We visited
Oakwood Cemetery last weekend for the annual Halloween Saints and Sinners Tour organized by the
North Fort Worth Historical Society. Among the Oakwood Cemetery residents are cattle kings, oil barons, bankers and statesmen as well as soldiers and notable women. Founded in 1879, there are plenty of graves to view separated in some areas by Catholics, Protestants, Negroes, Whites, Union and Confederate soldiers. A few of the Loving family reside there too (you may remember them from
Lonesome Dove).
The tour guide made several stops along the way where the grave residents were portrayed and their life story told, often with a humorous view. Well known local historian
Richard Selcer played
Jacob "Jake" Johnson who witnessed a gunfight between
Luke Short and Jim Courtright outside the White Elephant Saloon. Other people portrayed were Lula Grammer and Nathaniel Grammer (a local druggist),
DeWitt Clinton Pendery (famous for Pendery's Chili store),
Richard Rocket (a firefighter), Andre Anderson (a Norwegian immigrant store owner), Sarah Morton (portrayed by her great-great granddaughter who shared stories of arriving in Fort Worth from the South).
 |
| Andre Anderson portrayed by David Hansford |
 |
| DeWitt Clinton Pendery portrayed by John Pugh |
 |
| Jake Johnson portrayed by Richard Selcer |
