Historic Cemetery

Odom Gravesite Cemetery

Spurger, Texas
Location: This gravesite is highly endangered. It is not a map feature and is located in a remote area on private property. To access the cemetery one must walk approx. 0.3 mile on an old logging road. There are no cemetery signs posted. The gravesite is partly enclosed by a dilapidated barbed wire fence. The gravesite is not maintained and is overgrown. The original concrete headstone with embossed metal tag marks the foot of the grave. A newer granite headstone marks the head. The headstone inscription reads:Amy ElizabethTuckerNov 30 1842Oct 2 1906Married Pleasant Odom1884The gravesite is completely surrounded by logging. If care is not taken, the grave could be easily destroyed by logging equipment in the future.

Source: RIP Fields Table

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