The Stringer Cemetery is
located about 1 mile south of Shady Grove, TX on FM1002 on the old
homeplace of Jefferson and Caroline (Myhand) Stringer. It is a private
family cemetery on land still owned Stringer descendants. The entrance
to the property has a locked gate and a No Trespassing sign so visits
must be cleared through property owner. The entrance road ends in a
grassy clearing with an old home on the left and an old barn on the
right. The cemetery can be located if you follow a 45 degree angle from
the southeast corner of the house about 250 yards into the forest. Rows
of planted pine trees were found between the old home and the natural
forest where the cemetery is located. There is no set path to the
cemetery. On February 14, 2009, a team of 5 determined Stringer
researchers (and spouses) located this old cemetery in an area
surrounded with natural forest, underbrush and brambles. They found the
following:
Tombstone #1:
Born Mar 23, 1811
Died Feb 4, 1891
This good sized tombstone is
white, yellowed with age, has a carving of clasped hands and sadly is
broken in half. A bible verse is found near the base of the tombstone.
The writing is still very readable and the forest seems to have
protected it from deterioration.
Tombstone #2:
Mar 23, 1811
Dec 28, 1819
Sep 28, 1906
This tombstone is the
stone of Jefferson Stringer's 3rd wife, Caroline Elizabeth (Myhand)
Stringer, even though his name is at the top. It is the gray of
concrete and pitted. It is taller than his, all in one piece though the
top section is loose and clearly readable. A bible verse, Rev.
xiv:13, is found near the base of the tombstone.
Other Tombstones:
Small white tombstone
(similar to a footstone) - bearing initials "CES".
Small white tombstone
(similar to a footstone) - bearing initials "JS".
[These are not located at
the foot of Jefferson and Caroline's graves so we are unsure if they are
truly footstones or other burials.]
Long rectangular white stone
laid flat in the ground near the front of Jefferson Stringer's stone -
bears the initials "JS". [unsure what this stone is but it is not the
base to another stone].
Family stories passed
have told of slaves buried with Jefferson Stringer. He's confirmed to
have had only one slave who came from Georgia to Texas with him. One
slave was with him in 1860 when freedom came and chose to stay with
Jefferson so possible the slave's family is buried here also. Only one
rock was found in the location of the Stringer graves which might seem
to be an unmarked grave.
