Memory Gardens Cemetery
Also known as Prairie City Cemetery and Edna Cemetery
204 Buffalo Street, Edna

Burials
 

Historical Background of Memory Gardens of Edna

The oldest grave is 2-year-old Mary Elizabeth Gayle, daughter of Alexander Talferia and Frances Agnes Sutherland Gayle. She was born in 1853 and died in 1855. The Gayle family is a prominent pioneer family that settled in Jackson County during the Republic of Texas.

This land became a burial place, and the name Prairie City White Cemetery probably came about because the land was a prairie, and surrounding acreage still is a prairie. However the cemetery in 2010 has many large beautiful trees and also very old blooming crepe myrtle trees that were planted in rows.

The New York Texas and Mexican Railroad built a railroad through Jackson County and on July 2, 1882, a celebration was held at the train station. Landowner, Mrs. Lucy M. Flournoy, the "Mother of Edna" sold lots for the town of Edna. Italian County Telfener, contractor and builder of the railroad named two train stations after his daughters Edna and Inez and a third after his sister-in-law, Louise Mackay. The trains bypassed the village of Texana resulting in people, buildings and the courthouse moving to Edna.

Due to the growth of Edna, in 1888 an acre of land was purchased for the Prairie City White Cemetery. State trustees appointed by the citizens of Edna were Philip Kleas, Joseph Sanders and J. M. Haley to buy the acre of land from George Menefee Sr. and George Menefee Jr. in the Guthrie League.

The Board of Trustees, P. Kleas, J. M. Haley and J. M. Sanders of the Prairie City White Cemetery Association in 1890 paid R. H. Terrell, sixty dollars for three acres of land in the Guthrie League.

John P. Rowlett received one hundred fifty dollars for five acres from the Prairie City White Cemetery Association of Edna in October 1910. This is in the Henry Smith League.

J. O. Brown and wife, Ina Brown, A. D. Nolen and wife, Lena Nolen of Jackson County, Texas and Mrs. Mattie Patterson, a widow of the County of Lavaca, State of Texas were paid the sum of one hundred fifty dollars in cash by the Prairie City White Cemetery Association of Edna, Texas in the year 1918. This is in the Smith-Guthrie League.

E. T. Rose, in 1941, because of his interest in the welfare of the Prairie City White Cemetery Association and a desire to see the cemetery tract enlarged, gave three acres to the cemetery out of the Robert Guthrie League.

The Prairie City White Cemetery Association on August 2, 1954 changed the name of the cemetery to Memory Gardens of Edna, Inc.

Graves from the Texana Cemetery were moved to Memory Gardens when Palmetto Bend Dam on the Navidad River and Lake Texana were being built in the early 1970s.

Clarence Tomas and wife, Mary Nell Tomas, gave a .8 acre lot out of the Robert Guthrie League to Memory Gardens of Edna, Inc. in February 1986.

Also in 1986, Memory Gardens of Edna, Inc. was given two more lots of .5 acres by Lydia Joe Ann Merritt and Emmett G. Jackson, both of Harris County, Texas and Viola Jackson Qualline, of Dallas County, Texas. These lots are in the Henry Smith League.

With the need for rain protection and shade from the hot sun during graveside services, Memory Gardens built an arbor in 2001. Memorial Day and Veterans Day programs also use the arbor.

Memory Gardens of Edna, Inc. planning for future expansion, purchased two tracts of land, totaling 3.77 aces from Bruce M. Strane and wife, Carroll W. Strane for thirty thousand dollars in 2002 in the Henry Smith League.

Clarence Tomas and wife, Mary Nell Tomas gave .275 acre tract to Memory Gardens of Edna, Inc. out of the Robert Guthrie League in 2009.

The is a multi-cultural cemetery with all races buried within it. The cemetery contains many paupers graves which are spread throughout and not in any designated area.

There is a soldier from the Mexican War, one from the Spanish American War and 59 Confederate soldiers buried in Memory Gardens. Veterans Day and Memorial Day services are held each year with a program and placing of over 600 American flags on veterans' graves. The flags are placed on the graves by the board members with the help of Scouts and volunteers. In February of 2009, the United Daughters of the Confederacy requested to have a ceremony in the cemetery honoring 5 veterans with markers. We were honored to have this opportunity and it was a most impressive ceremony. The participants were in their era-appropriate attire and the big cannon being fired was enjoyed by the many guests from across the state.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Texana Chapter have held many ceremonies to mark the graves of their deceased members.

Memory Gardens of Edna Inc. is a perpetual care cemetery, which is controlled by state laws. The cemetery is run by a board of seven directors who meet on the second Thursday of each month. One maintenance worker is employed full-time to keep it in excellent condition. Complete files are kept in the office on all burials and obituaries are included in each file where available. Memory Gardens of Edna Inc. has an inventory of existing graves at this website https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/6151 . The cemetery visiting hours are 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. daily.