Abslom Barton Gillum (1836-1923) and his wife, Hannah Emmaline, arrived in Texas from Alabama in 1872, and in 1880 Gillum bought land at the present site of the cemetery. A.B. Gillum served in the Civil War, was postmaster of Oakalla, was recognized as a Master Mason, and owned a cotton gin. The first person buried there was four-year-old William “Willie” Peter Gillum (1878-1882), the son of A.B. and Hannah. Other burials include Woodmen of the World members and veterans from the Civil War to the present. An additional 2.5 acres was added to the cemetery in 1990, and the Gillum Cemetery Association maintains it as a reminder of the area's pioneer ancestors.