Cravens Cemetery
Tombstone records of The Cravens Cemetery of Fannin County are provided by Billy Suitor, a fellow Fannin County historian and are much appreciated. Photo above was taken Spring of 2008 and provided by Larry Standlee. All other photos (taken in the mid-1970's) and tombstone rubbings were submitted by Barbara Rivas. Thanks, to all of you!
Following the death of William Cravens in Christian County, KY (1845), his wife, Mary (McCombs) Cravens and their son Gershom C., their slaves and a party of friends started from Kentucky to Texas in 1845. Gershom left behind his sweetheart, Zerelda Darnall. (Their parents thought them too young for marriage at nineteen and sixteen.)
The Darnalls had come to Texas before the fall of the Alamo but the Indians gave so much trouble they were getting ready to return to Kentucky (1837) before their application for a land grant was granted. William and his wife Ann Elizabeth Soper Darnall, had crossed the Red River to attend to some business before returning to Kentucky. The river started to rise as they were returning to the Texas side and their boat overturned. William managed to get out safely but his wife was drowned. William Darnall returned to Kentucky with his children.
He would not give his consent for his lovely young daughter, Zerelda to come back to Texas as Gershom Craven's bride. The separation proved too much for Gershom. When they came to the Cumberland River in Montgomery County, Tennessee, Gershom slipped away in the night to return for Zerelda. They were married at Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee, on 14 Oct 1845.
The Cravens settled on Bois d'Arc Creek north of Windom, Texas. Soon John and Nathan Darnall joined the Cravens in Texas as well as Zerelda's sister, Mary Elizabeth Darnall.
This was a family graveyard. All marked graves are family. There are five unmarked graves of friends.
Cravens Cemetery
| Name | Born | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewer, Mary E. | 01 May 1823 | 02 Apr 1892 | See Notes |
| Cravens, Gershom C. | 22 Dec 1826 | 13 Feb 1871 | |
| Cravens, Mary | 14 Feb 1793 | 18 Feb 1868 | (nee McCombs) |
| Cravens, Mary E. [Eliza] | 26 Sep 1847 | 06 Jul 1918 | [nee Allen; wife of Wm. H.] |
| Cravens, James Nathan | 30 Oct 1859 | 01 Jan 1862 | son of G.C. & Z. |
| Cravens, Zerelda | 23 Nov 1829 | 13 Dec 1898 | age 69 yrs 20 dys |
| Cravens, Mary (Ella) | 04 Dec 1867 | 09 Apr 1892 | (nee Ramsey) wife of Elijah C. |
| Cravens, William Henry | 25 Nov 1846 | 20 Oct 1901 | [m. Mary Eliza Allen; s/o G. & Z.] |
| Darnall, John C. | 14 Mar 1824 | 24 Dec 1872 | age 49 yrs 9 mos |
| Darnall, Nathan A. | 15 Jul 1821 | 19 Feb 1877 | |
| Edwards, Colman | 6 Jun 1868 | 3 Aug 1937 | unmarked |
| Garrison, Mr. J. A. | Dec 1906 | unmarked; | |
| Jolley, Isham T. | 12 Jul 1842 | 18 Apr 1890 | b. Wilson, Co. TN |
| Jolley, Harriet | 19 Apr 1852 | 09 Mar 1876 | wife of I. T.; d/o G. & Z. Cravens |
| Moore, Harriett | 18 Jul 1870 | 22 Apr 1882 | d/o W.C. & Emily |
| Moore, Howard | 18 Oct 1881 | 22 Apr 1882 | s/o W.C. & Emily |
| Moore, Emile | 18 Sep 1850 | 20 Apr 1899 | wife of W.C. |
| Moore, Zehelda | 26 Jul 1869 | 26 Jul 1869 | s/o W.C. & Emily |
| Moore, Charles T. | 20 Feb 1874 | 28 Oct 1875 | 1 yr 8 mo 20 dys; s/o W.C. & Emily |
| Moore, William M. | 11 Apr 1880 | 28 Apr 1880 | age 17 days; s/o W.C. & Emily |
| Moore, Infant | 22 Feb 1883 | 22 Feb 1883 | d/o W.C. & Emily |
| Nicholson, Greshum A. | 11 Sep 1882 | 16 Jul 1883 | son of J.W. & C. A. |
| Nicholson, Bertie | 08 Jun 1884 | 29 Jul 1884 | d/o J.W. & C.A.; [gr-d/o G. & Z] |
| Tyler, R.K. | 1833 | 13 Jan 1897 | age 64 yr. |
| Tyler, Mary E. (Elizabety) | 10 Aug 1848 | 6 May 1869 | wife of R.K.; [d/o G. & Z.] |
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