Cemeteries of Lavaca County

T - Z

Most of the following information comes from Sammy Tise's Lavaca County Texas Cemetery Records, Volumes 1-VI. Several people have volunteered to do lookups in his cemetery surveys for you. The books are also available for purchase.

Please contact Regena if you have done a cemetery survey or have information or cemetery photos to share.

Terry Cemetery

This is a family cemetery with fifteen markers on the land where the Terry School was located. The oldest stone marks the grave of John McHenry Terry who died in 1860. Go south from Hallettsville on Hwy 77 to Hope. Turn left at the Hope store and go about three miles where the road makes a sharp right turn. To get to the cemetery you must drive straight into the pasture to a cattle guard. The cemetery is located past the cattle guard, to the right down the road to the Terry house trailer.

Thigpen Cemetery

This small family cemetery has only five markers. The oldest is for William Thigpen, who died 13 May 1887. To visit the cemetery go out of Hallettsville towards Shiner on 77-A. About .25 mile after the split with 90-A look for the cemetery on the left. It can be seen from the road, but it is about 50 feet off the highway in some trees. Contact Mike and Brenda Fisseler for more information about the cemetery.

List of Burials from Sammy Tise's Lavaca County, Texas Cemetery Records:

Thigpen, Lydia May, 30 Dec 1900 - 23 Apr 1908
Thigpen, Margaret Jane, 10 Sep 1838 - 11 Dec 1898
Thigpen, R. E., 2 Feb 1867 - 28 Mar 1889
Thigpen, William, 18 Dec 1800 - 13 May 1887
Smothers, W. T., 15 May 1855 - 15 Dec 1897

Tombs Cemetery

Sublime

Located behind the Orange Grove Baptist Church in Sublime, Selma Taylor says that this cemetery dates from slave days. Regena Williamson interviewed Selma Taylor, Daisy Wilkins and LaVerne Taylor at the Orange Grove Baptist Church in July 2011. Two known burials are:

L. C. Godley, 1930, the son of Selma Taylor
Otis Wilkins Jr., died April 8, 1935, 1 year and 11 months, son of Daisy Foley and Otis Wilkins, grave unmarked.

Turner Cemetery

There are parts of four markers for the Turner family in this little cemetery in northeastern Lavaca County. The only legible death date is for Nina M. Turner, who died 12 Mar 1864. From Hallettsville drive north about 8.5 miles on Hwy 77, turn right (east) on FM 532 and drive 4.1 miles, turn right on CR 217 and drive one-half mile to a gate at a red barn at the second curve in the road. The cemetery is on private property owned by Josephine Fowlkes Moore. It is .3 mile through a pasture to 5 small trees and an old abandoned pickup truck.

Velehrad SPJST Cemetery

Historic Texas Cemetery

There are over forty markers at this cemetery in the Velehrad community just behind the Velehrad SPJST lodge hall. Originally known as the Velehrad Cemetery, it was maintained by SPJST Lodge No. 19 for many years. In 2004, the Velehrad Cemetery became part of the SPJST District VI Cemetery Organization. Its name was then changed to the SPJST Velehrad Cemetery.

To visit the cemetery go north from Hallettsville on FM 957, turn left on CR 247 at Moravia, then right on CR 248. At the T turn left on CR 252 (County Line Road) and go about a half mile to the Velehrad SPJST hall on the left.

From the Historic Texas Cemetery marker:

SPJST VELEHRAD CEMETERY

Residents of the Velehrad community, who were mostly immigrants from Moravia, created this cemetery to serve their burial needs. Filip Bucek, a Czech resident of the community, envisioned the idea of creating a national cemetery, but he passed away in 1877 before the burial ground was established. Family tradition says Filip was buried in Praha and later reinterred here. The earliest known burial in this cemetery is that of his wife, Johana Bucek, in 1878. Among those buried here are founders and members of the SPJST (Slovanska Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas), a Czech fraternal benefit society established in 1897. Ferdinand Breska, the first vice president of the SPJST, is buried here. The local SPJST lodge was located near the burial ground, and members conducted funeral services for many of those buried in Velehrad Cemetery. The decline of the cemetery coincided with the end of World War II, when many Velehrad residents moved away from the community. The cemetery stands as a reminder of the Czech Moravian community established here more than 100 years ago. The SPJST continues to care for the graveyard. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005

See Displaced Markers

Photo contributed by Gary McKee

Vsetin Cemetery

See a description, photograph, and the text of the historical marker at the Vsetin Cemetery.

Vsetin EUCMB Church Cemetery

See photo, description, and a list of burials in the Vsetin EUCMB Church Cemetery.

Walker Cemetery

The cemetery is located west of Old Moulton off a side road from FM 1680 on land owned by brothers, Frankie and Adolph Filipp. The Walker and Old Moulton Cemeteries are several miles apart. There were five markers in a 1969 survey, the oldest being for Thomas Walker who died 28 May 1878 and Mary Willson who died 5 Jun 1878.

Walton Cemetery

There are four or five members of the Walton family buried here with stones for markers. No names or dates are given, except one stone does have "Walton" on it. Take Hwy 77 six miles south of Hallettsville. Pass over the Rocky Creek bridge and turn left (east) on CR 458. Drive one mile to the old Burl Judd property now owned by Victor Reckaway of Albuquerque, NM.

West Cemetery

See list of burials and photographs from the West Cemetery.

Wied Cemetery

See list of burials in the Wied Cemetery.

Williams Cemetery

Hackberry

See a description, list of burials, and photographs from the Williams Cemetery.

Malkijah Williams Cemetery

Willing Workers Black Cemetery

Historic Texas Cemetery
(paired with New Poor Farm Cemetery across the road)

This large cemetery is fenced and well kept. There are about 300 markers, the oldest is for Victoria Cunningham who died on April 13, 1901. To get to the cemetery go south out of Hallettsville on Main Street, cross the Lavaca River and the cemetery will be on the right about one-half mile.

Willow Creek Cemetery

See a photograph, description, and list of burials in the Willow Creek Cemetery.