Thanks to conscientious land owner, Lee Weldon, Kaufman County Historical Commissioners Kathey Hunt & Linda Harwell discovered this old graveyard in Kaufman County on Friday, June 21, 2002.  The discovery is exciting because the site is not reflected on any of the maps or in any of the records retained by the county which document burial places.

     Finding this site can help unravel some of the unknown history of our county's early families because there are at least 15 burial sites within Kaufman County we have not been able to locate.

      Unfortunately the site is littered with discarded household goods and overgrown with briar and brush.  Further exploration for more graves will have to wait until more debris is removed by the land owner.  Until that time efforts will be made to identify the place through land deed and genealogical records.

      Two tombstones were found, photos shown here.

Polly Clark June 25 1830 March 23 1915	Lou - Wife of W J Putnam June 27, 1839 Feb 27, 1888

After initial research on these two women it has been discovered there is a connection between them.  Polly Clark's mother-in-law was named Calfenia Posteneau Putnam.  Calfenia's brother, Jeremiah Putnam, had a son who was the husband of Lou Putnam.  Details are sorted below:

POLLY CLARK
We have been able to ascertain that Polly was Mary "Polly" Seaberry.  Daughter of Susan Harper (1808-1862) and Oliver Seaberry (1796 - 1846).  Polly's husband was Henry "Irvin" Clark.  They came to Kaufman County before 1880.  Irvin Clark, who was the son of David Clark & Calfenia, was born 16 May 1827 and died in MS on 29 Dec 1893 after going back to Mississippi to visit his relatives in Scott County.  He was a Confederate States Army veteran, having served in the 6^th MS Infantry during the War Between the States.

Linda Harwell found an Obituary for Polly Clark.

Mrs. Polly Clark died Tuesday at her home at Irish Ridge.  She had been a resident of this section for over forty years, a native of Mississippi.  She was in her eighty-ninth year when she died from the result of three stokes of paralysis.  A number of children survive, the husband having passed away a number of years ago.  She was a member of the Baptist church.  Interment at the burying ground on the homestead where other members of the family are buried.

1. Milton S Clark - Oct 1850 - died circa 1902 - married Melissa Woolverton 18 Jan 1876 & had children:  James, Irving, Charles, Alfred & Carrie.
2. David Clark - 1852 - 2 July 1884 - he was married to Jerusha Barnes
   

   Kaufman Sun - 3 Jul 1884 - Thursday
   "Forney - Yesterday, David Clark, while bathing in a tank, broke his neck while diving into the water.  He leaves a wife and two children."

3. James Rufus Clark - 1853 - died circa 1898 - married Clesta Wiggins on 29 Nov 1882 & had children:  John, Annie, Florence, May and Minnie.
4. Albert B Clark - 1855 - 25 Jun 1903 - ran over by a train near Crandall
   

   The Daily Transcript (Terrell Texas) - Saturday - 27 Jun 1903
   "The remains of A B Clark, were found scattered along the railroad tracks near Crandall Thursday night.  The remains were carried to Crandall in a tow sack."

5. Sarah Elizabeth Clark - 1857 - 1942 married David C Kelley
6. William Madison Clark - 1859 - 1928 - married Katie Meredith on 29 Jun 1884
7. Rutha Clark - 1861 - 1935 - married John J Sharp 2 Sep 1885
8. Julian Anthony Clark - 1862 - 1946 married Minnie Etta Young - 10 children
9. Irene Clark, called "Rena" - 1865 - 1953 - married Henry M Guynes 20 Sep 1882
10. Luella Clark - 1866 - 1953 married James L Webb on 13 Aug 1884
11. Rev. Miller Irvin Clark - 1870 - 1917 married Emma E Dillingham in 1906
12. Exer Jane Clark - 1874 - 1936 married James I Tittle on 24 Dec 1893

In 1850 Irvin and Polly were enumerated on the Leake Co MS census.  (Leake Co MS adjoins Scott Co MS to the north)

LOU PUTNAM
We know from the 1860 census that Lou's full name was Louisiana.  We have not ascertained her Maiden Surname but feel she is of blood relation to either Mary or Irvin Clark.  
Lou was married to William Jeremiah Putnam sometime prior to 1860, probably in MS.  William was born 8 Dec 1839.  He served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War in the Mississippi Battery of Light Artillery, and was the son of Jeremiah E & Elizabeth Smith Putnam.

Lou and William had the following known children:

1. William Jeremiah "Jerry" born circa 1860-1861
2. Nancy G born circa 1866
   Married A M Hudson 8 Nov 1883 - had a son - Jordan Hudson in 1897
3. Jordan T born circa 1868
4. John Owen born Mar 1870 - lived in Travis Co TX 1910
   Married a woman named Jonnie & had 5 daughters
5. Martha M born circa 1874
6. Shelton B born circa 1877
7. Eula Lee born 25 Dec 1879 - died 1953
   Married Simeon Hayne Sharpe 1 Dec 1897 - living in Dallas Co TX 1900 & 1910

Lou Putnam and her family did not come to Texas until after 1880, as they were enumerated on the 1880 Scott County MS census as follows:

NEIGHBORS FOR LIFE
The Clark and Putnam families lived close together for more than forty years, as evident in census records.  For at lest twenty years they lived next door to each other in Hillsboro MS.

Also living in Scott County was Irvin's parents with seven of his siblings, and his grandmother:

In Household # 354 is William Putnam's mother Elizabeth and two of his siblings, and in Household # 355 / 355

By 1880 Irvin Clark and Polly were living in Kaufman County, as shown on the census in Precinct 2

It is known that two of Polly's siblings lived in Kaufman County.  Her brother Henry Robert Seaberry (17 Jun 1845 - 15 Dec 1931) is buried at Crandall.  As is Polly's sister Ruth A Seaberry Hammack (22 Jun 1842 - 29 April 1925) who lived in Kaufman County many years.  Two other brothers, Raleigh and Alexander also lived in Texas, west of Ft. Worth.

In 1900 Polly Clark is residing with her son Julian A Clark in Kaufman County, according to census records.  She is recorded as Mrs Polley Clark and she reported her age as 69, being born in June 1830 in Alabama.  By that time her sons David and James Rufus were deceased.  Along with Julian, Polly's other children living in Kaufman County in 1900 were sons Milton S & William Madison Clark, and daughters Irene Guynes, Luella Webb, Exer Tittle and Sarah Kelley.  

According to the Kaufman County Census - Precinct 8, in 1910 she is living in the residence of her son William Madison on he old Crandall to Kaufman Road.  She reported her age as 80, born AL, widowed, having given birth to 12 children of whom 8 were still living.

After Lou Putnam's death her husband William is next recorded in the 1900 Dallas County Census, living at 314 Gaston Avenue in the home of his daughter Eula Lee Sharp and family.  He records himself as a Widower, age 60, born MS.

If you are a descendant of either of these women, or have information on either of these families, please notify Kathey Kelley Hunt.  Thank you!

Additional Information From: Brothers, Frank & Fred Clark
descendants of persons buried here.

   Our father was Roy Quinn Clark, a son of Julian and Minnie Clark, born in Kaufman County in 1897.  He would sometime give his birthplace as either Kaufman County or Crandall.  This farm was where the Irvin family settled upon arrival from Mississippi but I never knew if this place had belonged to Julian or had been the original home place of Irvin Clark.

   I can remember one time that our father carried some of his sisters back to visit the old home place to visit the family cemetery.  My brother and I went with them.  I believe we must have made our visit about 1952.

   The farm house was off the road some distance and the drive to the house went by the family cemetery.  I can remember them talking about some of the graves of aunt's and other relations that were in the cemetery.  I can only recall three graves and one of the markers was broken by someone plowing.  This is what was said by my father who was angry (about it being broken) at the time.

   The house looked to be in fairly good condition.  The house had been where my father and his siblings were raised.  My father had said that he slept in the loft of the house, and you could see a loft with a window.

   We never went into the house.  I don't remember if someone was living in the house or not.  Someone was farming the place because work was going on while we were at the cemetery.

   I can recall that Polly Clark had lived with Daddy's family at one time.

• Kaufman County Cemetery Central
• Kaufman County Cemeteries and Known Burial Sites