THE FORMER TEXAS RANGERS  ASSOCIATION HONORS

 THE CUNNINGHAM RANGERS

AUGUST 8, 2009
Newburg Cemetery
Newburg, Texas


On Saturday afternoon, August 8, 2009, the Former Texas Ranger Foundation and Association, members of the Cunningham family, friends of the Newburg Cemetery, and residents of Comanche County joined for a Texas Ranger Memorial Cross Service honoring:

Capt. JAMES CUNNINGHAM (1816-1894)
Pvt. AARON CUNNINGHAM (1836-1914)
3rd Lt. DAVID HOUSTON CUNNINGHAM (1842-1928)
Pvt. RICHARD TANKERSLEY CUNNINGHAM (1844-1931)
Pvt. JOHN VALENTINE CUNNINGHAM (1846-1921)
Pvt. WILLIAM HENRY CUNNINGHAM (1848-1918)
Capt. KINLOCK FAULKNER CUNNINGHAM (1874-1937)

John B. Meadows, the great-great-great-grandson of Capt. James Cunningham and member of the board of the Texas Historical Foundation, welcomed the 350 family members and guests. The presentation of colors was made by the Pecan Valley Regional Young Marines of Brownwood, Texas.


The crowd gathered around the graves of James and Susannah Cunningham, and his son William Cunningham and his wife Mildred Wright Cunningham. The crosses to be dedicated were veiled in the Cunningham family tartan.

          

   


The pledges to the United States of America and to the Texas Flag were recited and Virginia Wood, the great-granddaughter of David Houston Cunningham and the great-great-granddaughter of James Cunningham, led the invocation.








John B. Meadows outlined the history of the Cunningham family rangers. Joe B. Davis, the President of the Former Texas Ranger Foundation and a retired Texas Ranger, thanked the Cunningham family for their ancestors' service and explained the Foundation's purpose and invited those gathered to become members.

Four of the graves of the Rangers being honored are in the Newburg Cemetery. The graves of Dave Cunningham and Aaron Cunningham are also in Comanche County in the Albin Cemetery. The grave of John Valentine Cunningham is in Taylor County. All of the graves now have the crosses provided through the Former Texas Rangers Association by a grant from the Texas Historical Foundation. The Cunningham tartans were removed by direct descendants to unveil the crosses.

 

Captain Grady Sessums, Past President of the Former Texas Ranger Association and a Retired Texas Ranger, asked the crowd to join him in reading the Ranger Prayer. The service concluded with the playing of Taps by family member Matthew Dunkle.

To obtain more information about the Former Texas Ranger Association, go to their website.

For information about the Cunningham family, contact Janice Williams.



It is indeed a desirable thing to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors.
-Plutarch

Thank you to my husband, Mark Hays, for the beautiful photos.