Real County, Cemeteries of Texas
Photos by STEPHEN L RINGER,JR
Location: Off Hwy 336, About 5 mi. N of Leakey, Texas,1 mi. W of Hwy 226 on small road.
History: In April of 1881, the Lipan Apaches mounted a raid against the residents of Frio Canyon by which the Indians killed Sara Catherine "Kate" McLaurin, and a fifteen-year-old boy named Allen Lease, and John Coulter Brice. The bodies were laid to rest at a location seven miles down stream of the attack on the West Frio River. A Civil War veteran who died a few days later was buried in the same place. This burial ground was fenced, and eventually became known as the Floral Cemetery, and in 1882 the land was deeded to the Floral Cemetery Company for $1.00 cash and a burial plot for N. A. Leakey, wife of the former land owner, John Leakey. The first officers of the Floral Cemetery Company were D. D. "Dave" Thompson, Chairman; D. Frank Sanders, Treasurer, and J. B. Johnson, Secretary. They served for about 25 years, and were all buried at the cemetery. One early deed they issued described the road through the middle of the cemetery as a wagon way. The name "Floral Cemetery" could be found in deed records as late as 1938, but soon after people began to call it Leakey after the town's name, and now it is known by the two as the "Leakey Floral Cemetery." The community of Floral became non-existant, so naturally the citizens attached the name to Leakey, the surviving village. Their are more than One-Thousand graves in the small cemetery, 900 found by a historical committee member, Virginia Buchanan, and in is believed there are at least fifty newer graves, and fifty or so, unmarked graves. The cemetery is the final resting place of over one-hundred veterans of various wars.
My father.STEPHEN L RINGER SR, was the youngest brother of the SARA CATHERINE (Ringer ) McLAURIN who was killed in the " Last raid of the Lipan Apahce indians in Frio Canyon"
One of SARA CATHERINE (Ringer) McLAURIN"S sister’s family later became ranchers in REAL COUNTY and her family is also buried in the LEAKEY- FLORAL CEMETERY. I am attaching a photo of the headstone of JOHN L and NANNIE (Ringer) KITTINGER.
