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The Fox Cemetery rests on land once owned by Dr. Joseph B. Fox, who moved from Chickasaw County, Mississippi to Kaufman County, Texas in 1851. The first grave in the cemetery is that of his daughter, Sarah K. Fox who passed away 24 Aug 1852 at the age of 15. By 1860, three of his children were buried in the new cemetery.

The second known burial in the cemetery was that of Willie J. Spikes, a half-brother of Georgia Spikes. Georgia was married to Dr. Fox’s son, Joseph Henry Fox. We have always known that Dr. Fox donated the land for our cemetery, but this second grave shows that by 1855 Dr. Fox had formally opened the cemetery to the surrounding community.

Although the cemetery is now available only to the descendants of those previously buried there, in the early years it was open to all who were a part of what is today known as the Rand Community. There are German and Norwegian immigrants buried here. There are Veterans from the War of 1812, the Civil War, WWI, WWII and the Vietnam War buried here. There are families who started out in the 1600’s on the east coast, in the “Colonies”, whose descendants somehow came back together in death and are buried in the cemetery.
The families themselves have rich and varied stories. There are tales of Indian massacres, famines, fires, religious persecution, epidemics, the black plague, murders, land bought directly from the Indians and so many other stories it would take a book to record them all. Many of these stories can be read on our Ancestry.com tree. There is no question that we who are alive today come from a hearty stock who survived much.

From the beginning, the upkeep of the cemetery has been up to the descendants of those buried there. The tradition has been to meet on Memorial Day weekend to clean and maintain the grounds. One recorded story tells of a child’s aversion to this yearly exercise, but she states that she participated anyway because she could see how happy it made her mother.

Today, this chore has been turned over to the Fox Cemetery Association, and the cost of maintenance and mowing increases each year. Members of the Board are not paid and volunteer their time in this endeavor. As a descendant, you are not charged for burial in the cemetery, and we rely on your donations as our only income. The Fox Cemetery is a private, non-profit organization. It is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(13) of the Internal Revenue Code, so that contributions to Fox Cemetery Association are considered to be charitable donations and exempt from federal income taxation to the fullest extent of the law.

You may simply mail a check to Fox Cemetery Association at P.O. Box 694, Kaufman, Texas 75142. Please also remember the cemetery in your wills and trusts. This will ensure continuity for future generations.