Marker secures history of Rowe Cemetery

More than 60 people were present Saturday as Donley County’s newest historical marker was unveiled at the Rowe Cemetery near Hedley.

The cemetery was established in 1898 when Isaac Smith sold two acres of his land for use as a graveyard by the community of Rowe. Four children of the Beedy family were the first remains to be interned there.

By 1911, Rowe – which was named for English-born pioneer and RO Ranch founder Alfred Rowe – had become a ghost town as its residents flocked to a new settlement with more favorable soil and water. The new settlement was called Hedley.

The old town’s namesake was also ill fated. The Englishman was a first class passenger on the HMS Titanic and was frozen to death in the icy waters of the Atlantic when the great ship struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912.

The citizens of Hedley never forgot their origins or the old graveyard. By 1912, the Hedley Cemetery Association had been formed to care for the Rowe Cemetery. More land was purchased from the descendants of Isaac Smith in 1915 and 1953, which brought the total area to 12 acres.

In 1914, the association was reorganized as the Rowe Cemetery Association, and it continued to raise funds and care for the cemetery until 1951 when the responsibility was turned over to the City of Hedley.

Today, donations are still the major source of income for the Rowe Cemetery, and volunteers are still needed for maintenance of its grounds. The Rowe Cemetery Association Trust was established in 1984 to provide revenue that can be used for perpetual care.

In 1988, the trust board installed two arched gates, and the Hedley chapter of the American Legion erected a memorial in 1990 to honor the veterans that fought from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.

During Saturday’s program, Bruce Howard gave the invocation, and Jack Moreman welcomed the crowd assembled.

The Hedley Choir sang “The Star Spangled Banner” as Bufford Holland presented the American flag, and Skyler Conatser led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Choir also sang “Texas, Our Texas” while Connie DeBord presented the Lone Star Flag. Conatser led the pledge to the Texas flag.

Jean Stavenhagen read a short history of the cemetery.

“This beautiful old cemetery before us this morning has survived for over a hundred years, outliving the town for which it was named but retaining the dignity of its English namesake,” Stavenhagen said. “Its silent earth is filled with the early pioneers who paved our way, the soldiers who fought our battles, and the families who loved us.

“Rowe Cemetery exists today because of the long line of people throughout the past century who dedicated themselves to its support and protection. The placement of this impressive marker assures the Rowe Cemetery of its significant place in history.”

Afterward, M.O. Weatherly and Randy Shaw unveiled the marker. Lyndon Messer read the inscription.

The principal people who worked to secure the marker were recognized by Doyle Messer and Stavenhagen. The program was closed out with Barbara Collins singing “Amazing Grace” and “God Bless America.”