing and the er****on of brick columns at the two entrances. At some time during the 1950s or early 1960s the group disbanded, and the cemetery began to fall into disrepair.
This re-organization was prompted by a significant bequest that was made for the cemetery. Since there was no active cemetery association with governmental identification, this money was given to the City of Memphis with the sole stipulation that all funds be used toward the cemetery only. These funds were to be received in quarterly installments over a 25-year period. This money proved to be the seed money to begin an active cemetery association again.
Original members attending this first meeting were Charlie Cox, Anna Margaret Moss, Ruby Roden, Helen Crisman, Ann Chappell, Margie Trahan, Dorcus Ruth Foster, Fay Revelle, Shirley Riley, O’Neil Weatherly, Carroll Gardenhire, Nell Cudd, Johnnie Sue Young, Nellie Gilliland, Dorothy Stargel, Louise Hodge, Johnny Hancock, Hubert Jones, Fay Booth, Sarah Kilgore, Donny Spicer, Owen Lindsey, C. T. Chappell and Kathryn Jones. The first order of business was to establish bylaws. C. T. Chappell was elected as the first president. Committees were then established to begin soliciting donations, evaluating the overall condition of the cemetery, and prioritizing the needs in order to begin the long process of reconditioning the cemetery to bring it to a serene, beautiful, and peaceful setting.

03/15/2020

641 grave markers placed
Since the re-establishment of the Fairview Cemetery Association in March 1993, one of the many goals that has been set is to identify and mark all of the unmarked graves. In the past 27 years, the association has been able to identify with the complete name, date of birth, date of death and burial location and then purchase 641 grave markers for individuals who did not have one. There is currently another outstanding order for 38 more grave markers. These people were buried and no marker was ever placed to identify where the burial took place. Most of these have been in the south cemetery (also known as the old cemetery). This is where the original burials at the cemetery took place with the first recorded burials starting in 1890. All of this and so much more has been accomplished solely through donations made to the cemetery association. The association operates only with the help of private donations and does not receive any governmental monies from local, state or federal sources. This work continues today. There are currently over 330 people who have been documented as being buried at Fairview but their location is not known. For many of these there is additional missing information, either full name, date of birth or date of death. This is one of several ongoing projects. The Fairview Cemetery Association would like to thank all past supporters and hope that support will continue so that all ongoing work and projects can continue.