On our quest for cemeteries, we have come across a few that are heartbreaking.  This is one of those.  We now know there are no headstones left in this cemetery.....but hopefully we may be able to learn of some of the families buried in this cemetery.

Everything read about Wilkerson Cemetery, said it was located in Kilgore.  But after time spent traipsing all over areas in northern rural Kilgore, it was still not located.

Finally, after many nights of poring over old maps, it was realized that it was NOT in Kilgore but actually in Longview.  So, driving roads south of 1845, and taking side streets, along with Elaine and the cemetery "buddy" Denna several times, it still could not be located.

This past fall, my husband and I decided we would try again.  We drove all over the area we were convinced this cemetery was located.  With one difference though, we got out of the car and started knocking on people's doors.  The first door we knocked on, they had never heard of a cemetery in the area.

On the way back towards 1845, we saw a lady sitting in her yard talking on the telephone.  We pulled up, and she gave us directions to another house up the road, saying that these folks would be able to tell us more about the cemetery.  We located the house, and a young woman came to the door.  After telling her who we were and that we were looking for Wilkerson Cemetery, she told us that the cemetery was down the road to the east and then you turned onto a private road and went south.  But the sad news, was she told us there were no headstones left in the cemetery.  She did tell us that her brother was very knowledgeable about the cemetery.  So leaving our phone number in the hope that he would call.....we left.  We have not heard from this young man, but I don't give up easily.  I will go again, to see if I can talk to this young man to find out any information I can about the people buried in this old cemetery.

Wilkerson is a very old Black cemetery.  We now know you take 1845 south to Cherokee (you have to make the turn and go across Harrison Rd), take Cherokee all the way to the end and it Y's and you go to the left, about 1/2 mile down there is a road to the right with a pipe gate--(this is private property)----the cemetery is about an 1/8 of a mile down this road.

Sharon Pierce