Chancellor Union Cemetery

Page last updated:  January 02, 2011

Contributed by:  Sharon Pierce and Judy Greenway

Directions: NE on FM 2570 from Fairfield 2.4 miles To FM 3285, go 3.2 miles, cemetery is on left, in front of Fairfield Lake State Park entry gate.

The cemetery is kept up by the Chancellor Family Association. They meet in April and September at the cemetery for clean-up. The Chancellor Family reunion is the first weekend in October at the cemetery. Caretakers are Jerry and Jody Chancellor Nolen.

Historical Marker:  Reuben and Mary Chancellor moved to Texas from Wilcox County, Alabama in the 1850’s with their ten children and eleven slaves. They settled on 576 acres in the rural community known as Brown’s Creek. The Chancellor family donated four and one-half acres of land for church, education and burial purposes. The regular Predestinarian Primitive Baptist Church was organized in 1854. The church structure also served as a school and a community center, and was the site of many gatherings for area residents. The Chancellor Union Cemetery was established here. The earliest marked grave is that of an infant child of J B and Sarah Chancellor Lee in 1857. A separate section of the cemetery was dedicated to the former slaves. The earliest marked grave in that Section is that of John E Ingram in 1915. Among the 90 marked and unmarked graves are four generations of Chancellor’s, pioneer settlers to the area, many infant burials and veterans of the Civil War and World War II. The Chancellor Union Cemetery continues to serve the vicinity as it has for more than 140 years and is maintained by an active association of descendants of people that are buried here. (1996)