Dear Merrell Cemetery Member,
As the year 2025 draws to a close, we invite you to help us honor the legacy of Merrell Cemetery by making a last-minute tax-deductible donation. We rely on generous supporters to help us keep our cemetery maintained and beautiful. Merrell Cemetery had a wonderful year, and I would like to point out how your donations helped us to keep our beautiful historic cemetery preserved. We finished getting the cemetery ready for the Eli Merrell War of 1812 Ceremony, which took place on Sunday before Memorial Day. The trees were trimmed, the cemetery
maintained carefully, and the event concluded successfully.
One of our board of trustees spent countless hours trying to find family members for five unmarked graves for the Bobo family. After not being able to find family members to help pay for the cost of headstones, our member reached out to a monument company and negotiated a discounted rate to prepare three small headstones with one combining the names of three babies. Her continuous efforts helped us to place headstones for
this long-forgotten family. In May, after one hundred years, this family finally had headstones.
Our new website went live at the beginning of 2025. The new website offers all
upcoming events, board of trustee meetings, and a photo area that includes the Eli Merrell War of 1812 Ceremony. There is even a video prepared by a young Jesuit film student. The new website offers a donation area.
In our ongoing commitment to preserve the historic beauty of Merrell Cemetery, the board found that it was necessary to increase the lot and gate fees for members who wish to be buried at Merrell Cemetery. This adjustment took effect on June 1, 2025. As a result of this change, we received $18,435 in donations, which are being used to further support the maintenance and preservation of the cemetery.
We received other donations for maintenance for $2,350 and received $220 in donations from the War of 1812 ceremony honoring Eli Merrell. Our expenses for the cemetery as of October 3, 2025, totaled $14,232.74.
We need your help with other projects that the cemetery needs completed. This year our focus will be on the following:
- Fence repaired and painted.
- Old Merrell sign at back of cemetery needs painted.
- Solar lights
- Headstone straightening
- Updated Survey
- Grant writer/Proposal writer
- History of Merrell Cemetery Book
Another important project we aim to do is the hiring of an archivist to organize and digitize six to seven boxes of old records. With many historic documents and materials accumulated over the years, it is essential that these records are properly sorted, cataloged, and preserved for future generations.
Please consider making an end of the year tax-deductible donation to Merrell Cemetery.
Here is how you can donate:
By Mail to:
Treasurer: Traci Anderson
Merrell Cemetery Maintenance Association
1208 Shadetree Lane
Allen, Texas 75013
or
Online under the donation button:
merrellcemetery.com
Wishing you and your loved ones a meaningful Holiday season.