Shanks Cemetery

 

Contributed by:  Bobby Sharp

Directions: 3 miles south of Kirvin, on 950 just east of FM 80.

Historical Marker: Matthews and Robert Shanks of Alabama settled here with their families in 1859. A small farming community developed, and in 1870 a school was built on a one-acre site donated by R. C. Murray. Land beside the schoolyard became a public burial ground, known as Shanks Cemetery after Shanks Post Office opened in 1896. the earliest recorded burial was Burgess A. Whatley (1854-1892). In 1893 G. W. Bell deeded another half acre east of the graveyard. The school building was torn down in 1917. Shanks Cemetery Association has maintained the site since 1935.

The following information was submitted by This is not a complete listing for this cemetery.

CLARK, Ophelia J.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1909 1999
CLARK, Vernon
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1904 1989
DAY, John Mitchel
     hus of Mattie (Whitten) Day
June 10, 1848 Jan 10, 1940
DAY, Mattie (Whitten)
     wife of John Mitchel Day
Dec 19, 1852 Feb 10, 1920
DAY, Ola E. (Simmon)
     wife of Wiley Warren
May 30, 1888 Sept 23, 1968
DAY, Wiley Warren
     hus of Ola E. Simmon
Jan 18, 1884 Feb 28, 1972
DICKENS, N. E.
     buried with Honors from the Veteran's Administration
  June 4, 1986
EMMONS, Mary Zue (Keys)
     wife of Richard Raymond Emmons, Sr.
     Contributed byJanie Moncrief Blevins
June 21, 1911 Sept 16, 1959
EMMONS, Richard Raymond, Sr.
     hus of Mary Zue (Keys) Emmons
     Contributed byJanie Moncrief Blevins
July 22, 1909 Jan 22, 2003
FOOTE, Cora Edna
     Contributed byJanie Moncrief Blevins
Feb 5, 1881 May 16, 1957
FREEMAN, Thomas Charles "Jake", Sr.
     hus of Cora Bell Freeman
     son of Joseph Earl & Nina Ruth (Goolsby) Freeman
Mar 19, 1925 Feb 4, 2008
GOOLSBY, James Bird
     born in Campbell Co.,  GA, died in Kirvin, Freestone Co., TX
     Contributed by Carl, Hawthorne FL
     There may be other Goolsby buried here but this is the only one
     that I am sure of.  *
Mar 31, 1858 Sept 5, 1948
GRICE, Bama Estelle (Miles) Oct 14, 1876 Sept 19, 1959
GRICE, William/Benjamin Feb 10, 1873 Nov 29, 1948
JETT, Marshall I.
     hus of Lucy C. Simmons b. July 1, 1882
Dec 1878 Jan 1944
JETT, Robert J. Feb 14, 1904 Nov 23, 1962
KEYS, James Henry
     Contributed byJanie Moncrief Blevins
Jan 9, 1879 Apr 11, 1945
KING, Robert 1883 1951
NICHOLS, Elizabeth Ann "Cissy" (Smith)
     wife of Curtis Nichols
     dau of Aldrice & Ruby (Owens) Smith
Dec 16, 1958 July 13, 2017
PERSONS, Kimberly Ashlyn
     dau of Curtis & Barbara Persons
June 22, 1995 June 2, 2017
PERSONS, William Edwin "Pete"
     hus of Sue (Dickens) Persons, m. 11/14/1967
     son of Guy & Lillie Mae Persons
     US Army, Vietnam
Aug 5, 1945 Apr 6, 2015
PIERCE, John W.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1864 1942
PIERCE, William M.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1902 1975
POWELL, Dora Day Oct 1862 Mar 17, 1958
QUARLES, Martha E. 1855 1940
QUARLES, John T. 1851 1912
ROY, Helen V.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1880 1964
ROUSE, Grace H. Oct 13, 1913 Feb 14, 1994
ROUSE, John I. June 24, 1909  
SHARP, Alma I. Mar 5. 1909 Jan 6, 1981
SHARP, Benjamin F. Sept 13, 1860 May 13, 1940
SHARP, Claude B. Aug 30, 1904 Nov 1, 1980
SHARP, Fred Jan 20, 1908 Feb 9, 1908
SHARP, Haroldean
     Son of Claude B. & Alma I. Sharp
Feb 8, 1929 Sept 18, 2000
SHARP, Henrietta Nov 12, 1864 June 7, 1899
SHARP, Joe Lincoln Feb 6, 1906 Dec 13, 1982
SHARP, Loucinda C. Mar 10, 1873 Jan 24, 1912
SHARP, Shirley J. Oct 9, 1935 Jan 26, 1982
SHARP, Velma May 25, 1903 Sept 25, 1903
SIMMONS, Andrew H.
     hus of Fannie
  1940
SIMMONS, Fannie
     wife of Andrew Simmons
  1935
SMITH, Russell
     hus of Wanda Smith
     son of Henry & Mary (Russell) Smith
     US Army, Vietnam
Nov 9, 1944 May 2, 2012
SNIDER, Lora Lee (Bain)
     wife of Luther L. Snider
     dau of Loran & Lillie (Keaton) Bain
Aug 31, 1932 Sept 26, 2009
SNIDER, Luther L.
     hus of Lora Lee (Bain) Snider
     son of John Henry & Jewel Rachel (Pounds) Snider
Nov 28, 1928 Sept 23, 2011
WEAVER, Elmer L.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1937 1937
WEAVER, Elizabeth
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1912 1998
WEAVER, Henryetta
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1873 1966
WEAVER, Walter E.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1939 1956
WEAVER, Walter J.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1901 1943
WEAVER, Walter R.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1869 1941
WEAVER, William E.
     Contributed byJoAnn McBride
1912 1997

* Sources for James Bird Goolsby
  1. Fina Allen (Newsome) Slack, my grandmother and J. B. Goolsbys neice, attended the funeral.
  2. "The Goolsby/Conley Connection" by Mack Mullins @1980