Willingham Cemetery at New Year's Creek


(click the photos for a larger view)
 

Located in Washington County, Texas, USA on the CHAPPEL HILL QUADRANGLE TEXAS-WASHINGTON COUNTY, US Topographic map on the north side of Washington County Road 2193 about 1 mile east of the intersection of Texas State Highway 105 and Washington County 2193. This cemetery is also marked with a cross on page 121 of the map book THE ROADS OF TEXAS

This cemetery is located on land from the Harbour League, conveyed to John O’Neal and Nancy Harbour and conveyed by John O’Neal to A.J. and Martha Willingham by deed dated the 25th day of November, A.D. 1857, recorded in Volume 15 page 48 Washington County Deed Records.

It is not known exactly when this cemetery was created. After the death of his father, Alfred Jackson Willingham, John H. Willingham’s siblings wanted to sell their father’s land because they lived elsewhere and had no use for it. So that his parent’s graves were not sold along with the land, John dedicated , willed, registered, and recorded this cemetery in Brenham, Washington County, Texas, USA to "The Heirs of A.J. Willingham and Martha Willingham forever". [Recorded 08 Apr 1820 in Volume 75, page 201, Washington County Deed Records.]

The following are from the children of A.J. and Martha relinquishing their claim to the land: 

The northern boundary of this cemetery was on a curve of the old Rock Island Road. In 1955, the State of Texas put in the new highway and straightened the curve with a trade taking place of part of the land for the fence which surrounds it. Mack Santee was paid $1.00 cash for his portion involved. The deed for this cemetery was revised by all of John H. Willingham’s living heirs and recorded 11 Aug 1955.

According to a family story, Mac Santee, a black man was sold land by George Washington Newman and later land by Alfred Jackson Willingham adjoining the Willingham tract. Santee was buried outside of this fence on his land across from and at the foot of the graves of John H. Willingham and wife Julia Ann Murdock Willingham upon his death. Numerous other graves of Mac’s family members have since appeared along the fence with him. Santee, as he was called by the Willingham family, and his wife were life-long devoted friends of this Willingham family. I remember when John’s wife, Julia Ann Murdock Willingham died in 1959, members of Santee’s family and other friends attended the funeral, standing outside the fence in tears and later proceeding past her casket to say goodbye to one they loved.
 

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