Smith/Farrar Family Cemetery Rockett, Ellis County, Texas Contributed by Kathey Kelley Hunt There are two unmarked graves in the cemetery - those of Samuel B. Farrar and his wife Minerva Beaty Farrar.  He was the original land owner of the property where the cemetery is located and was the first person interred there.  Samuel selected the  site for  the Farrar family cemetery while out walking one day with Will Rutherford.  It is located on the 370 acres a short distance west of Rockett. Samuel was the son of Jefferson Farrar and Cinthia Utley,  born 7 Oct 1807 and died 30 Sept 1873.  Minerva was born in 1806 and died 1879  the daughter of  Thomas & Rebecca Beaty.  They were married 1827 in Hardin Co. Tenn. Samuel served in the third Brigade Militia of the Texas Republic in Captain George English's Company of Mounted Volunteers commanded by Colonel Willis H. Landrum from Aug 10, 1838 until Aug. 26, 1838.  He also served in Capt. Richard Haley's Company commanded by Colonel Willis H Landrum from July 9, 1839 until Aug. 10, 1839.  For this service he was granted a 2nd Class Headright of 1280 acres in Sept. 1837. Samuel and  his family are enumerated on the 1850 Shelby Co. Tex. census.  He came to Ellis County in 1857 when he purchased 370 acres for $1800 from Thomas O. Marchbanks on May 11 where the present town of Rockett is now located.  Samuel's will, dated Aug. 27, 1868 (with codicil July 24, 1872) was probated June 1875 in Ellis County. According to his obituary, in the Nashville Christian Advocate,  he was born Oct. 7, 1807, in Wake Co. N. C. and died in Ellis County, Tex. Sept 30, 1873.  He begame a member of the Methodist Epioscopal Church South in 1868. Samuel and Minerva had the following children: 1. Thomas Jefferson Farrar - b.  15 Sept 1826 in Tenn.; d. 1 June 1910.  Buried Newburg Cemetery, Newburg, Comanche Co. Tex. He fought in the Mexican-American War, enlisting 5 April 1847 in Shelby County in Texas Mounted Volunteers until 8 Aug 1848.  For this service he applied for and received a pension. He fought in the CSA, enlistig 10 Feb 1862 in Brockville (now Bristol) Ellis Co. Tex., Co. H. 18th Tex Cavalry, Col. Nicholas H. Darnell's Regt.  He remained in CSA service for the duriation taking his oath of loyalty to the Union 9 Jan 1866.  He married Martha E. Myrick 10 Nov 1853 in Shelby Co. Tex. They had 11 children. 2. Alexander L. Farrar - b. 1838 Miss; d. 17 Dec. 1862 Little Rock, Ark.  He first enlisted in the CSA 28 Oct 1861, Co H, 12th Texas Cavalry, Capt. Wiilliam J  Stokes' Co., William H. Parson's Regimental Mtd. Volunteers, 4th Tex. Dragoons.  He was killed by a bushwacher, while on furlough making his way back home. 3.  Synthia Ann Rebecca Farrar - b. Sept 1840; d. 24 Feb 1891 - Bur. Farrar Cem. Rockett.  When she was first born, her mother's friends came to see her, and Minerva named the baby for each of the visitors.  Synthia's full name became Synthia Rebecca Mary Theresa Casteria Ann Farrar.  She married Franklin Lewis Farrar 13 March 1859 in Ellis County.  He was born 22 Apr 1822 and died 21 June 1862 in Austin, Ark.  He was a soldier in the CSA.  Synthia and Franklin had two children.  She married again in 1866 in Texas Jesse L. Smith (b. 1842 inN. C. )  They had 7 children. 4.  Robert W. Farrar - born 1844 Shelby Co. Tex.  He enlisted in CSA 28 Oct 1861, Co H, 12th Tex Cavalry and transferred to Co. H. 18th Tex Cavalry 4 July 1862.  He m/1 26 Sept 1869 Hopkins Co Tex Perniny Harley; m/2 13 April 1863 Hopkins Co. Tex. Mary Lawson. 5.  Elizabeth Adeline Farrar b. 1846 Shelby Co. Tex.; d. 8 Feb 1917 and is buried Mount Olivet Cem., Fort Worth, Tarrant Co. Tex.  She married 28 Jul 1868 Rockett, Ellis Co., William David Robinson. They had 11 children. Concerning the cemetery: Located south of FM 813; .2 mile west of Rockett Creek on private property. On a small hill, visable from road in a grove of trees.  There are only 5 tombstones in the graveyard - 4 standing, 1 is flat - all have footstones.  There are at least 3 graves marked only with stones. Site has recently been cleared by land owners - prior to December 2004 the graveyard was completely overgrown and could not be seen. Enumeration: 30 January 2005 - Kathey Kelley Hunt Katie wife of D. D. McMillans Daughter of JL & SR Smith 3 Mar 1869 - 7 Nov 1891 S. R. Smith Wife of J L Smith 4 Sep 1840 - 24 Feb 1890 James D. Smith Son of Jesse & Synthia Smith 20 Jul 1875 - 5 Sep 1877 Son of Jesse & Synthia Smith 23 aug 1873 - 4 Mar 1874 James R Harper Son of D E Harper 30 Dec 1879 - 26 Sep 1880 More Information: Katie Smith McMillan was born Manerva Catherine Smith. She married D. D. McMillan in Ellis County 3 July 1887. Her family was enumerated on the 1880 Ellis County Census as follows: Jesse L. Smith   37 SC Blacksmith Cintha R Smith wife 38 TX Keeps House Franklin I Farrar s-son 18 TX   John J. Smith son 12 TX   Manerva C. Smith dau 11 TX   Nora F Smith dau 9 TX   John W Smith son 1 TX   James R. Harper was only 11 months old when he died. Here is how his family was enumerated on the 1880 Ellis County census: William Harper   28 AL Blacksmith Elizabeth Harper wife 20 TX Keeps House James Harper son 8 mos TX   Dee Harper brother 30 AL Blacksmith   Copyright © 2005-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:15:57 MDT