Bethel Cemetery
Henderson, Rusk County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This burial ground, named for the community that organized near Bethel Springs, was associated with a school and Methodist church. The earliest marked grave dates to 1879, although it is believed there are earlier interments. Features include Woodmen of the World monuments and vertical stones. Among those interred are founders of the city of Henderson and veterans of military conflicts, including A.K. Van Sickle, who served in the Texas War for Independence, the U.S.-Mexico War, and the Texas Indian Wars. In 1982, a cemetery association organized to care for the burial ground. Today, Bethel Cemetery, one of the oldest in Rusk County, is the last vestige of a once-vibrant community. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2008
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Bethel Cemetery grew up beside a community, school, and Methodist church at Bethel Springs, with its earliest marked grave dating to 1879 and likely older burials before it. Among those laid to rest are founders of Henderson and veterans of the Texas War for Independence, the U.S.-Mexico War, and the Texas Indian Wars—including A.K. Van Sickle, who served in all three. Today, one of the oldest cemeteries in Rusk County, it is the last trace of a community that has otherwise vanished.
Why it matters
This burial ground is the final witness to a lost East Texas settlement and to pioneers who fought in the successive conflicts that shaped the young state.
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Related people
- · A.K. Van Sickle
Themes & tags
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