To Everything A Season: EDGARs in Hillside Cemetery, Cuero, DeWitt Co, TX

Hillside Entrance

July 2006, R. Webb

(Click to enlarge.)

Texas Historical

Marker

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On this page: Intro to the Edgars in Hillside; Intro to Hillside Cemetery

Latest update: Sunday, 24 June, 2007

The Edgars in Hillside Cemetery

are descendants or in-laws of

James Edgar (1790 -1869) and

Selah Witherington (1794 - 1873).

In 1835 James Edgar's and Selah Witherington's 17-year-old, firstborn son, Joseph Smith  Edgar left Maury County,

Tennessee to participate in the Texas Revolution; for his service, the new Republic of Texas posthumously gave three land

grants to Joseph Smith Edgar. In late 1853, James and Selah Edgar relocated their family from Maury County, Tennessee to

Joseph's land grants in DeWitt County, Texas.

The Edgars in Hillside Cemetery are descendants or in-laws of James' and Selah's

• third son Henry (1821 - 1908)

• fourth son William (1824 - 1882)

• fifth son James "Doc" (1826 - 1912), and

• seventh son Joshua (1828).

For details, documents and photos of James and Selah and their family tree, visit the James and Selah Edgar website.

Hillside Cemetery

Established in 1700 [sic?], Hillside Cemetery (http://www.cityofcuero.com/cemetery.php) is located within the city limits of

Cuero, DeWitt County, Texas. Today, the main entrance to Hillside Cemetery is located at the intersection of Reuss Boulevard

and Valley Street.

Hillside has an annual Decoration Day on the 3rd Sunday in April.

When Patsy Goebel did her survey in 1987, the cemetery hadĀ over 5,000 marked graves; today there are many more, and it's

a bit overwhelming. (Robert Webb, June 2006)

"On Sunday, February 26, 2006, Hillside Cemetery was officially designated a Historic Texas Cemetery by the Texas Historical

Commission. A historical marker from the THC now stands near the flagpole at the front of the cemetery, which reads as

follows:

HILLSIDE CEMETERY: The new community of Cuero was surveyed for the Cuero Land and Immigration

Co. in 1873. That same year, the City incorporated, and the GWT&P Railroad extended its track to it from

Indianola. The land company conveyed 12 acres at this site for use as a municipal burial ground in 1875.

By 1880, local women formed a cemetery association to maintain burial plots. They raised funds and

collected dues to employ a groundskeeper to make cemetery improvements. The site grew to include

additional acreage and the once segregated African American cemetery, Evergreen. The Ladies'

Cemetery Association turned over its duties to the City in 1972, but an endowment established in 1919

continues to generate funds for cemetery projects.

"Today, Hillside Cemetery is the final resting place for generations of area residents. In addition to pioneer settlers, artists,

writers, educators and civic leaders, those buried here include elected officials and military veterans of conflicts dating to the

Mexican War. Large monuments are reminders of the victims and survivors of the Indianola storms of 1875 and 1886."

"The Grounds Maintenance Department of the City of Cuero, maintains both Hillside Cemetery and Evergreen Cemetery."

sources:

* The City of Cuero, Texas,  http://www.cityofcuero.com/cemetery.php

* Robert Webb

* Patsy Goebel, HillsideCemeteryGoebelSurvey2.pdf

• The Cuero Record 01 March, 2006, "THC marker honors Hillside Cemetery" www.cuerorecord.com/articles/2006/03/01/

news/front3.txt

end