| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 684 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, Residents of Smith County are gathering at Mason |
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| 3 | 3 | | Cemetery on June 4, 2023, for the dedication of an Official Texas |
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| 4 | 4 | | Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission; and |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, In 2019, the commission named the burial ground a |
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| 6 | 6 | | Historic Texas Cemetery; further documentation was provided to |
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| 7 | 7 | | the commission, including photographs, maps, research, and |
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| 8 | 8 | | written documented accounts, in order to qualify for this even |
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| 9 | 9 | | more prestigious designation affirming the graveyard's |
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| 10 | 10 | | significance in Texas history; and |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, The cemetery was established by early pioneers |
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| 12 | 12 | | who settled in southeastern Smith County, and the oldest recorded |
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| 13 | 13 | | headstone dates back to 1855; it served the community known as |
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| 14 | 14 | | Canton, then Omen, and in modern times, Arp; through the years, |
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| 15 | 15 | | it has expanded to make room for 1,800 marked graves; and |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Among those buried in the cemetery in the 19th |
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| 17 | 17 | | century are some members of the extended Mason family, as well as |
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| 18 | 18 | | Civil War veterans; the tombstones also reflect associations |
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| 19 | 19 | | with the Woodmen of the World, the Masons, and the Order of the |
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| 20 | 20 | | Eastern Star; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, For more than 150 years, Mason Cemetery has served |
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| 22 | 22 | | as a final resting place for the tenacious men and women who |
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| 23 | 23 | | braved many hardships to forge a community, and this marker is a |
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| 24 | 24 | | fitting tribute to the perseverance of those early settlers as |
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| 25 | 25 | | well as to the contributions of all those who are interred there; |
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| 26 | 26 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 27 | 27 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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| 28 | 28 | | Legislature, hereby commemorate the dedication of the Official |
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| 29 | 29 | | Texas Historical Marker for Mason Cemetery and commend all those |
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| 30 | 30 | | involved in securing this recognition. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Hughes |
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| 32 | 32 | | ________________________________ |
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| 33 | 33 | | President of the Senate |
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| 34 | 34 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 35 | 35 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 36 | 36 | | the Senate on May 26, 2023. |
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| 37 | 37 | | ________________________________ |
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| 38 | 38 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 39 | 39 | | ________________________________ |
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| 40 | 40 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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