The I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) Cemetery in the photographs below is located on the east side of Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas.

(Click here for Google map - cemetery is unlabeled - runs along both sides of Smith Creek Road)

The first part of this page is not an actual survey, just some old photographs of mine that were taken as part of some photography class projects back around 1987 (the angel whose face I used for a background image on this page comes from these photos).  These are in black and white and few of them have legible inscriptions as most were intended as depth-of-field studies, exposure practice, etc.  Since this was one of the first times I had ever used an SLR camera, much less a completely manual one, the quality of these photos is not all that great.  Still, I thought somebody might enjoy seeing them, so I have posted them here.

UPDATE:  Near the end of November, 2002, during Thanksgiving weekend, I was able to revisit this cemetery and take some new color photographs of some of the stones.  Even the old section of this cemetery is huge, so I was only able to photograph a few of the stones.  They must have had some fantastic stone-carvers living in this area in the late 19th century - the statues are beautiful!  Some of the photos may look a bit dark - it was late afternoon and the sun was starting to set when I got there.  I enhanced the lighting as best I could with Paintshop Pro - hopefully you will be able to see some of the beautiful detail in the sculptures.

A more complete listing of the graves in this cemetery can be found at Findagrave.com.

•  This old house once stood across the road from the cemetery to the north.  I believe it was moved to that spot from somewhere else.  I think it was a youth center or something for awhile and then burned down? but I'm not really sure.  The new section of the cemetery has since expanded into a large portion of this side of the road, but I'm not sure if the house was here or on the farm property next to it.

•  This is a view looking east into the old section of the cemetery.

•  This is a view along a row of stones looking north toward the old house in the photo above.

•  Another depth-of-field study.  The closest stone has a Masonic symbol on it, but the inscription is out of focus.

•  Another depth-of-field study.  The two closest stones bear the surname PATRICK, but I can't make out the rest of the inscriptions.

•  Another depth-of-field study.  I can make out the word "MOTHER" on the closest stone, but nothing else.

  
  

1.      ADDISON, Willie.  This beautifully sculpted cherub marks the grave of a child, but the inscription is blackened and difficult to make out in places.  His parents are probably buried in the same plot, but I was losing the light as this was taken late in the evening and I didn't have time to look at the other stones in this plot on this visit.  Findagrave's listing for this grave is here.
   WILLIE
   Son of G. A. & A. ?.
   ADDISON
   Born
   July 23, 1885
   Died
   Oct. 8, 1885

   
   

2.    CLEVELAND, Sidney Stewart.  This is an unusually large marker for the grave of a baby.  The inscription reads as follows:
   SIDNEY STEWART
   Son of
   C. S. and Bessie
   Cleveland.
   BORN
   June 6, 1889
   DIED
   Feb. 3, 1890

   Of such is the
   kingdom of heaven

   
   

3.    FLEAGER monument.
   1. FLEAGER, William, born Aug. 27 1819, died Dec. 28, 1892.

   2. M. J., wife of William FLEAGER, born Jan. 27, 1825, died Dec. 21, 1914.

   
   

4.                  

   This is a stone angel on top of one of the monuments.  She has a beautifully carved serene face, which I used in the background image for my cemetery pages.  She appears to be holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms.  The black-and-white photo is not a very good exposure - I was still learning how to use the camera when I took that photo.

   UPDATE:  The angel stands on the top of a monument marking the grave of A. J. GLASSCOCK.  The inscription on the monument reads as follows (the last two digits of the birth year are obscured by black stuff and difficult to make out):

   SACRED
   To the memory of
   A. J. GLASSCOCK
   BORN
   In Williamson Co. Tex.
   Aug. 8, 1851
   DIED
   In Williamson Co. Tex.
   Jan. 28, 1886

   
   

5.        

   HODGES monument.  This is a four-sided monument located not far to the west of the Glasscock monument above.  A statue of what appears to be a Grecian maiden stands on the top holding a wreath of roses in her left hand.  Three of the four sides of this monument have medallions with portraits of the deceased sculpted in relief.  Each side also has some sort of small emblem sculpted under the "eaves" near the top of the monument.

   1.    HODGES, J. W.  His name is not given on this face of the monument.  Apparently, no-one ever got around to putting an inscription on this face of the monument.  The small emblem near the top appears to be a cross with ribbons on it.  According to a virtual flower left on his entry at Findagrave.com, Mr. Hodges was a Confederate veteran.

   2.    HODGES, Emily A. (north face of monument).  The emblem near the top is a chain of three links with the letters F L T inside the links.
      EMILY A. HODGES
      Wife of
      J. W. HODGES
      Born Nov. 10, 1837
      Thorndale, Grainger Co. Texas
      Died June 10, 1902
      Aged 64 Yrs, 6 Mos. & 17 Ds.

      Heaven lifts its everlasting
      portals high
      And bids the pure in heart
      behold their God.

   3.    HODGES, Cornie Lee (east face of monument - no portrait on this side).  The emblem near the top resembles a coat-of-arms - a shield and helmet with crossed halberds.
      CORNIE LEE HODGES
      Born
      Dec. 23, 1870
      Died
      Dec. 13, 1891
      Aged
      20 Yrs, 11 Mos, & 21 Days

      A precious one from us has gone
      A voice we loved is stilled
      A place is vacant in our home
      That never can be filled.

   4.    HODGES, John A. (south face of monument).  There is a Masonic emblem above the portrait medallion.
      JOHN A. HODGES
      Born
      April 21, 1860
      Departed this life
      Sept. 5, 1884
      Aged
      24 Yrs, 4 Mos. & 14 Days

      Sheltered and safe from sorrow

   
   

6.  IRVINE, Rebecca KENT, wife of Geo. IRVINE, April 23, 1843, Jan. 28, 1917.  This is enlarged from the background of one of the photos of the above Hodges monument.  Rebecca's husband George is buried next to her, but his stone is obscured in this photo by the Hodges monument - all I can make out is that he was born in March and died in July.

   There are better photos for both Rebecca Kent Irvine and George Irvine at their entries at Findagrave.com.

7.  IRVINE, Etta May, "In Loving Memory", Jan. 14, 1879 - June 14, 1912.  This is another stone in the IRVINE plot that was enlarged from the background of the Hodges monument above.  There is a better photo at Etta's page on Findagrave.com.

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