Mount Olivet Cemetery, which was founded in 1907 by Flavious G. McPeak (1858–1933) and his wife, Johnnie Clara Lester McPeak (1858–1936), has an almost modern façade that concealed older graves.
Unlike other cemeteries, Mount Olivet seems completely devoid of energy.
As you drive through the entrance, you are greeted by a decorative sphere welcoming visitors to the nearly 526,091 m² grounds. The oldest part of the cemetery is at the back. This was the first “perpetual care cemetery” in Fort Worth. The oldest marked grave belongs to Zenas Ewin Kerr, who was buried on April 11, 1907. Also buried here are 594 victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic. The McPeaks and members of their family, who came to Fort Worth from Tennessee in 1894, are buried here as well. With ten children, the McPeaks lived in a house on Lake Street when they established the cemetery. Flavious was a respected Fort Worth businessman.
The idea for Mount Olivet arose after the McPeaks visited Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee, and liked it so much that they returned to Fort Worth and designed this one after its namesake. The mausoleum was completed in 1909, but a new one was built in 1983, and the original was demolished at that time. A number of Tarrant County pioneers call this cemetery their final resting place.
As for hauntings, young and old, old graves and new—the cemetery has reportedly been haunted for a long time, and with forty-seven thousand graves, it is probably home to several spirits. The recommendation is: go to the cemetery, sit for a while, and wait to see what impressions come to you.
