Rosedale Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in and around Gladewater - possibly the oldest - having its first burial in 1856.  John Kettle Armstrong, Sr., one of the first pioneer settlers in the area, started the cemetery as a private graveyard, when he selected the most beautiful place on his land to bury his wife Sarah.  A few years later, when the Civil War started, he was laid to rest there also.  The older part of the cemetery that lies in the northeast section of the graveyard is referred to as the 'Old Cemetery' and no new spaces are sold in this section because of the possibility of unmarked graves.  It is one of the most peaceful and tranquil cemeteries in and around East Texas and hints of the early history of Gladewater can be found inscribed on many of the quaint markers erected there.   Rosedale is a unique cemetery and is one of a kind in as much as in 1932, during the oil boom in East Texas, two wells were drilled on the premises coining it to be the 'richest cemetery in the world.'  The wells were plugged in 1973 and no visible sign of them remain in the cemetery today.

Through the years, the cemetery has been known by several names.  After the death of Mr. Armstrong in 1860, his second wife, Margaret Fisher married a Mr. Stewart and, at that time, the graveyard was then called 'Stewart Cemetery.'  In the Gladewater Gazette, an early newspaper dated February 22, 1904, a reinterment was mentioned in the Village News and the cemetery was referred to as the 'Village Cemetery.'  In 1911, a cemetery association was organized and the name of the cemetery was changed to 'Rosedale Cemetery.'  Officers of 1911 were Mrs. A. F. Beamer, Pres.; Mrs. Will Hendrix, V. P.; Mrs. L. J. Everett, Sec. Trea.; and Mrs. F. E. Stancil, Comm.  Officers of 1933 were Mrs. L. J. Everett, Pres.; Mrs. J. P. Jackson, V. P.; Mrs. J. T. Jeter, Sec. Trea.; and Mrs. F. E. Stancil, Comm.

Rosedale Cemetery is located on the east side of Gladewater at the northeast corner of Highway 80 and Loop 485 junction.   A native rock arch frames the main entrance and an honorable Texas Historical Marker is displayed at the gate and a plaque of the early officers of the cemetery is also displayed.  A scalloped native rock fence borders the south side while the remaining three boundaries are enclosed by chain link fencing.   Just inside the entrance and to the right is a caretaker's cottage and a brick gazebo stands at the north end of the drive that runs the length of the cemetery from the south entrance to the north fence.  The circular drive and easements on the grounds make it convenient for visitors to get to most areas of the cemetery with very little effort.

Rosedale sits in the quietude of tall whispering pines, cedars, oaks and holly trees on grounds that are meticulously maintained by a full time groundskeeper.  For one to really appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the burial ground and experience the nearness of nature is to visit on a summer day when the beautiful crepe myrtles are in full bloom and displaying their splendid and delightful attire.  Visitors who wish to walk the grounds are encouraged to use an insect repellant on shoes or feet since there are fire ant mounds on the grounds.

The coming of the railroad and the establishment of the new village of Gladewater on May 13, 1873 brought in large numbers of people from all over to work in the lumber industry.   But on April 7, 1931 during the struggles of the Great Depression, Gladewater got its share of the 'black gold' that was gushing all over East Texas.  Overnight the small sawmill town with its dusty streets was bombarded with individuals from all walks of life and occupations - a few aspiring to become millionaires and many just hoping to 'scratch' out a living.  Many of these are resting in Rosedale aristocrats and early pioneers - men, women, children and infants - rich and poor - all waiting for the last trump to sound.  As you meander the well-manicured grounds, you will notice a few graves marked by large elaborate memorials and fenced plots while others have a red rock or two designating a more humble resting place.

Many small marked graves can be found intermingled among family plots throughout the cemetery, but in the older, northeast section of the cemetery, an area was designated early on as 'Baby Land' where many infants and children were buried during 1931-1944.  Many of these precious ones belonged to families who came to build the railroad and transient families who worked the oil fields and were here for a short time only to have to move on with the jobs and reluctantly, leave these little ones behind.  Thanks to Elizabeth Moore Osteen, overseer and record keeper of Rosedale Cemetery for many years, for rescuing and preserving a priceless and invaluable list of names of infants and children interred here during the early days.  Some have markers identifying them while others lie in wait with only their creator knowing who is resting there.   In honor and respect for these little angels and their families, their names will not be included with this Rosedale Cemetery listing at this time.  But the ones we found markers for are included in our list.  For anyone who may have an infant or child buried during this timeframe and does not find their names listed, please contact me and I will be more than happy to check our list.   During the beginning of the cemetery and into the busy oil boom days with so many people coming in and going out of the area, there are many graves, small and large, with no markers at all.

Texas Historical Commission

Rosedale Cemetery

When John Kettle Armstrong and his wife Sarah bought 160 acres here in 1844, they were among the first settlers.  Sarah died in 1856 and Armstrong set aside this tract for a cemetery.  Tradition says the Armstrong slaves were interred outside the grounds.  After Armstrong?s death in 1860, his second wife Margaret Fisher married a Mr. Stewart.  For years the Armstrongs and Stewarts allowed everyone to use the graveyard which was called 'Stewart Cemetery.'

After the railroad started the town of Gladewater, a cemetery association organized in 1911 and changed the name of the graveyard to 'Rosedale.'  An additional five acres were purchased from J. K. Armstrong and his wife.  Permits for burial were sold instead of lots.  When the East Texas boom began, this policy allowed all surface and mineral rights to remain with the association.  In 1932 two oil wells were drilled on the burial ground.  The association used the profits to build a caretaker's cottage, roads, a rock fence and to landscaped the grounds.  In 1973, after 41 years, the wells were plugged.  Still in use, the burial ground has about 265 unmarked graves and 750 marked graves.  Many of the older plots are covered with large red rocks.    1978

Rosedale Cemetery is located in the NE corner of Loop 485 and Highway 80 Junction in Gladewater, Gregg County, Texas.  Etta Withers began recording and photographing each grave marker in the Rosedale Cemetery in 2001.  She has merged three earlier surveys with her current survey making the Rosedale Cemetery interment list more accurate and up-to-date.

Thanks to Gayla Hart for the use of her pictures.

DS = Double Stone
FHM = Funeral Home Marker
WOW = Woodmen of the World