Cruse Cemetery, Tyler County, Texas, Part 3

Usually family cemeteries are not confined to just family members. The Cruse Cemetery is no exception.

Buried alongside the John and Elizabeth (Barclay) Cruse family are her parents, Robert Barclay and Sarah McKinsey.

Robert Barclay was the oldest son of Walter Barclay and Elizabeth McQueen. Robert was born on 12 November 1804 in Madison County, Kentucky. His paternal grandparents were Robert and Leah Barkley of Rowan County, North Carolina. His maternal grandparents were John and Nancy (Crews) McQueen. When he was about two years old, his parents left Kentucky for Tennessee, following the McQueens.

Sarah McKinsey was the daughter of Lacy McKinsey. She was born in 23 December 1808 in Kentucky. Her parents moved to Union County, Arkansas at an early date. Robert left Kentucky as a young man, met Sarah there, and married her.

About 1840 Robert and Sarah moved to Texas where he died in 1845. Sarah remained a widow, running their farm on her own with her slaves and her sons, until 1854 when she married widower Milton McQueen. Sarah is a controversial figure in McQueen-Barclay history. Beloved by some, she was hated by others. She was sued for slander by Narcissa Jane Fulghum (later wife of John Thomas "Jack" Bean) before the Civil War, accused of poisoning Milton McQueen, and was estranged from several of her sons in her later years.

Milton died in December of 1864 at the end of the Civil War. Sarah died on 11 October 1892 and was buried by her first husband in the Cruse Cemetery.

Tombstone of Robert Barclay

Tombstone of Sarah (McKinsey) Barclay - McQueen

Tombstone of Sarah (McKinsey) Barclay - McQueen

Cruse Cemetery, Tyler County, Texas, Part 2

I have been deep in the throes of the last editing for my novel, Breaking Promises, so it has been difficult to get to genealogy for the moment. Hopefully, things will slow down here shortly and I can get back to posting on here.

I will continue posting pictures from Michael Harris that he took recently at the Cruse Cemetery. The pictures below are the tombstones of the family of John "Jack" Cruse, son of Squire Cruse and Piety Pruitt. He was the oldest child born to Squire and Piety, and the only child to survive the breaking apart of the Cruses' raft on the Mississippi River on the way to Texas. (He lost five younger brothers and sisters.)

John was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee on 30 August 1820 and came to Texas with his parents when he was thirteen years old.

John married Elizabeth Barclay, daughter of Robert Barclay and Sarah McKinsey on 8 July 1847 in Tyler County, Texas. Elizabeth was the great-granddaughter of John McQueen and Nancy Crews, and a great-great granddaughter of David Crews and Annie Magee. John Cruse's grandfather, Elijah Crews, was the brother of Nancy Crews, so he was the 3rd great grandson of David and Annie. Elizabeth's parents are also buried in the Cruse Cemetery (their pictures in the next posting).

Elizabeth was born 1 April 1829 in Arkansas. She came to Texas with her parents as a small child, but her father died not too long after their arrival. Her mother, Sarah, remarried to widower Milton McQueen in 1854.

There is a separate headstone in the Cruse Cemetery for Elizabeth, but at some point a large monument was erected directly behind hers that includes both Elizabeth and John. Elizabeth died in 1878, while John lived another 29 years, not passing from this life until 1907. It is likely the larger memorial was erected sometime after his death.

At least 3 of John & Elizabeth's children are buried in the Cruse Cemetery, all under the age of 9 at the time of their deaths.

Below you will find the pictures of the headstones of not only John and Elizabeth, but several of their children. Their daughter Clementine, however, will be in a separate posting.

This memorial for John Cruse and Elizabeth Barclay.  

Headstone for Elizabeth Barclay Cruse, wife of John "Jack" Cruse

Elias Cruse, son of John & Elizabeth (Barclay) Cruse, born 22 April 1863 and died 25 Aug 1863.
Elias was born during the Civil War and lived only four months. 

Elzira Cruse, daughter of John & Elizabeth (Barclay) Cruse, born 26 January 1856
and died at the age of 2 1/2 years on 29 Aug 1859.

 

Lacy M. (probably Milton) Cruse son of John & Elizabeth, born 8 Oct 1851
and died 2 Jan 1862 just as the Civil War started. He was 9 years old. 

Cruse Cemetery, Tyler County, Texas, Part 1

One of the neat things about getting the book on David Crews into a second edition is the finding of new cousins. Michael Harris, a descendant of David Crews through his son Elijah and grandson Squire recently contacted me. He is the only descendant thus far from this line that I have been in contact with. He has been doing research on this family and last year took a trip to the Cruse and Segriest Cemeteries in Tyler County. It will take me several postings to relay the pictures Mr. Harris has so graciously allowed me to post here. 

According to Mr. Harris, both cemeteries are maintained. I had lamented in my 2nd edition that that last time I was at the Cruse Cemetery nearly twenty years ago the path to it was not being maintained, nor was the cemetery. It is nice to hear someone is taking care of it. 

Squire Cruse was the son of Elijah Crews and Susannah Dozier and the grandson of David Milton Crews and Annie Magee. Squire married Piety Pruitt, daughter of Matthias Pruitt and Polly Hoover. He was one of the first settlers to acquire a land grant within the present limits of Tyler County, Texas. Five of his children drowned on the Mississppi River while en route to Texas. I have an extensive chapter on him in Metes & Bounds II: David Milton Crews, Ancestors & Descendants, and will not relay that information here. 

Acceess Point from the Road

Wide shot of Cruse / Methodist Cemetery in Tyler County, Texas

Original Headstone of Squire Cruse

Original Headstone of Piety Pruitt Cruse

Squire Cruse footstone erected by the State of Texas 1962

Newer Headstone