Our Founding
The Flower Mound Cemetery was established in 1854 by Matthew Donald, a successful farmer who served as the first pastor of the Flower Mound Presbyterian Church.
At that time, Flower Mound was a small farming community and the cemetery was final resting place for the families in the area.
The Crawford farm bordered the church grounds to the south and Frank Crawford oversaw the cemetery. At that time, families simply claimed spaces when the need arose. The “Old Section” is still held for family members who have relatives buried there. In 1950 the Dyer family cemetery was relocated to Flower Mound from Grapevine.
Our Traditions
There are two traditions related to the cemetery that were important to the families in the original Flower Mound Community.
Decoration Day
This tradition falls on the last Sunday in April, continues today as a time for families to honor their loved ones by placing flowers on their graves.
Many remember gathering roses from the fragrant, newly blooming spring rose bushes, wrapping empty tin cans with foil, and placing the rose and water-filled cans onto the gravesites. As families arrived on Saturday or Sunday to place their flowers, someone representing the cemetery would be available to collect the donations which historically was the only income for cemetery maintenance.
Although silk flowers have replaced the real ones, there is a peaceful beauty to be enjoyed during that weekend.
Decoration Sunday Dinner
On this day a dinner was held on the grounds of the church. The gathering usually involved fried chicken, potato salad, chocolate cake and soda pop iced down in washtubs. The meal was spread on tables under the tabernacle that was in the same place as the one seen today west of the Flower Mound Presbyterian Church. Friends and families looked forward to being together, remembering loved ones, and sharing good food,
Caring For the Cemetery Over the Years
Care of the cemetery has evolved from each family’s taking care of its own plots, to someone living close taking care of keeping the area free of debris and mowed as volunteers could be found, to hiring mowers as long as the donations could support mowing.
The collection of donations during Decoration, however, continued until failing health of family patriarchs ended the on site collection, and a dedicated group of volunteers began a letter writing campaign to solicit donations for the maintenance of the cemetery. Over time different individuals were paid from the collected funds to mow the grounds.
Where We Are Today
As time passed, it became apparent that a more formal, organized effort was needed. There was income from the sale of plots in conjunction with the Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home, with whom we have enjoyed a long and close relationship. Individual donations arriving near the date of Decoration were also a source of income for the cemetery.
A formal association was formed with a Board of Directors, Bylaws, and an annual general meeting set to occur annually on the last Monday of April. Anyone who has a loved one buried in the cemetery is a member of the Flower Mound Cemetery Association.
As written on the historical marker, dedicated in 2003, the Flower Mound Cemetery, “remains a link to the generations of residents who contributed to Flower Mound’s rich history.”