Athens, Henderson County
Located in a pasture across a creek on top of a hill, this historic cemetery is on land from the Alexander de la Garza survey. Jacob Thomas (1800-1880) was a planter from North Carolina who moved to Georgia where he married Hannah Stubbs in 1823. They had two children, Elizabeth “Eveline” Thomas and Alfred “Sylvester” Thomas. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Alabama. When Jacob’s wife, Hannah, died, he married Lucindy Knight in 1839. Jacob’s second wife, Lucindy passed on and he and his son, Sylvester, moved to Arkansas. Between 1850 and 1855, Jacob and Sylvester moved to Erath County, Texas. Sylvester married Araminta Benge and they had three daughters, Mary, Sarah and Adeline. Very soon after 1860, the Jacob Thomas family moved to Henderson County. Sylvester volunteered as a Confederate Soldier but died from the flu during training. Jacob continued to care for his daughter-in-law and her children. Not only was he farming but also raised cattle. In 1875, Sylvester’s eldest daughter, Mary, married J.M. Hall. In 1877, Mary died, most likely during childbirth, and was buried on the family farm, the site that would become Thomas Cemetery. In 1880, Jacob Thomas died and was buried in the family cemetery. Descendants of Jacob Thomas that lived on this land are buried here, including Araminta Benge Thomas, Adeline Thomas and her husband, Abel “Matthew” Edwards, and several young children. This small family cemetery is a reminder of pioneer families and the struggles they faced.