Ladonia Cemetery

The principal burial ground for members of the Ladonia community, this graveyard has historically been divided into two sections: The I.O.O.F. (Odd Fellows) Cemetery and the Presbyterian Cemetery. The oldest recorded grave, that of Joe Shelby (d. 1866), infant daughter of J. E. and S. T. Shelby, is located in the Presbyterian Cemetery section. Also in that section is the "Stranger's Tomb," marking the grave of an unknown traveler who died in October 1867. Another early burial is that of William Lovelace Foster (1830-1869), Civil War veteran and pastor of Ladonia's first Baptist church at the time of his death. The I.O.O.F. section of the cemetery was originally maintained by the local Odd Fellows Lodge. The earliest recorded grave there is that of Mrs. P. T. (Marie) Hockaday (1838-1881). The Lodge continued to care for its section of the cemetery until about 1902, when management of the two sections of the graveyard were merged. Those interred in the Ladonia Cemetery include veterans of the Civil War, World War I, and World War II, as well as early settlers of the area, Fannin County officials, and many generations of Ladonia citizens.

Ladonia Cemetery is a historical marker in Ladonia, Fannin County, dedicated in 1988. It is one of 109 historical markers documented in Fannin County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 262 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.4276, -95.9460 near Ladonia. The nearest cataloged historic site is Bethel Lodge No. 134 A. F. & A. M. (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Ladonia, Ladonia, and First Baptist Church of Ladonia.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5147008907. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.