Avant Prairie (Freestone County, TX)

Notable Births & Deaths for Avant Prairie ...

Below is our list of notable people who were born, died or were buried in the area surrounding Avant Prairie. Please note that while we are collecting data on an ongoing basis, it's a big task and it's unlikely that our list will ever be more than a sample.

Les Baxter (Musician, composer)
- Full name: Leslie Thompson Baxter
- He was born in Mexia (TX) on March 14, 1922 (a Tuesday) and died in Newport Beach (CA) on January 15, 1996 (a Monday).
- Mexia is located in Limestone County and is 18 miles [29 km] to the west of Avant Prairie (which is located in Freestone County).
- Newport Beach is located in Orange County, California.
- At the time of his death, he was 73.
- He is buried at Pacific View Memorial Park, which is located in Orange County, California.
- Additional References
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Les Baxter<1>
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Pacific View Memorial Park
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Pacific View Memorial Park (CA) (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Avant Prairie to Pacific View Memorial Park
Raymond Adelphia 'Silent Cal' Benge (Major League Baseball)
- He was born in Jacksonville (TX) on April 22, 1902 (a Tuesday) and died in Centerville (TX) on June 27, 1997 (a Friday).
- Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas.
- Centerville is located in Leon County and is 27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast of Avant Prairie (which is located in Freestone County).
- At the time of his death, he was 95.
- He is buried at Concord Cemetery, located 24 miles [38.6 km] to the south of Avant Prairie. The cemetery is located in Leon County, Texas.
- Additional References
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Raymond Adelphia 'Silent Cal' Benge<1>
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Concord Cemetery
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Concord Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Avant Prairie to Concord Cemetery
Sam 'Lightnin' Hopkins (Musician, singer, songwriter)
- Full name: Samuel John Hopkins
- He was born in Centerville (TX) on March 15, 1912 (a Friday) and died in Houston (TX) on January 30, 1982 (a Saturday).
- Centerville is located in Leon County and is 27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast of Avant Prairie (which is located in Freestone County).
- Houston is located in Harris County, Texas.
- At the time of his death, he was 69.
- Additional References
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Sam 'Lightnin' Hopkins<1>
Fred 'Firpo' Marberry (Professional baseball)
- He was born in Streetman (TX) on November 30, 1898 (a Wednesday) and died in Mexia (TX) on June 30, 1976 (a Wednesday).
- Streetman is located 20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest of Avant Prairie. Both communities are located in Freestone County.
- Mexia is located in Limestone County and is 18 miles [29 km] to the west of Avant Prairie (which is located in Freestone County).
- At the time of his death, he was 77.
- Additional References
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Fred 'Firpo' Marberry<1>
Fritz Von Erich (Professional wrestler, football)
- Born: Jack Barton Adkisson, Sr.
- He was born in Jewett (TX) on August 16, 1929 (a Friday) and died in Lake Dallas (TX) on September 10, 1997 (a Wednesday).
- Jewett is located in Leon County and is 17 miles [27.4 km] to the south of Avant Prairie (which is located in Freestone County).
- Lake Dallas is located in Denton County, Texas.
- At the time of his death, he was 68.
- He is buried at Grove Hill Memorial Park, which is located in Dallas County, Texas.
- Additional References
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Fritz Von Erich<1>
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Grove Hill Memorial Park
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Grove Hill Memorial Park (TX) (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Avant Prairie to Grove Hill Memorial Park

Footnotes ...

<1>	The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.