After 168 years of life and death, Mason Cemetery Association invites the public to attend a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Sunday to dedicate an Official Texas Historical Marker at Mason Cemetery in Arp.

After 168 years of life and death, Mason Cemetery Association invites the public to attend a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, to dedicate an Official Texas Historical Marker at Mason Cemetery in Arp.

The cemetery is the resting place of several notable people, including Louise Herrington Ornelas and Dr. Baker Patillo, with nearly 100 unmarked graves and more than 1,800 marked graves, including numerous veterans.

The headstones reveal the names of many early pioneers who settled, established homes and raised families in the southeastern part of Smith County.

Smith County Commissioners declared June 4 Mason Cemetery Day throughout the county at the meeting on May 30. Commissioners encourage people to join the Mason Cemetery Association in dedicating the marker while learning about its history and family heritage.

“Both my parents are buried in that cemetery, and it’s a really special place to me,” Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said.

The Texas Historical Commission recognized the Mason Cemetery as a significant part of Texas history by awarding it a Historical Marker and honoring its almost 200 years of existence.

It was established out of the W.W. Cochran Survey #252. Wilson Cochran acquired a third-class land grant from the Republic of Texas in 1844 and was one of the original landowners in Smith County.

The cemetery has received additional land donations from the Arnold, Driver, Gordon and Musslewhite families bringing its current size to 9.7 acres.

Two of the earliest documented burials occurred in 1855 and were related to the Andrew Mason and Phillip Horton families. These two early pioneer families were neighbors in Indiana and settled in Smith County in 1847.

Chairman Haskell Foster, Secretary Jackie Calicutt, Treasurer Cindy Wilson, record keeper Pamela Bateman and member Loneta Nelson make up the Mason Cemetery Association.

Foster praised Calicutt and Nelson for doing the legwork and research to get the marker.

Nelson said the Texas Historical Commission recognized Mason Cemetery as a historic cemetery in 2019, but there have been several delays in officially getting the Historical Marker to designate the site.

“We’re so excited that the marker is finally here, and it’s going to be set,” she said

Many families in the area are descendants of early settlers who founded and developed Smith County. Nelson said that finding a real connection back to the founders is very significant for families.

A full-time caretaker manages the cemetery grounds, but Mason Cemetery Association always needs volunteers to assist in maintenance.

“It is a service and something that we hold in high regard and respect as we remember these family members,” Nelson said.

People can contact Bateman at 903-570-1071 for volunteer information.