Concerned Friends of Willow Wild to meet July 15

Bonham -- There was a time when no place in Fannin County reflected the area's dedication to its rich heritage more than Willow Wild Cemetery. After all, this cemetery hosted four U.S. Presidents on the same day. But take a drive through Willow Wild Cemetery today and images of a tight-lipped Harry Truman, a solemn young John Kennedy, a pensive Dwight Eisenhower and a grieving Lyndon Johnson -- all in Bonham for the funeral of U.S. Speaker Sam Rayburn -- give way to an overgrown cemetery desperately in need of attention and this is quickly turning into an emotional issue in the community.

"My family has three generations buried at Willow Wild," says Terri Bond Gibson. "Until the current management, it has been a place of serenity and respect for those buried there. It is heartbreaking for families with loved ones there now."

The apparent lack of a perpetual care plan that properly maintains all gravesites would seem to be at the core of a movement to wrest control of the historic cemetery from current management and place Willow Wild Cemetery under the watchful eye of a responsive board of directors.

"There is a crisis in the community due to a lack of trust in the current board of directors and administration at Willow Wild which has only been fueled by the lack of transparency in their operations and dealing with the community," states Charlotte Watson. "They have not been responsive to people's needs nor to their requests for information. They seem to be a very insular group and secretive group. Our goal is to replace the board or expand it broadly to include several people who are experienced in nonprofits and who are ready and willing to serve on the board to begin to repair the cemetery and especially to begin restoring trust in the administration. These people want to operate with transparency and want to report to the community at large about a Fannin County jewel for which they would provide direction and care. Clearly, the folks who have been in charge, though likely well intentioned, have failed."

"My parents' and grandparents' gravesites are maintained because my dad takes care of them, but many others are embarrassingly unkempt," states Rick Dodson. "Obviously, many families no longer have relatives living in the area or have no living relatives. There has to be a system in place to take care of those gravesites."

A meeting of the Concerned Friends of Willow Wild will take place Sunday, July 15 at 3:00 p.m. in the Elizabeth May Room at American Bank in Bonham.

"Our mission is to secure a beautiful, serene resting place for our ancestors and current and future generations which will serve as a source of pride for the community as a whole," explains Gary Porter. "A city is judged by its public spaces, which concerns me a great deal. Once we get the cemetery back to its former dignified appearance perhaps people will take a look at Bonham as a whole and begin to take more pride in its appearance overall. There are too many blighted areas along our main thoroughfares that cast a shadow over what is otherwise a lovely historical city with a rich past and an even brighter future."

Concerned Friends of Willow Wild now has 155 people who are eager to form a board of directors and take charge of the cemetery.

A Texas Historical Marker stands beside the grave of John P. Simpson (1806-1884). Simpson arrived in Fannin County in 1837 and served as one of the county's first sheriffs and judges.

"I am concerned that when my mother passes away there will be no one in my family living in Bonham to care for my parents’, grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ final resting place!" says Susan Meade Bennett.

"My maternal grandparents, a cousin and innumerable other relatives, friends and beloved teachers are beneath the weedy sod of Willow Wild," remarks James Parker McComas. "Shame on all of us if we who have ties to Bonham continue to tolerate uncaring, almost spiteful attitude of the current board who meet in secret while refusing requests for financial records and minutes of the board meetings. Those interred in Willow Wild deserve better, don't you think?"

"I am so concerned about Willow Wild cemetery; my parents, grandparents, great-grandmother, uncles, aunts, and many, many friends are buried there," adds Connie Adamson Galloway. "They purchased their plots, entrusted the community to see that it’s taken care of and to honor them. How dare anyone serve on a board and not hold up to their commitments. It's immoral, inhuman and embarrassing to Bonham and Fannin County. The Sam Rayburn family is among those that are let down as well. Willow Wild is a true landmark and historical memorial for all of our community. I had to bury my sweet mother in April of this year. The grounds were not mowed and I saw so many markers that had been disturbed by equipment hitting them."

"Bonham has many pioneers, and statesmen buried in Willow Wild," said Alice Taylor. "They should be honored with a beautiful resting place."

The tombstone of one of Fannin County's most enigmatic characters, Tom Bean, leans precariously towards the gravesite of Harry Peyton Steger, Bonham's only Rhodes Scholar.