Tolar, Hood County
Located in a largely agricultural area of farmers and ranchers, the Rock Church community was settled by pioneers in the 1850s, including the Caraway, Cowan, Jackson, Jones, Pate, Baker and Wood families. Jesse Caraway was a pioneer who arrived in Texas in 1859 from Tennessee where he had been a neighbor of Texas hero Davy Crockett. Caraway allowed citizens to build a two-story cut stone structure on his property in 1871-72 which became the center of the community. In 1875, Caraway deeded land to be used as a church, school, masonic lodge and cemetery by the Rock Church community. The Rock Church Cemetery served as the burial ground for the Rock Church community as well as surrounding areas. The first burial is that of Sarah Brooks, wife of Zachariah Brooks, who died on May 30, 1873. Her tombstone is marked with the words, “the 1st put here.” Approximately 700 graves of pioneer residents, their descendants and others fill the cemetery. Many veterans, dating back to the Civil War, are interred here, including a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, 1st lt. David E. Yates. Woodmen of the World, Masons, Shriners and Order of the Eastern Star headstones are representative of the importance of community to the residents. The cemetery continues to draw people back to the Rock Church community for reunions and celebrations to remember and celebrate their heritage. HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERY – 2016