[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/didocemeterytexas.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/dido-3-home-1.png” custom_padding=”300px||300px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”180px||180px||true|false” custom_padding_phone=”120px||120px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width_tablet=”90%” width_phone=”75%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Welcome to Dido Cemetery” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Inknut Antiqua|700|||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”60px” title_line_height=”1.4em” title_font_size_tablet=”40px” title_font_size_phone=”32px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” title_line_height_tablet=”1.4em” title_line_height_phone=”1.4em” title_line_height_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”Anybody|700|||||||” header_4_text_align=”center” header_4_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_4_font_size=”24px” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” header_4_font_size_tablet=”18px” header_4_font_size_phone=”18px” header_4_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/cemetery\/234594\/dido-cemetery” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Find A Grave” button_alignment=”center” admin_label=”Find a Grave Button” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”20px” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#b31928″ button_border_width=”0px” button_icon=”=||divi||400″ button_icon_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”9px|44px|9px|44px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”|44px||44px|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”|44px||44px|true|true” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” button_text_size_tablet=”18px” button_text_size_phone=”16px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/didocemeterytexas.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/dido-1.png” alt=”Texas Historical Commision Plaque for Dido Cemetery” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” border_radii=”on|11px|11px|11px|11px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”History” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”Inknut Antiqua|600|||||||” title_font_size=”28px” title_line_height=”1.5em” custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”30px||||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”30px||||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” title_font_size_tablet=”24px” title_font_size_phone=”22px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Anybody||||||||” text_font_size_tablet=”18px” text_font_size_phone=”16px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Village of Dido was founded in 1848 and once was a thriving community with a post office, stores, school, church and cemetery. Dido was named for the mythological Queen of Carthage.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1887, Dempsey S. Holt donated three acres for the school, Methodist church and the cemetery. In 1894, Dr. Isaac L. Van Zandt, a pioneer physician and Confederate veteran, deeded additional land. The earliest marked grave in the cemetery is that of Amanda Thurmond (1878-1879), granddaughter of Dave Thurmond, who first settled this area in 1848.<\/span><\/p>\n Dido declined after the railroad bypassed the town in the 1890s. Residents moved to towns along the railway and Dido lost its post office, school and most of its residents. The Methodist Church is still there and is now the oldest Methodist Church in Tarrant County. Among the 1,000 graves, many are from pioneer families.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, Dido is often referred to as a ghost town. The cemetery is a non-profit cemetery, managed by the Dido Cemetery Board of Directors who continue to host the traditional annual event called \u201cDido Days\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dido is located at the north end of Eagle Mountain Lake, between Fort Worth and Alliance Airport.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f4f4f4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/didocemeterytexas.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/dido-4.png” alt=”John Townes Van Zandt gravestone – March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997 – To Live’s To Fly” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” border_radii=”on|11px|11px|11px|11px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_heading title=”Texas Songwriter, Townes Van Zandt’s Gravesite” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h4″ title_font=”Anybody||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_line_height=”1.4em” custom_padding=”||||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”||||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” title_text_align_tablet=”center” title_text_align_phone=”center” title_text_align_last_edited=”on|desktop” title_font_size_tablet=”16px” title_font_size_phone=”16px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”The Van Zandt Family” _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ title_font=”Inknut Antiqua||||||||” title_font_size=”28px” title_font_size_tablet=”24px” title_font_size_phone=”20px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Anybody||||||||” text_font_size_tablet=”18px” text_font_size_phone=”16px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Isaac Van Zandt was a co-writer of the Texas Constitution, one of the founders of Fort Worth and who the Fort Worth county of Van Zandt was named after. His son, Dr. Issac Van Zandt was a pioneer physician, a Confederate veteran and a well respected doctor and resident of Dido.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is a Van Zandt family plot to the left of the entrance where many of the Van Zandt family members were laid to rest, including the influential singer, songwriter, guitarist, fiddle player, and performer, Townes Van Zandt.<\/p>\n Townes Van Zandt was the\u00a0son of Harris William and Dorothy (Townes) Van Zandt. The Van Zandt\u2019s were a wealthy family whose ancestors were one of the founding families of Fort Worth.\u00a0The University of Texas at Austin law school, Townes Hall, bears his mother\u2019s family name.<\/p>\n Townes wrote many songs, including \u201cPancho and Lefty\u201d, \u201cFor the Sake of the Song\u201d, \u201cIf I Needed You\u201d, \u201cTecumseh Valley\u201d, \u201cRex\u2019s Blues\u201d, and \u201cTo Live Is to Fly\u201d which are considered masterpieces of American songwriting. His songs were covered by Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.<\/span><\/p>\n