Shelby County Texas

Transcribed by Bobbie Yates, Betty Yates Trant, Shirley Yates Boyd, Frances Yates King, James Howell and Mrs. Lois Stone, September 1999.

Take Highway 7 East from Center, Texas, go about 10 miles to the Jackson Missionary Baptist Church, which is about 3 miles before you reach Joaquin, Texas.    The Cemetery is located on the right side of the road around the church.

GPS -94.05986 Longitude, 31.93488 Latitude

The first person buried in the cemetery was Howell Hudson in 1844, who was the original owner of the land and his burial place was behind what was once his homestead.   He was killed at the battle of Cedar Yard during the conflict of 1840-1844. The next oldest grave is in 1871. The name of the cemetery is taken for the community in which it is located.  Records are not clear, but it appears that the cemetery received its name after the Church was established.   The history of the cemetery has been closely woven with that of Jackson Missionary Baptist Church.   The Church was organized in 1921 and 95% of the Church members have relatives buried in the cemetery. The land was deeded as a burial ground on November 28, 1925 by the Hughes and Cook families.  Jackson Cemetery has approximately 900 graves, with about 40 with no name or date marker.  About 240 different family names can be found throughout the six acre cemetery.  Graves of soldiers from the Civil War through the Vietnam Conflict can be found. 

Jackson Cemetery, a public cemetery, is in current use and is well kept through a Perpetual Care Fund.  Prior to this fund, money was raised at the annual Homecoming Day which is held on the third Sunday in May.

To view listing persons buried in cemetery click on letter below:

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