09/16/2024
Yesterday morning I loaded up my car with yard tools and headed out to Universe Cemetery. I hadn't been out there since the spring and I knew the rains up to August had probably jumpstarted everything. I have some concerns about the situation there, but had been told that Carolyn Davis would be there, and maybe two cousins who had family buried in the cemetery. I knew that they probably wouldn't find their family members' graves unless I went.
Carolyn came and one of the cousins, Lisa Madison. Lisa could remember coming to Universe as a child, up the old road which is now blocked. She only recently found out that there was another way in. When she came decades ago, there were no small trees everywhere--everything was neat and clean, almost like Evergreen Cemetery is now. I started into my usual talk about how there are over 300 people buried out there, known by tombstones, death certificates, family knowledge, and a few obituaries. In fact, one of my favorite people out there had a nice obituary in the Tyler newspaper--Sandy Murphy, a former slave, but he had no stone.
Lisa was startled--Sandy was one of her ancestors. The Murphy family is the one she wanted to find. I told her that I thought I knew where they were, and the three of us headed down the front of the cemetery. Lisa said that there had been an old feud between the founding Goss family and the Murphy family, and that the Goss family didn't want the Murphys buried there. We got almost down to the point (as far from the Goss plot as possible!!) and I spotted the first Murphy stone, and then another, and another and another. Lisa was so excited--she was in tears. She knew all of these people and how they were related. We got to work clearing off all of the weeds and tree sprouts that had grown up since I was out there last. She got on her phone and called cousin after cousin to tell them what she had found. And she told me that she could get her cousins out there to help with overall cleanup, including men with trucks and chainsaws. She took photos, I took photos, and then I gave her the grand tour.
And this is why I care about old cemeteries.
