Buck Foster Cemetery

Buck Foster Cemetery, also known as Foster or Loma Cemetery, is located about 12 miles west of Huntsville in the eastern part of the Loma community. The Cemetery was officially created when William Harrison “Buck” Foster (1835-1908) sold 100 acres of land in 1882 to W. L. Sandel reserving one acre for a cemetery. However, prior to the sale, this land was used as a burial ground for people i the surrounding community as evidenced by the eroded sandstone markers in the northwest section of the cemetery. With hundreds of burials, the Buck Foster Cemetery served nearby rural communities of Loma, Gladstone and New Hope.

One of the earliest marked graves is that of Nancy (Gibson) McCulloch Heath (1817-1875). One-half Choctaw and one-half German, Nancy came to Texas from Illinois in 1845 with her husband, Samuel David McCulloch, and two children. According to county history, David died in 1848 and was buried here, but the exact location is lost to time. Nancy married her neighbor, William Heath (1821-1882) and they had seven sons. The oldest tombstone in Buck Foster Cemetery marks the grave of William McCulloch (1846-1870), Nancy and David’s son. Many of Nancy’s descendants are buried here.

Gravestone materials include sandstone, concrete, granite, marble and steel, and are adorned with a variety of symbols such as Masonic and Eastern Star symbols, religious symbols, and images of ranching, farming, sports and music. Many military veterans dating from the Civil War are buried here. This historic cemetery is a testament to the pioneering men and women in southwestern Walker County.