Historic Cemetery

Old Zion Cemetery

Donie, Texas 75838
Location: Located in the southern part of the county. To reach this cemetery from Teague, follow Hwy 80 to Donie intersection. Go left on Fm 164 east to the railroad track. 1.6 miles from the tracks to Buffalo Creek. Here there is a highway marker telling of a curve in FM 164. However, turn right onto a county road just past the creek, staying on the main road as it makes many turns. At approximately .75 miles (past an orange cattle guard and private property on the left is an unnamed cemetery) is Old Zion. It is a short distance to the left and the road indicates the cemetery gets some traffic.
Graves: over 80 unmarked graves
Source: Freestone County Sheriff’s office by J. R. Sessions, Jr., Sheriff; Morrow, Betty Moss, THC Library

To address the problem of cemetery destruction and to record as many cemeteries as possible, the Texas Historical Commission offers the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence. Every county in Texas has at least one cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery through this program. The HTC designation is the first step toward preservation of a historic cemetery.

A cemetery is eligible for designation if it is at least 50 years old and is deemed worthy of recognition for its historical associations. The very nature of a cemetery being a landmark of a family’s or community’s presence is considered to validate the criteria of historical associations. Any individual, organization, or agency may submit a request for designation.

gravesites