MARTIN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
CHARTER, consisting of 

BYLAWS
RULES FOR BURIAL
RULES PERTAINING TO THE GROUNDS 

Adopted June 16, 2007 

ORGANIZATION

This Association was established for the purpose of preserving and maintaining a Historical Martin Cemetery located about 5 miles East of Lipan and 2-1/2 miles to the south of  FM Road 4 through the entrance of  the Diamond A Ranch, County of Hood, State of Texas.  This Cemetery was donated in the 1800’s by Mr. William Harvey Martin and provides for the burial of bloodline descendents and their spouses of the following families buried prior to 1920:  Adams (1896), Anderson (1894), Brown (1896), Foster (1898), Gunter (1890), Helms (1883), Hestand (1918), Holt (1860), Lee (1915), Makamson (1894), Martin (1884), Miller (1902), Millington (1899), Pilkington (1920), Raifsnyder (1895), Rhodes (1884), Self (1868), Snelson (1886), Sparks (1873), Spencer (1920), Thompson (1899), Wells (1906), and Yancy (1908).  The Association shall be operated as a non-profit organization, with no personal benefit to any member of the Association.

MEMBERSHIP

The Association is composed of members who meet the burial eligibility requirements and have provided the Association their bloodline descendency status and current contact information.   Association membership eligibility for the  Mills and Hutchins families will be limited to Heads of Household assigned burial in the twenty-two (22) assigned sites. 

MANAGEMENT

These Bylaws provide for the management and care of Martin Cemetery through the elected members of a Board of Trustees elected annually by the Association membership.   

MEETINGS

The Board of Trustees shall set the time and place of the annual meeting or subsequent meeting as necessary to perform their duties for the betterment of the Association. The Annual meeting shall be held the fourth Saturday April each year, unless otherwise designated by Trustees. Association members shall be informed in writing by mail no less than thirty (30) days prior to said meeting. 

TRUSTEES

Trustees shall be elected annually by simple majority of Association members present and may succeed themselves. The number of trustees elected shall be set and approved by the Association membership at the annual meeting. A trustee vacancy may be filled by the President with approval of a majority of remaining trustees. 

OFFICERS AND ADMINISTRATION

Officers shall be elected annually from and by the newly elected trustees for the current year and requires a quorum and simple majority of those trustees present. A majority of the trustees is required for a quorum. Officers of this association shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers may succeed themselves.

1. The President shall preside at all meetings and shall be charged with the responsibilities pertaining to policy, programs, management, business, properties, and performance. He may appoint such individuals and committees, as he may deem necessary to the accomplishment of his charge.  

2. The Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, preside at all meetings of the Association and perform other assignments when requested by the President.

3. The Secretary shall keep the records of the Association proceedings and unless otherwise assigned by the President, conduct the correspondence, issue notices as are provided for in these bylaws and perform other and further duties as the President may request.  

4. The Treasurer shall collect all monies and issue receipts for the same. The Treasurer shall deposit all such monies in the name of Martin Cemetery Association with some Bank, Banker or Trust Company designated by the Board of Trustees of Martin Cemetery Association.  The Treasurer shall make a complete written report to the Association at the annual meeting of the Association and shall be fully accountable to the Trustees by submitting reports and bank statements as requested between scheduled annual meetings of the association.

FINANCE

The Board of Trustees of the Association shall review annually and designate a depository for all funds of the Association. All funds withdrawn shall be by the signature of either the President, Treasurer or when designated, the Trustee in charge of grounds. The Board shall establish the procedure/requirement for the issuance of checks.  Trustees assume no responsibility for monies other than funds herein defined by these bylaws.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Rules and Regulations for the government of Martin Cemetery Association provide for the Trustees to have full authority to prescribe such rules and regulations as necessary to insure proper management, maintenance, care, preservation, and for the security and protection of Martin Cemetery.  

BURIAL ELIGIBILITY

As stated previously, Martin Cemetery was donated by the William Harvey Martin Family in the 1800’s for the purpose of providing burial space for the bloodline descendents and their spouses of the following families buried prior to 1920: Adams (1896), Anderson (1894), Brown (1896), Foster (1898), Gunter (1890), Helms (1883), Hestand (1918), Holt (1860), Lee (1915), Makamson (1894), Martin (1884), Miller (1902), Millington (1899), Pilkington (1920), Raifsnyder (1895), Rhodes (1884), Self (1868), Snelson (1886), Sparks (1873), Spencer (1920), Thompson (1899), Wells (1906), and Yancy (1908).  Prior to these bylaws taking effect, ten (10) sites were assigned to the Kelly Mills family and twelve (12) sites to the Robert Hutchins family.  Original non-related settlers and their spouses and their descendents born prior to the year 1920 will also be eligible for burial in Martin Cemetery. Procedures for burial will be provided as an attachment to these bylaws. 

RULES OF ORDER

In the absence of a governing provision of these bylaws, Roberts Rules of Order, Revised shall apply. 

AMENDMENTS

Any Amendment to these Bylaws shall be proposed by resolution in writing. Such resolution may be discussed, amended, or otherwise altered in accordance with parliamentary procedure, and when called for a vote, shall be balloted upon at the meeting. If the Resolution or amended Resolution be adopted by a 2/3 majority vote of the members present, the same shall become effective. No vote shall be taken unless the Secretary has given written notice to all Association members, including the proposed changes, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the date and time and place of such meeting.

RULES FOR BURIAL

MARTIN CEMETERY does not sell burial spaces. The Cemetery is operated and maintained by a Board of Trustees and depends on regular financial assistance from the kin of deceased. The following rules for use of the Cemetery establish your responsibilities, those of this Association and the mortuary of your choice. They will be of assistance to you when the time comes to have a burial in MARTIN CEMETERY.

1. Contact the Cemetery Trustees and state your desire to use MARTIN CEMETERY.
  
        a. Establish with the Trustees your eligibility to use the Cemetery. One of the following three conditions must be met for a person to be buried at MARTIN CEMETERY:
 

1.  Bloodline descendents of the following families buried prior to 1920: Adams (1896), Anderson (1894), Brown (1896), Foster (1898), Gunter (1890), Helms (1883), Hestand (1918), Holt (1860), Lee (1915), Makamson (1894), Martin (1884), Miller (1902), Millington (1899), Pilkington (1920), Raifsnyder (1895), Rhodes (1884), Self (1868), Snelson (1886), Sparks (1873), Spencer (1920), Thompson (1899),  Wells (1906), and Yancy (1908)

2.      Original non-related settlers and their spouses and their descendents born prior to the year 1920 will also be eligible for burial in Martin Cemetery.  

3.      Individuals, other than bloodline of the above referenced families (Rules for Burial, 1.a.1), who have been assigned gravesites as of June 16, 2007 will be allowed burial in said assigned plots.  The family of Kelly Mills and Robert  Hutchins have been assigned ten (10) sites and twelve (12) sites, respectively.  Eligibility of these families for burial in Martin Cemetery does not extend beyond the use of these twenty-two (22) sites that have been assigned as of June 16, 2007.  

            b.  After your eligibility is established, assist the trustees in determining the appropriate gravesite for burial. 

  2. Make funeral arrangements with the mortuary of your choice. Remind your funeral director that he must obtain a signed burial permit from a Trustee before burial arrangements can be completed.

  3. Headstone deposits:

            a. Conventional burials:

            A deposit of $500.00 for a headstone and/or date of death inscription on an existing headstone must be made with the Association by the person seeking use of the Cemetery. This $500.00 will be refunded, without interest, if a headstone is in place and/or the date of death is inscribed on an existing headstone within twelve (12) months of burial. If a headstone is not placed in that period and/or the date of death inscription is not completed, the deposit will be used by the Association to place a flat gray granite marker on the gravesite or inscribe the existing headstone with date of death.

4. With a signed burial permit in hand, your funeral director will arrange for opening and closing the grave as well as other services you will request of him. 

5. Giving by descendents of persons interred in this historic Cemetery makes the maintenance of this Cemetery possible. It is normal practice for all next-of-kin to give annually toward this maintenance. It becomes a way for our supporters to express their desire that we continue our maintenance of Martin Cemetery. All who come here appreciate the restfulness, the quiet, and the natural beauty unique to MARTIN CEMETERY.  

RULES PERTAINING TO THE GROUNDS OF THE HISTORIC MARTIN CEMETERY

MARTIN CEMETERY has a significant historical background and has been recognized by the State of Texas as a historic site. We are proud of this background. While we have no full time caretaker, MARTIN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION attempts to maintain the cemetery in the state it was originally created by appropriately mowing the grass and periodically trimming the trees and bushes.

To make our care of MARTIN CEMETERY easier for us to handle, and to contribute to the desirable overall appearance of the cemetery to maintain its original state and historical status, MARTIN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION adopts these rules:

1. When erecting headstones do not install any curbs, chairs, settees, benches, flower stands and the like because they become impediments to grass mowing. 

2. Likewise the planting of trees, bushes and flowers is not permitted.

3. Interested parties are permitted to attend gravesites only by watering and trimming and the placing of flowers in receptacles. MARTIN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION assumes no responsibility should flower receptacles and their contents be lost, turned over, broken or removed. Empty receptacles should be removed from gravesite except where they are a part of the headstone arrangement. 

  
4.  When ordering the erection of a headstone, it is strongly recommended that the monument company install a reinforced concrete below-ground base foundation. Without a proper and substantial foundation headstones over time become unstable and may topple over. The time to prevent this occurrence is when initially contracting with a monument. company.  

5.  The metal temporary grave marker furnished by the mortuary will be removed when the headstone is installed.     

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Members present at adoption meeting June 16, 2007

Judy B. Datson-Long, Dorothy Holt Bolton, Verne Tipton, Marie Mills, Cindy Getchell, Connie A. Mills, Chris Kubosh, Tammy Boutwell, Carol B. Beaird, Lucy H. Holt, Billie E. Rogers, Warren L. Rogers, Nancy Hutchins, Amber Ballenger, Velma Holt Bell, Dale R. Holt, Wendell Holt, Keith Holt, Evelyn Moore, Carrie Moore Lee, Lena E. Holt.