(Editor's note: The following column appeared originally in the Sunday, July 20, 1997, edition of the Herald Democrat. It is the second part of a column that began with Judge R.C. Vaughan recalling the July 26, 1969 dedication of the official Texas Historical Marker at the Old Sherman Opera House. Mrs. Doralee White Blaine was a speaker at that dedication. The latter part of the column, featuring a notation of Mrs. Blaine's gravesite, concerns preservation of cemeteries in Grayson County.)

Mrs. Lucy Faye Jordan of Sherman, now in her 80s, remembers Mrs. John Blaine. Mrs. Jordan would accompany her mother on the Interurban to Denison, where they had friends. She said Mrs. Blaine wore a dark straw hat and wore a badge on the left aide of her dress.

Mrs. Jordan thought Mrs. Blaine was a police matron who checked on the numerous passengers boarding and alighting from the Interurbans which were constantly arriving and departing. She said the Blaines were buried at West Hill Cemetery.

At West Hill there are several Blaine grave markers in a row. One recites: "John M. Blaine, Co. 4 CSA Tex. Cav. 1844-1920." This would seem to be the old Sherman police chief.

Another marker has this: "Doralee White Blaine, Dec. 26, 1972." This has to be the lady who married the police chief. Her grandfather's name was White (or Whyte). She said in July, 1969, that she was 92, so evidently she died at 95 or 96.

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From the Texas Historical Commission booklet on "Preserving Historic Cemeteries:

"DESECRATION: Section 42.08 of the Texas Penal Code states that a person who intentionally or knowingly disinters or disturbs a human corpse has committed a Class A misdemeanor.

"Section 711.0311 of the Health and Safety Code states that a person who destroys, damages or removes remains of a descendent has committed a felony of the third degree. Defacing, vandalizing and/or removing gravestones or other features in a Class C misdemeanor."

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Sarah Elizabeth Dye of Denison, in addition to being a retired school teacher, a thorough researcher and historical writer, and present secretary of the Grayson County Village, has dedicated a goodly portion of her time and efforts to locate, record and complain about the shameful neglect of old, neglected, forgotten and vandalized historic cemeteries and graveyards in and around Grayson County. She is my number one authority on the subject.

In response to the inquiry of Kurt Hodaway regarding the location of a "Knobs" Cemetery and about Joseph Bonaparte Earhart, Sara Dye responded:

"The Old Pilot Knob Cemetery (also called Clark and Hodges) is located on the southeast corner of Lillis Lane and Crawford Street Road just south of the Village Green apartments in Denison.

"This may be the one the man meant, or perhaps that name was given to any one of a dozen others in the area -- including Alcarr ... Micajah Davis and wife, Polly, are buried there. It is on a 10-acre plot once belonging to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and now owned by the First Presbyterian Church in Denison.

"The good news about this one is that not long ago a couple of the elder Fritts boys died and the family got permission to bury them there, although the cemetery had not been used in years. It just may be the oldest cemetery in the county.

"Anyway, some of the Fritts sons ... are spending spare time cutting, cleaning and restoring the old place. It contains at least five acres of cemetery and at least two stones on the south side of the creek. It already looks so much better, and when you drive past, you will see the lone white truck with one of the family there working.

"Also in the cemetery is the grave of Joseph B. Earhart, the man who ran the little steamship up the Washita River to Fort Towson a couple of times."

The Fritts family deserves to be recognized and commended, as Sarah has suggested, for taking the initiative in cleaning up and preserving this portion of our heritage.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, in the spirit of a revival, the example being set by the Fritts family would inspire others to 'go and do likewise?'"

NOTE: Mrs. Dorothy Fritts called to tell me that her daughter, Yvonne "Sis" Fritts, a 33-year employee of Texas Instruments, has done a great part of the work (at the cemetery) by herself. The white truck which is frequently parked there, she said, belongs to her daughter "Sis."

R.C. VAUGHAN of Sherman is a retired senior District Judge.