2014 - Murray Cemetery Association will hold its 10th annual meeting at 10 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20, in the Community Room of the Rockdale General Store, 1201 W. Hwy 79.
A covered-dish luncheon will follow the meeting. Attendees are asked to bring a favorite
dish. Ice teas, coffee, water, bread, ice, plates, cups and utensils will be furnished.
Officers to serve the next two years will be elected, said Bill Gross, president. FMI:
visit murray.cemetery@gmail.com or the blog murraycemetery.blogspot.com. Or call 412-446-
3143.
2014 - Help needed for Murray Cemetery - Volunteer work and/or financial help
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NOTICE: The 2013 meeting has been changed from October 19 to September 21, 2013
2013 - Murray Cemetery Association Meeting - October 19, 2013
The annual meeting this year will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2013 - 10:00 AM. The
meeting will be held at the Rockdale General Store (west US 79 - just past Walmart and
Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home).
The following families - with ancesters buried in Murray Cemetery - will be honored:
Pieper, Strube, Heilman, Dungan, Seelke, and Timmerman. Short family histories will be
given about each family.
A Pot Luck lunch will be held after the meeting. Please bring one of your favorite dishes
and join us for lunch.
Please feel free to invite others who may not have received a letter.
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2012 - Murray Cemetery meeting
Murray Cemetery Association will hold its annual meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15,
2012 at Rockdale General Store, 1201 West US 79 in Rockdale.
“Everyone having ancestors/relatives buried at Murray Cemetery are invited to attend,”
said Shirley McIrvin.
“This year,” she said, “the descendants of the Watson, Hamilton, Arthur, Kraatz, Luetge,
Schweke and Schoen families will be honored. Histories of these families will be
presented at the meeting.”
A potluck meal will be served after the meeting. “We urged all interested parties to
attend,” McIrvin said.
Rockdale Reporter - September 6, 2012
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2011 - Murray Cemetery event draws good turnout
The annual meeting of the Murray Cemetery Association was held Sept. 17, 2011 at Rockdale
General Store, drawing members from Rockdale, Madisonville, Killeen, Whitney, Big Lake,
Yoakum, Bryan, Brenham, Conroe, Lexington, Brownwood, Bangs, Post and Austin.
A historical program was given on the Mathews and Rexford families. A potluck meal
followed.
The Association invites all interested parties who have family buried at Murray Cemetery
to join to continue the cemetery upkeep.
Rockdale Reporter - September 29, 2011
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2011 Murray Cemetery meeting September 17, 2011
The annual meeting of the Murray Cemetery Association will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday,
Sept. 17 at the Rockdale General Store meeting room. A pot-luck lunch will follow.
Four families who have ancestors buried at the cemetery will be honored at the meeting:
the families of Cameron Mangum, Reuben Mathews, Robert Phillips and Susannah Redford.
Mangum, Mathews and Phillips served in the Confederate Army and Mrs. Redford was the wife
of John Newton Redford who fought with Sam Houston in the Texas Revolution against Santa
Anna.
Rockdale Reporter, September 8, 2011
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Note: CHANGED!
Rockdale Reporter
September 16, 2010
2010 -
The Murray Cemetery Association will hold its annual meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept.
18, 2010 at Peace Lutheran Church, 303 Meadow Drive, Rockdale.
All persons having relatives interred at the cemetery or having an interest in the
cemetery are urged to attend. For more information, call Floyd Brockenbush, president,
446-6284; John Elbert Fischer, vice-president, 446-3308; or Shirley McIrvin.
Persons unable to attend but wishing to become a member, please send yearly dues of $20
to: Murray Cemetery Association, *PO Box 3, Rockdale TX 76567. Funds are used to the
preservation and beautification of the cemetery.
*outdated address! Please contact via email at murray.cemetery@gmail.com
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Murray Cemetery Assn. to meet September 16, 2010
The Murray Cemetery Association will hold its annual meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept.
16 at the cemetery off Farm Road 487 north. In case of bad weather, the meeting will be
held at Peace Lutheran Church, 303 Meadow Drive, Rockdale. All persons having relatives
interred at the cemetery or having an interest in the cemetery are urged to attend. For
more information, call Floyd Brockenbush, president, 446-6284; John Elbert Fischer, vice-
president, 446-3308.
Persons unable to attend but wishing to become a member, please send yearly dues of $20
to: Murray Cemetery Association, *PO Box 3, Rockdale TX 76567. Funds are used to the
preservation and beautification of the cemetery. The Association has made great strides
in those areas in recent years, McIrvin said.
Rockdale Reporter - 2010-09-02
*outdated address! Please contact via email at murray.cemetery@gmail.com
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Murray Cemetery gets historical marker
108 attend dedication ceremony on Saturday
Rockdale Reporter, August 14, 2008
The Murray Cemetery, located on FM 487 North, held a dedication ceremony for its new
historical marker.
Members of the Milam Historical Commission, American Legion Post 348, Milam Genealogical
Society and Milam County Agent joined over 100 other guests and family members.
Cheryl Walker, extension agent, gave a history of George Banzhaf, who is interned in the
cemetery and whose name appears on the marker. He was Milam’s first county agent and two
of his grandsons were in attendance - George Banzhaf and Glen Banzhaf.
A special program was presented for Civil War veterans. Refreshments and a time to visit
grave sites and fellowship was appreciated by all in attendance.
Texas cities represented were Arlington, Austin, Belton, Big Lake, Bryan, Buckholts,
Buda, Burnet, Cameron, Coleman, Dale, Dripping Springs, Flower Mound, Granbury, Hearne,
Houston, Killeen, Kingsland, Madisonville, May, Mt. Pleasant, Onalaska, Post, Red Oak,
San Angelo, Santa Anna, Seabrook, Sonora, Splendora, Taylor, Temple, Victoria, Waco,
Yoakum and one visitor from Tucson, Arizona.
The raising of the flag was performed by Ronnie Faust, of the American Legion Post 348.
Post Commander Art Free led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Floyd Brockenbush gave the invocation and Joy Graham gave the introduction of Cheryl
Walker.
Velmaline Williams presented a history of the cemetery and she and Bud Williams unveiled
the marker.
Jim Platt gave the benediction.
Markers, committees
During the ceremony, grave markers were dedicated for Confederate Veterans, courtesy of
the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Brenham Chapter, and Union Veterans markers,
courtesy of Mary Alice Poe.
Murray Cemetery Association committee members include: John Elbert Fischer, Brockenbush
(chairman), Donna McIrvin, Joy Graham, Lorene Wicker and Mary Alice Poe.
Officers are Al Trahan, president; Joy (Drummond) Kenjura, vice president; Texey
(Whiteley) Goad, secretary; Mary Alice (Brockenbush) Poe, treasurer; Peggy (Lawrence)
Fischer, perpetual care and mapping.
To contact Murray Cemetery Association, please email murray.cemetery@gmail.com
Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
Murray Cemetery
Originally named Pleasant Grove Cemetery, this
burial ground was at first associated with the
Pleasant Grove community. The settlement's school
was also once located on this site. By 1872,
residents organized the Pleasant Grove Church, which
met in the schoolhouse. Members later merged with a
nearby congregation to form Mt. Zion Baptist Church,
worshipping several miles east of here.
The current name for this cemetery can be traced
to Madison Murray (1821-1987). A Civil War veteran
who in the late 1860s moved here from Mississippi
with two brothers. He became a community leader and
educator, obtaining possession of the Pleasant Grove
schoolhouse and operating it as a private
institution. After Mt. Zion Baptist Church formed,
this burial ground became known as Murray
Cemetery.
The earliest marked grave here,
that of Nancy Phillips, dates to 1856.
Other notable burials include Joseph
Cook, a Rockdale blacksmith, and George
Banzhaf, a celebrated Milam County
Agricultural Extension Agent. Also
interred here are early area pioneers
and veterans of conflicts dating to the
Civil War. The cemetery features
Woodmen of the World markers, vertical
stones, curbing and interior fencing.
Although the Pleasant Grove community
declined, the cemetery later also served
the Bushdale and Bethlehem settlements.
In 2004 the Murray Cemetery Association
organized to care for the burial ground,
which remains a memorial to the early
settlers of Southwest Milam County.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2007
For more info: USGENWEB
Murray Cemetery Association
P. O. Box 649
Rockdale, TX 76567
The Murray Cemetery Association is in the
process of updating the database of
contact info for people with a connection
to those buried at the Murray Cemetery in
Milam County, Texas.
Please email your current contact info to
murray.cemetery@gmail.com
Celebrating the newly
placed Texas Historical
Commission marker is
(from left)
Mary Alice Poe,
Joy Kenjura,
Randy Billingsley,
Velmalene Williams and
Walter “Bud” Williams.
At left are brothers George Banzhaf and
Glen Banzhaf, the grandsons of Milam
County’s first Agricultural Extension
Agent, George Banzhaf, who is buried at
Murray Cemetery.
Photos courtesy James David Walker
