Next Memorial Gathering is Sunday June 25th, 2021 at 11am

Memorial Day for the cemetery is always the fourth Sunday of every June. A business session is conducted, a short speech by a guest minister or speaker is heard. This year due to Coronavirus concerns the business session will be shortened and there will be no potluck picnic.

History of the Cox Family Cemetery:

The Cox Family Cemetery is located on FM 1653 at CR 4106 south of Canton. There is a Texas Sesquicentennial marker at this cemetery honoring Robert K. Gibbs who, along with his family, settled the area in the early 1850's. Their infant daughter, Ellen S. Gibbs, has the earliest marked grave with date of birth October 08, 1853 and date of death November 28, 1853. There are 5 generations of the Cox family buried here and several of the unmarked graves are believed to be those of slaves.

In 1872 a portion of the R. K. Gibbs survey was sold to M. A. Cox, County Commissioner of Van Zandt County from 1867-1870. In 1880 the land sold to R. D. Cox, a civil war veteran and a brother to M. A. R. D. Cox. From that time the cemetery was known as Cox Grave Yard.

Oral history verifies that there are at least two slaves buried in the Cox Cemetery. Two graves by the west gate are marked by large rocks and crosses made of iron pipe. There are several other unmarked graves near the two reported slave graves. Some of these are also believed to be graves of slaves. Prior to his death in 1980 A. T. Cox, grandson of R. D. Cox, related the story that other unmarked graves were slaves graves. According to Mrs. Onie Mae Koen, great-granddaughter of M. A. Cox, “We children knew which were Negro Slaves’ graves even though their only marker was large rocks. We always wanted to work those graves first”. It is not documented to whom the slaves belonged. However one consideration is that the slaves belonged to R. K. Gibbs who settled the land prior to the Civil War. The land first came into the possession of M. A. Cox in 1872 seven years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Of the 254 graves in the Cox Cemetery thirty-six markers are inscribed with the name Cox. Many others were Cox females who bore a married name at death. One of the most significant facts is that there are five generations of Cox males buried in the cemetery. In addition to the Civil War Veteran R. D. Cox there are three veterans of World War I, five veterans of World War II and a serviceman who was killed in a car accident during his tour of duty who is buried in the Cox Cemetery.

Even though the name of the cemetery has been changed from Cox Grave Yard to Cox Cemetery, the manner in which the cemetery is maintained has not changed. Several years ago the Saturday before the fourth Sunday in June was set aside as Memorial Day. To work the cemetery all families who could brought their lunches and spent the day cleaning the cemetery. They would meet to hoe sweep and mound the graves. At some later time the need was seen for the cemetery to be worked by contract. A contract was secured by the lowest bid and paid by donations on Memorial Day which has changed to the fourth Sunday in June. This manner of maintenance and business is still maintained at Cox Cemetery. The only exception being that the association voted to dispense with the mounding of graves except for families who wished to do it themselves. A trust fund was established by the Cemetery Association in August 1972. Through the years a tabernacle was built and the acreage was fenced with chain link fencing.

Additional information written by Sandra Cox Whiting

If you would like to assist with the upkeep and maintenance of the Cox Family Cemetery donations can be mailed to:

Cox Cemetery Association
C/o Vickie Lewis, secretary/treasurer
306 Windridge Dr
Whitehouse, Texas 75791

Thank you for your generosity.