Untitled Document

Sunny Point Cemetery Association (and Community) - History of the Cemetery

IThe history of Sunny Point Cemetery can be traced to donation of the land by Mr. A. J. Weathers or Withers in September 1881. There are several generations of prominent Sunny Point Community families buried in this cemetery. The first known burial at Sunny Point Cemetery is that of Mary W. Brasher, who died in 1882. Her husband, E. H. Brasher is also buried here. Prominent families of the community include the Evans, Bryant, Callan, Romans and Wilson families.

Sunny Point Cemetery is located on 2.560 acres in Hopkins County Texas. The bylaws of the Sunny Point Cemetery Association are recorded at the Hopkins County Courthouse.

Sunny Point Cemetery is located in what was farmland and a heavily wooded area. Research indicates there were personal orchards on several farms and many farmers grew cotton and crops needed for they survival.

The graves in Sunny Point Cemetery are marked in a variety of ways. Single and double stones of granite or marble, both tablets and tablets with slotted bases. There are areas that are curbed. A few graves are marked with slabs of either concrete or marble. There are also markers made of either sandstone or limestone. These are in poor condition (crumbling) and the markers are hard to read at best. A few graves are marked only with the funeral home markers and some are not marked at all.

Statistics for this cemetery include: 29 burials that occured between 1882 and 1899; 281 burials between 1900 and March, 2002; 11 stones have no dates; 1 has a footstone only and 173 persons were born prior to 1900. Fifteen stones indicate military service including: 1-WWI Army; 3-Air Force, 4-WWII Army; 1-WWII Navy; 1-WWII and Korea; 1-Cav. C.S.A.; 1-Tenn Inf. C.S.A. and 2-Navy. Also there is one firefighter and 1-Texas Guard A.S.C. and one stone that indicates the person was Lost at Sea.

Also buried at Sunny Point is John Richard Crain, a Dallas Texas Police Officer killed in the line of duty in May, 1923. Chris Heinbaugh with WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas wrote an article about finding the information about Officeer Crain and the research conducted by Sgt. Steve Rattan. Sgt. Rattan was able to confirm that Officer Crain was killed in the line of duty and had never been recognized on the "Dallas Police Memorial across from City Hall." His presistent research resulted in Officer Crain being recognized for his duty with the department and the oversight was finally corrected in 2002. It is known that his parents are also buried at Sunny Point as is his 5-year-old son. According to Sgt. Rattan's research Officer Crain left behind a wife, Lucy, and two sons, Noel and Taylor, as well as three daughters, Lillie, Lorene and Mrs. J. W. Humphries. He was not able to locate any descendants.

 

 

 

 

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