Lavon in Collin County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Abston Cemetery
Photographed By Jesse Nelsen, January 12, 2021
1. Abston Cemetery Marker
John Abston (1761-1856), a soldier in the American Revolution, was a native of Virginia. In the 1830s Abston and his family moved to Missouri. In 1853 he moved to Collin County, Texas, with the family of his son Jesse. Following Jesse's death that year, the family moved farther south in the county. John Abston and Jesse Abston's widow, Sarah, purchased land in this area in 1854.
A small plot of land was set aside as a family burial ground. John Abston's burial here in 1856 was the first in the cemetery. There are thirty-seven marked graves, including those of several generations of the Abston and related families. All but one of the stones bear 19th-century death dates.
According to family tradition, Sarah Abston at one time gave a small house and a parcel of land to a former slave, Elias Bellew, with the agreement that he would maintain the cemetery.
As a result, the graveyard has also been referred to as the Old Bellew Cemetery. Descendants of those interred in this cemetery still reside in Collin County. The graveyard stands as a reminder of the area's heritage.
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.
Location. 33° 2.854′ N, 96° 25.538′ W. Marker is in Lavon, Texas, in Collin County. Marker can be reached from Highway 78 south of Mallard Park, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lavon TX 75166, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Thompson Cemetery (approx. 0.7 miles away); Copeville (approx. 2.4 miles away); Nevada (approx. 3.1 miles away); Empire Masonic Lodge No. 586 (approx. 3.2 miles away); First Baptist Church of Wylie (approx. 6.9 miles away); Charles C. Stibbens (approx. 6.9 miles away); Thomas and Mattie Brown House (approx. 6.9 miles away); Brown Cottage (approx. 7 miles away).
Photographed By Jesse Nelsen, January 12, 2021
2. Abston Cemetery and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 13, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. This page has been viewed 146 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 13, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
