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 St. Martin Cemetery
N 31° 45.392 W 097° 02.707
14R E 685151 N 3515111
Texas Historical Marker commemorating the origins of the Tours Community, as well as this cemetery, with German, Czech, Moravian, and even French roots. This is also a Historic Texas Cemetery.
Waymark Code: WMJ567
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/26/2013
Views: 4
Marker Number: 13283
Marker Text:
A wagon train of German Catholic settlers from Teutopolis, Illinois arrived in this area on November 11, 1874, the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. That year, they built and dedicated a log cabin church to St. Martin. The John Deiterman family donated five acres for the church and two for a cemetery. Other German, Czech and Moravian families soon joined the farming community.
In 1887, county surveyors discovered an error in the cemetery's location. It was actually sited on Anton Halbrook's property. He sold 10 acres across the road, and the graves were moved to the new site.
Although several unmarked graves exist, the cemetery's first marked grave is that of Clement Uptmore (1831-1876). Represented at the cemetery are generations of the Deiterman, Jupe, Pfeiler, Seith and Willenborg families. Among the numerous decorative gravestones are metal crosses and granite and marble markers. A large crucifix marks the graves of two parish priests. An association maintains the burial ground, a significant reminder of the German and Czech history of Tours. Members hold a memorial service each November celebrating All Souls' Day.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.
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