*A Bizytex Cemetery Memorial Project*

I remember as a boy going to the other building on Memorial Day. The community would get together and have a pot luck meal while we would clean off the grave areas.

Here is a memory submitted by Patsy Roberta (Martin) Dobbs that explains in detail what went on at the cemetery:

On Sunday, everyone came from near and far for church, then dinner-on-the-ground (actually on church benches put together facing each other with each family laying down their best tablecloth before putting down big platters of fried chicken, bowls of all kind of fresh and cooked vegetables, potato salads, and beans of all kinds).  Also on each family's cloth were fabulous deserts; one egg cakes, two egg cakes, white cakes with 7-minute boiled frosting, chocolate cakes, tall coconut cakes, fried pies with fruit fillings, coconut cream pies, banana pudding, banana cream pies, chocolate pies, custard pies, and rice pudding with raisins!  There was tea and lemonade, milk and buttermilk, and sometimes a tub full of ice would chill a Coca Cola, Royal Crown Soda, Mission Orange, or Grapette, etc.  It just overwhelmed the senses! 

After a blessing we filled plates and began the earnest business of eating and visiting, gossiping, exchanging news with people we saw frequently, with people from far away who had living relatives nearby, and with those who had traveled hundreds of miles knowing that "Third Sunday in May" would be in full swing, honoring both the living and those gone on before. 

Everyone ate until they needed a good nap after which the ladies repacked left-over foodstuff back into boxes or No. 2 washtubs for the trip back home.  It was then time for the afternoon program to begin

After the movers-and-shakers and everyone else (usually females and assorted children as most of the men stayed outside talking, chewing tobacco, smoking, and no telling what-all) went back into the meeting building.  After a short business meeting to elect officers for the Darwin Cemetery Committee which went off as smoothly as Oklahoma politics often does; that is, either the fix is in, or not.  Those elected were often put forth by various interested parties who could count votes as well as any campaign manager in a presidential election.  This was following by singing the rest of the afternoon.  We sang all the old favorites from old shaped-note songbooks.  How beautiful to hear! 

As the afternoon waned one after the other family would call up their dogs, round up the kids, load up the cars, pickups, trucks, mule driven wagons, or the occasional riding horse and head back home.  Cows needed milked, chickens fed, eggs gathered, and various farm chores waited to be completed.  Leftovers were put out for dinner and the wood stoves were not lit unless someone just HAD to have cornbread or biscuits

Pat Dobbs, May 17. 2008, California - Thanks, Pat!

               Fleming
Byron E.              Rita G.
Dec 3, 1911        Mar 8, 1917
Apr 16, 1995      Jul 17, 2001

Doshier
A.O."Dutch"           Ruby Mae
Aug 5, 1909          Oct 24, 1911
Jun 24, 1994         May 31, 1989

 

Maudie Mae Doshier
Sep 10, 1931
Jan 1, 1977

                     Doshier
Maude E                     Lewis E
Mar 11, 1884              Mar 29, 1884
Sep 23, 1956               May 17, 1959

G. W. Doshier                                                                         Flora D. Doshier
1851 - 1844                                                                              Apr 3, 1876
                                                                                                 Dec 21. 1964

Hershal D. Smith
Sep 24, 1929
Aug 8, 1962

Dewey Tarkington
Sep 22, 1894
Oct 21, 1961
 

Harrington
Edna                                  Eli
Jan 5, 1912                       Jun 9, 1911
Nov, 1978                        Aug 1, 1968

 

Talley
Lola E.               Leonard J.
Oct 5, 1898       Feb 15, 1898
Jan 20, 1988      Nov 17, 1980

Ralph Talley
Jul 23, 1939 - Jul 27, 1939

                Nelson                                                                                   Hatfield
Annie L.                   Guy E.                                            Dixie Ruth                     Charles H. (Chuck)
1904 - 1952             1900 - 1959                                      Jan 12, 1926                 Jul 4, 1921
                                                                                          Aug 14, 1995                Jul 25, 1992

 

Arlo Jacobs
Oklahoma
PVT HO 365 AAA SLT BN
WORLD WAR II
Jun 18, 1920 - Jul 9, 1964

Jack Ramon Holloway
SFC US Army
VIETNAM
Nov 4, 1930 - Oct 2, 2003

Donald Delton Dobbs
POI U S Navy
VIETNAM
Nov 3, 1940 - Oct 26, 2006

Melvin L. Wells
F2 US Navy
WORLD WAR II
Mar 11, 1923 - Mar 2, 1981

 

Brock
Isaac Luke               Stella G.
Aug 11, 1887           Aug 2, 1887
Sep 2, 1969              Jul 24, 1984

 

Patrick L. Hedgecock                                                Nina Mae Hedgecock
July 27, 1885 - Jan 15, 1968                                     Oct  26, 1890 - May 7, 1988

 

Lathon J. Kilgore                                              Ada Kilgore
Apr 22, 1901 - Oct 26, 1958                         Sep 22. 1902 - Jan 18, 1994

 

Jenny Elizabeth McKnight
Jan 26, 1879
Jan 31, 1977

Isabell H. Boles
Aug 21, 1903
Jun 20, 1979

 

                 Henderson
Thomas D.             Ernestine J.
Jan 12, 1908          Jan 14, 1918
Unreadable

Billy Wayne Moore
July 29, 1934 - Aug 22, 2004

 

R.L. Nelson                                                                       Julia L. Nelson
1868 - 1925                                                                        Apr 12, 1870 - Dec 30, 1958

 

John F. German
Oct 11. 1877
Nov 30, 1919

                       Roberson

Merrill                                Hattie
Jul 26, 1912                        Jan 14, 1912
May 6, 2002                       Jul 10, 1995

                            Wheeler

Frances Elizabeth Thomas       Bart Joshua
Feb 3, 1911                               Apr 2, 1906
Feb 11, 2006                             Mar 4, 1971

Wells, Melvin L. "Mike", Sr
Born: Mar 11, 1923
Died: Mar 2, 1981
Married: Feb 14, 1947
 

Do you have relatives buried at Darwin Cemetery? Would you like to see them recognized on this memorial page? Send us a grave stone photo by e-mail attachment and a written paragraph of information that you want to use. We will edit it to fit the space with the photo.

We accept donations for the upkeep of this memorial project, but there is absolutely no obligation in any way. We will be happy to have you  help us expand the project.

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