Aunt Jemima

On a recent road trip through central Texas, we decided to search out Aunt Jemima's (Rosie Lee Moore) gravesite, (we read about it in a book).  Originally a resident of Texas, she worked for the Quaker Oats Company and became the last actual person to tour/represent the Aunt Jemima character for the company.  Although the characterization of Aunt Jemima has been discussed many times over the years as being a negative representation of African American women, Rosie Moore viewed the character as a positive opportunity.  There are discrepancies in Rosie's story during her association with the Quaker Oats Company, including the length of time she portrayed the iconic character; some say 17 years, but her headstone says 25 years. The gravesite was declared a historial landmark in 1988, although I didn't see any special notations/markers.

If you'd like to visit - following are (hopefully) more exact directions than what we had from our guide book:
From Hearne (which is North of College Station Texas), turn towards East on 351 (you actually have to drive through 2 blocks of a neighborhood towards the west, then make a turn towards the East.  351 is the overpass that goes through town, by the Pizza Hut).  From Hearne, travel about 4 miles (there were stretches of 351 that were under construction during our visit & turned into a dirt road - but speed limit remained 65 mph (yikes), 351 is a little twisty & hilly - I didn't drive as fast as the posted speed limit or the locals) to the community of Blackjack (truly a community since only 45 people were recorded living there in 2000), which is a point that FM 2549 & 351 intersect.  Turn towards the North on FM2549 and drive for 1.7 miles (our book said a couple of miles), and turn towards East on CR 229 (which is named Pin Oak Drive (white dirt road)).  Then a short ways down on the left you'll see the Hammond Cemetery (also called Hammond Colony African American Cemetery).  When we visited, the main gate under the sign was locked, but a gate a little further down was open.  Her grave is under some trees & now a few bushes are grown up too - but hers is not too difficult to find - walk NW from the gate (depending upon which gate you enter - more North or more West).  Someone had tied a red bandana to a bush beside the headstone. 

I've been unable to locate a picture of her, but did find one of the character found on the company's label during her time (50s & 60s). 

Aunt Jemima as seen on pancake mix box

Rosie Lee Moore's final resting place, with red bandana close by