On Saturday, October 18, 2025, brought quiet a large amount of people out to Montgomery. They were there to tour the two old cemeteries in Montgomery. The Old City Cemetery also known as the Old Methodist Cemetery was established in 1838 and is located on Pond Street and the Montgomery New Cemetery was established in 1868 and is located on Old Plantersville Road.
Members from the Thomas Jefferson Stubbs 2523 Conroe Chapter of the Texas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy, were Iva Gilliam, Eva Rains, Bette Garland, Sherry McKey and Helen Shepherd, Steve Sodish is a member with the 4th Texas Field Battery 2358 Tomball Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Jaime Pierce is a member with the Jefferson Davis 1637 Houston Chapter of the UDC, Paul Smith is with the Captain James Gillispie Camp #226 Huntsville SCV, Jody Ballard is with the Grimes County Greys #924 Anderson SCV, Wayne McKey is an SCV member at large and many folks that are interested in history, dressed in period attire for the day and told the folks all about the history in Montgomery, served as docents or re-enactors.
In the Montgomery New Cemetery the graves featured were that of…Norman “Red” Branch a Yankees Baseball player & was portrayed by Timothy Pennington (helping that day as a docent was his wife Amber Pennington), Dr. Charles B. Stewart, designer of the Texas Flag & signed our Texas Declaration of Independence, was portrayed by Jack Shepherd, Julia Stewart, wife of Dr. Stewart, was portrayed by Christy Slice, W.W. Shepherd, founder of Montgomery was portrayed by Ted Spackey, Martha Gandy Addison, a young mother with three children and mother of John Bowe Addison, known as the Miracle of Montgomery, portrayed by Kirsten Baird, Anna Weisinger, lifelong resident of Montgomery and started the Montgomery Historical Society, portrayed by Brenda Beaven, Bessie Price Owen, lifelong resident and school teacher in Montgomery, portrayed by Bette Garland and Lt. William McGraw, Civil War soldier, portrayed by Jody Ballard. All of the re-enactors were dressed in the era that they portrayed.
In the Old City Cemetery the graves featured were that of…Capt. Thomas Jefferson Peel, a Confederate soldier and long time resident of Montgomery, portrayed by Steven Sodish, the Rev. Thomas Chilton, a Baptist preacher in town at the Baptist Church on Pond Street, portrayed by Wayne McKey, Louisa Elenora Chilton, 2nd wife of the Rev. Thomas Chilton, portrayed by Lynne Maya, Rueben Jonathan Palmer, lawyer and served in the 9th legislature of Texas and secession convention in 1862, portrayed by Paul Smith, Owen Shannon, Revolutionary War soldier and trading post owner, portrayed by Robin Montgomery, Margaret Montgomery Shannon, wife of Owen Shannon, portrayed by Joy Montgomery (actual relative of Margaret), Nancy Shannon Garrett, daughter of Owen and Margaret, portrayed by Katie Montgomery and Jed Hawkins, wilderness trader, portrayed by Jerred Sullivan. All the re-enactors were dressed in the era of which they portrayed.
Also, helping us a great deal, were the members of the Task Force in Conroe and Montgomery and ladies from the Methodist Church. Voices from the Past is an annual event, sponsored by the Montgomery Historical Society and a lot of 7th grade history students benefited from the event, has some of their clues for their scavenger hunt are found in the two cemeteries.
Article and picture are by Eva Rains, Publicity Chairperson for the Stubbs Chapter