COFFMAN CEMETERY - ANNA
West side of
US75 south of Anna
33 20 00N
96 35 22W
COFFMAN CEMETERY: ITS HISTORIC PART IN THE
TRI-AREA DEVELOPMENT OF COFFMAN COMMUNITY
Coffman Cemetery Association, 1986.
PART ONE
1. Location: Pitts' 1971 List of Burials Leading to
the Survey Since 1971
The cedars, sentinels for more than a
century watch over Coffman Cemetery out from Anna, Texas, west on Texas Highway
455 to U. S. Highway 75 (Central Expressway). A turn left onto the west frontage
road will lead to a large gate on the right marked "Coffman Cemetery." This
burial plot donated by John Coffman, (July 3, 1804 - February 15, 1880), 1 not
legally listed in Collin County records, but determined herein to be about 1840,
is a part of Pitts' Cemetery Inscriptions of Collin County as No. 23, Northwest,
Map 1; 3.2
Pitts in this 1971 survey of burials in
Coffman Cemetery, by this writer's account, lists 167 gravesites: 149 named in
thirty-six family groups and eighteen. listed as singles. The number of burials
before 1971 not listed by Pitts, as determined by this writer's survey is 23.
Burials since 1971 number 23 and burials of no markers, herein termed "lost
graves" number 23. Thus, burials in Coffman Cemetery as determined, August, 1985
by the Pitts' survey of 167 and this writer's of 69 additional are 236. 3
The thirty-six family group names as listed by Pitts' Survey are Adams, (two
separate families) Askew, Blackburn, Bryan, Cadenhead,* Cawthorn, Clark,
Cordell, Duprey (Dupry), Dysart, Eads, Farrar, Gillard, Hoskins, Howell, Isbell,
Jenkins, Jones, Knox, Littrell, Maples, Martin, Medcalf, Minton, Mote, Murrell,
Myers, Parvin, Raulston, Risner, Roach, Rollins, Stice, Vaughan (Vaughan-two
separate families, not so listed by Pitts), Wagner, and Warren.4
The nineteen burials as singles listed by
the markers - named in the Pitts' Survey are Beaty, Benson, Bradshaw, Brown,
Carter, Champion, Crigger, Glasscock, Hay, Howard, Hunter, Mantooth, Mosier,
Neal, Ricks, Bosten, Welgart or Welcart, Woolright, and Whitaker.5
This writer's survey shows additional
group and single burials not included in the Pitts' survey of 1971. Only one,
Craighead for family is added, making thirty-seven; and to the nineteen singles,
seven are added - Airhart, Atkins, Atterbury, Dunlap, Harris, Messenger, and
Whiteside - making twenty-six. Thus, sixty-three family names are represented in
this survey of 236 burials that can be checked by researchers of family history.
6
*Frances Cadenhead, known as Aunt Fanny, at 104 years, is the oldest person
buried in Coffman Cemetery.
As true of most historic rural cemeteries of this North Texas agricultural
section of Collin County, the history of Coffman area is enriched by some
firsthand observations of the descendants of early settlers, a few of these
living whose recollections are very clear as are those of this writer Alma D.
Littrell (November 26, 1903 a lifelong member of Coffman Community, now living
on the family estate of one hundred plus years' ownership. My more than eighty
years have been spent in touch with the area, wherein I retired in 1967 after
forty-three years teaching in the schools of Texas of public and university
rank.
II. Coffman Cemetery Plot, Donated by John Coffman
About 1840 as a Part of This Tri-Area Development.
Among the earliest pioneer settlers of this area was donor of Coffman Cemetery
John Coffman, introduced earlier, who in 1872 when Texas Central Railroad was
built through this section and nearby town of Melissa was laid out, settled near
this town at Old Highland Community as early as 1849.7 The Collin County 1950
Census and Mortality Schedule lists "Jno Coffman 043 46 M Farmer 1000 Tenn.",8
owner of 1000 acres, which could have prompted the Coffman Cemetery gift.
The first burial at Coffman Cemetery as
recorded on the markers is that of Dupuy (Dupry), Alfred H. May 22, 1852 - March
18, 1876,*. Coffman School, and Howell's store in accord with modern terminology
could well be called a development extensive for its time. Of the three entities
Coffman Cemetery is the only site remaining to interrelate its history through
the three as each played its part. However, it was the store of the last quarter
of the last century that afforded a community center for communication.
Uncle Billy Howell's store - W. J. Howell
(October 30, 1852 - January 15, 1921) was located at the crossroads, frequently
traveled as the north-south road, and known to the locals as King's Trail. A
portion of the so-called K. T. near Coffman Cemetery extending from McKinney to
Sherman is still known as Telephone Road. This north-south stretch of rural
arteries joined the east-west road at Howell's store, the community gathering
place.
*Refer to Appendix I- A, Pitts' survey, the source throughout this study for
dates of births and deaths not repeated in the footnotes for this text. All
other births and deaths listed in Appendix I,- B, C, D have been obtained by
this writer on site observations of markers only, interviews with community
(members), families and friends as given herein.
III The Pitts' Sub-Title "Rollins Cemetery," Though
Not Authentic Locally, Becoming by Family Choice a Priority.
Of the 167 burials in Coffman Cemetery
listed by Pitts, 18 are of the Rollins family.10 The Rollins not listed by Pitts
in 1971, number 12 (one moved from Sherman) and those buried since 1971, number
6. With one Rollins "lost grave"l1he total of the Rollins name is 37(not
including the Rollins women by their married titles).* 12 Thus by name Pitts
rightfully subtitled the cemetery "Rollins." However, this name has never been
used locally to designate the plot. Nor do the Rollins take precedence in time.
Of the fourteen Rollins listed by Pitts born before 1900, only one Annie "d. -
D. L. November 13, 1898 - November 13, 1898" was buried before this century.
Dupuy or Dupry (May 22, 1852 - March 18, 1876) preceded the first Rollins buried
in Coffman Cemetery by twenty-two years. 13 Thus the designation, of "Rollins"
cemetery for "Coffman" cemetery, as a suggestion by Pitts, can be accepted by
the number buried but not by history.
The Rollins heritage as concerns Coffman
Cemetery today could give credence to the name Rollins as a subtitle beginning
with the family of R. L. Rollins (Bob, 1872 - 1939), and Alta (October 5, 1876 -
December 26, 1958). From this lineage two children of their six continued their
father's firsthand concern - Mrs . T. J. Whitaker (July 25, 1897 - July 16,
1971), and Grady Rollins (November 1909- now living in Anna.
It was Mrs. Whitaker's interest that made
the community aware again that the cemetery was the only remaining site that
could historically unify this farm area. She built on the earlier endeavor of
Aunt Lizzie (Howell), spoken of earlier, who in her late fifties singularly took
up a collection for cemetery needs. She drove her own Ford Coupe throughout the
community requesting donations to build a cemetery fence - the historic steel
that now stands. What money Aunt Lizzie lacked she acquired by gathering cotton
bolls from the abandoned harvested fields and had these ginned. The ornamental
fence and the front gate sign, bought by Mrs. Whitaker as a gift, are
remembrances of Mrs. Howell's and Mrs. Whitaker's labors and their regards for
Coffman Cemetery.
Grady Rollins, the other one of the Bob
Rollins family concern, and his wife Myrtle Lee (July 21, 1915 - ) of Anna, head
the family of five sons - one deceased- who now carry on the Rollins tradition
of Coffman Cemetery. Grady recalls that when he was about twelve, he followed in
Mr. Bob's footsteps as this father helped the community men dig the holes to
anchor in cement the posts of Aunt Lizzie's fence. 14 Grady's eldest son Grady
Bob Rollins (June 27, 1933 - ) an independent business man of Anna, is now
president of Coffman Cemetery Association organized in May, 19 81 .15 and Jerry
Rollins (March 18, 1938 - ), vice-president of the First National Bank of Anna,
is treasurer. * The other sons living a distance, frequently work with their
parents and the two executive brothers of the Association in the interest of the
whole Rollins family and of this community burial plot.
*Except "Glasscock" listed by Pitts twice - under "Rollins" and under"
Glasscock."
Thus all along the cemetery with its steel
fence - though it was not so well kept earlier - no longer has cows pasturing
among the tombs. Busy community people throughout have in a way registered their
concern for the cemetery by fences: a fence with poles, a dilapidated "no fence"
and the latest, but old, steel fence of historic interest and safety.
Comments of the people about a fence as a
symbol of historic years, keep the Association listening. As one of the
Blackburn kinsman of the four buried in Coffmanl6 on decoration day in 1968
remarked to this writer, "This fence won't burn." Interested persons from Dallas
and farther have suggested modernization, but the fence as it now stands is
considered a part of history.
B. Other Burials Before 1971 Not Listed by Pitts'
(Vol. I) 23
(Recorded from markers by this writer on
site, March 20, 1984, or from family record reports)
Airhart, Bennie, August 7, 1877 (or 9) - June 12, 1898
(Burial spot lost; stone west of Hoskins', lying flat)
Blackburn, J. D, (stone not dated)
Clark, Georgia Ann, ? - 1935 (no stone)
Clark, Henry, - 1931 (no stone)
Eads, (not legible) 1871 - 1895
Gillard, Anice Irene, "Born and died, April 29, 1949"
Medcalf, W. T., 1894 - 1914
Minton, B. G., May 17, 1842 - April 28, 1902
Rollins, Bennie, L. R., 1910 -1940
Rollins, Bobbie, (stone not dated)
Rollins, Grady Bob, Jr., September 23, 1954 - October 7, 1967 (moved from
Sherman after Pitts' record)
Rollins,Jessie, 1917 - 1951
Rollins,Lizzie, 1883 - 1922
Rollins,Maggie, 1874 - 1889 "Fourteen Years, nine months, 27 days"
Rollins,Maggie Kelly, (stone not dated)
Rollins,Baby, (stone not dated)
Rollins,Pate, April 10, 1860 - April 13, 1920
Rollins,Pete, 1873 - 1941
Rollins,Ramon, (born and died March 3, 1921)
Rollins,Robert,(born and died March 3, 1921)
Vaughan "V Infant 30", (along with J. M. and Lillian Vaughan)
Warren, Johnny, October 7, 1888 - August 8, 1893
Whiteside, A. C. 1915 -1932
D. Burials of No Markers, Termed "Lost Graves"
(These gravesites verified but unmarked,
termed here "lost graves" even if designated spots are known)
Adams, Lyde (buried foot of Thomas Vaughan's grave at south cedar)
Adams, baby of Lyde Adams to her right
Adams, baby of Lyde Adams to her left
Atterbury of Billy and Jimmy Atterbury along west fence northwest corner
Champion, Andrew Martin, July 21, 1875 - January 19, 1892, at gravesite of Laura
Champion (Appendix I-A)
Clark, J. R., March 26, 1896 - November 15, 1876 (no tomb)
Clark, Mr. J. R. (in Clark group, upper center (Appendix I -A)
Craighead, Mary Lela (Champion), wife of Peter, August 20, 1877 December 11,
1898
Craighead, Peter C., 1866 - 1898
Harris, Baby (Infant of Otho and Obelia Harris)
Hoskins, Homer, October 8, 1878 (no stone)
Hoskins, Jim, July 7, 1870 (no stone)
Hoskins, Lissie, wife of Will, as is Laura, (Appendix I, A)
Hoskins, Will, May 30, 1876
Littrell, Baby (Infant of George and Hettie Littrell (about 1900) along west
fence between John and Pate Rollins' family
Mexican "Baby", (Infant of alien Mexican, marker lost, northeast corner; buried
in early 1960's)
Mosier, Baby (Infant of Maud and Jeff Mosier
(north of rambling rose at center south side)
"Mystery"grave, an historic initialed bois d' arc post marker 4 x 4 now
weathered, under the cedar grove, north entrance
Rollins "Baby" (Infant twin (1894 - 1894) of Neal Rollins (1894 - 1972)
Traveler's "Baby", (Infant buried years ago at the head of a senior Clark's
burial place unmarked)
Unknown "Baby"
Unknown "Baby"
Unknown "Baby"
The three unmarked graves north of the rose bush - south center.
Historical marker, 1986.
COFFMAN CEMETERY
THIS CEMETERY, WHICH DATES TO
THE MID-19TH CENTURY, IS ON LAND
DONATED BY EARLY SETTLER JOHN
COFFMAN (1904-1880). HIS SON,
GEORGE W. COFFMAN (1840 - 1913),
OWNED AND OPERATED A HOMESTEAD
ONE MILE WEST OF THIS SITE. THE
OLDEST MARKED GRAVE DATES
TO 1876. DESCENDANTS OF MANY
OF THE FAMILIES REPRESENTED
IN THE GRAVEYARD STILL RESIDE
IN THIS PART OF COLLIN COUNTY.
THE PRIMARY BURIAL GROUND FOR
THE COMMUNITY OF COFFMAN FOR
OVER A CENTURY, THIS CEMETERY
SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE
AREA’S PAST.
TEXAS SESQUICENTENNIAL 1836 - 1986
Cemeteries of Collin County, Texas, Joy Gough
There was once a
community of Coffman here. It consisted of a store, a school, and the cemetery.
It is said that John Coffman donated the land for the cemetery around 1840. No
deed has been found. If there is a deed and the date is correct, it would be in
the Bonham Court House, since Collin County did not become established until
1846. The first burial in the cemetery was that of Alfred H. Dupuy, in 1876.
This makes me doubt that the cemetery was established 36 years earlier with no
burials. There are bois d’arc markers that could be from an earlier time, but
there were stones being made in the area as early as the 1850s.
This cemetery covers about 1 acre of land. It is fenced and has an arch over the
gate. The cemetery is active and is well maintained.
Coffman
CEMETERY INDEX
Recommended citation:
Coffman Cemetery," CEMETERIES OF COLLIN COUNTY." Collin County, Texas
History and Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13, 2004].
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