Rhoads Cemetery
Wise County, Texas
Table of Information & Links to Headstone Pictures below on this page

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     Rhoads cemetery is located northeast of Alvord in one of the LBJ National Grassland areas. It’s nearly a mile walk from the road and pretty hard to find in the woods. Start north out of Alvord on Fm Rd 1655 and turn right just past the railroad tracts in town on E. Pine Street. Turn left on N. Shankle Street and then right on Beyette. After a few blocks take the left fork (CR 2690).
   
The "Grasslands" gate is a couple of miles out CR 2690 on the right. It’s a light green double gate with a walk-through side and a drive-through side. There’s a number 21 on it. Walk trough the gate and go on the vehicle tracks to the right. Follow this road for about a half of a mile to a tank (pond) dam.

  

    Go across the tank/pond dam but before you get all the way across a trail will fork off to the right. Follow this "cow trail" toward another tank.

  

    Before you get to this tank the trail will fork to the right. Take this path and if you look straight ahead you will see a grove of tall oak trees. Head for these oak trees.

  

    Follow the trail toward the oak trees and go into the woods. You will not be able to see the headstones until you are pretty close in the woods. The cemetery is fenced off with wire, and iris plants cover the area so there’s not much brush or weeds around the headstones.

  

    Thank you to Homer Hodges for locating this cemetery and giving such good directions, and also to Sonny Keith for walking in there with me.

In 2011 Steve Quarrella sent us the GPS readings for the cemetery -
N 33 23.1157' W 097 39.6608'

In 2002 a Historical Marker was set :

Rhoads Family Cemetery
 Originally from Tennessee, Abner E. (1820-1910) and Chloe Mays (1824-1886) Rhoads and family came to this area from Kentucky by covered wagon, arriving in 1870. Their son, Moses b. (1845-1916), who was a Methodist circuit rider, schoolteacher and carpenter already living in Texas, came to join them on their 205-acre tract of land along with his wife, Eugenia Sarah (1845-1924), and children. The oldest dated graves marking the deaths of two of their young sons in 1879 and 1880 speak of the difficulties of their experience as they joined with others in settling the land. Recorded here are members of the Johnson, Mitchum, Rhoads and Woodruff families; some descendants believe that as many as 100 others may be laid to rest nearby in unmarked graves. The cotton growers who once plowed this land were forced to relocate in the 1920s and 30s when their fields' soil and fertility were depleted by years of cultivation. In 1940, much of the Rhoads property, including this burial ground, was sold to the U.S. government and is now part of the LBJ National Grasslands. This site remains as a record of these settlers whose successes and struggles are part of the heritage of the Alvord area of Wise County. Historic Texas Cemetery-2002

    There were 13 headstones in October 2000.

# Name Born Date of Death Information Notes Link to Headstone Picture
13 Johnson, Infant Jan 6, 1885 Jan 6, 1885 Son of J.T. & M.C. Rhoads-13.jpg
13 Johnson, Infant Additional Picture     Rhoads-13a.jpg
12 Johnson, Thomas Lester July 18, 1887 Aug 6, 1888 Son of J.T. & M.C. Rhoads-12.jpg
12 Johnson, Thomas Lester Additional Picture     Rhoads-12a.jpg
12 Johnson, Thomas Lester Additional Picture     Rhoads-12b.jpg
7 Mitcham, Infant Aug 14, 1895 Aug 17, 1895 Son of M.A. & P. Rhoads-07.jpg
11 Rhoads, A.E. Feb 9, 1820 May 13, 1910   Rhoads-11.jpg
10 Rhoads, Chloe Aug 10, 1824 July 18, 1886 Wife of A.E. Rhoads-10.jpg
10 Rhoads, Chloe Additional Picture     Rhoads-10a.jpg
1 Rhoads, Eugenia S. Mar 9, 1845 Mar 11, 1924 (Mother) Headstone with Moses B. Rhoads-01.jpg
1 Rhoads, Eugenia S. Additional Picture     Rhoads-01a.jpg
6 Rhoads, J.A. Nov 28, 1873 Feb 27, 1898   Rhoads-06.jpg
6 Rhoads, J.A. Additional Picture     Rhoads-06a.jpg
2 Rhoads, Moses B. June 16, 1845 Mar 29, 1916 (Father) Headstone with Eugenia S. Rhoads-02.jpg
2 Rhoads, Moses B. Additional Picture     Rhoads-02a.jpg
3 Rhoads, Pearl June 20, 1883 Aug 4, 1884 Daughter of J.A. & A.J. Rhoads-03.jpg
3 Rhoads, Pearl Additional Picture     Rhoads-03a.jpg
8 Rhodes, Albert L. Feb 19, 1878 Dec 5, 1880 Son of M.B. & E.S. Rhoads-08.jpg
8 Rhodes, Albert L. Additional Picture     Rhoads-08a.jpg
9 Rhodes, Virgil M. Dec 14, 1872 Oct 1, 1879 Son of M.B. & E.S. Rhoads-09.jpg
9 Rhodes, Virgil M. Additional Picture     Rhoads-09a.jpg
4 Woodruff, F.A.   Mar 22, 1882 Aged 13yrs, 8mos, 11dys Rhoads-04.jpg
5 Woodruff, Jemima Apr 2, 1833 June 10, 1886 Wife of F.M. Rhoads-05.jpg
5 Woodruff, Jemima Additional Picture     Rhoads-05a.jpg
5 Woodruff, Jemima Additional Picture     Rhoads-05b.jpg