Frenstat Cemetery
Caldwell, Burleson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1884, several Moravian Czech families established farms in this area, naming the community Frenstat, or Friendsted, for Frenstat, Czechoslavakia. Alois and Veronica Polansky deeded 20 acres for a school, church and cemetery in 1887. The community built Our Lady of Holy Rosary Catholica Church and called the associated cemetery St. John's, Frenstat Catholic, or Our Lady of Holy Rosary Cemetery. The first burial by a priest was that of Frank Marek (d. 1890). Today, the cemetery is the final resting place of military veterans, priests and hundreds of area residents. It remains a testament to the area's Czech heritage. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004 Supplemental plate: Adolf (not Alois) and Veronica Polansky deeded the land for the Frenstat school, church and cemetery in 1887 for the sum of $100.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1884 several Moravian Czech families settled this Burleson County community and named it Frenstat after their homeland town in Moravia. The Polansky family deeded twenty acres in 1887 for a school, church, and cemetery, and the congregation built Our Lady of Holy Rosary Catholic Church nearby. The first burial by a priest came in 1890, and the cemetery remains the resting place of hundreds of area residents, priests, and veterans.
Why it matters
The cemetery stands as a testament to the Czech Catholic immigrants whose faith and farming shaped the cultural landscape of Central Texas.
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Related people
- ¡ Adolf Polansky
- ¡ Veronica Polansky
- ¡ Frank Marek
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church
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Czech Catholic settlers reached this part of Burleson County in 1884, naming their new home Frenstat after the Moravian town they had left behind. The traveling priest Joseph Chromcik began serving them, and in 1887 Adolf Polansky sold land to the Galveston Diocese for a church, school, and cemetery. Worshiping first in a schoolhouse and then a sanctuary raised in 1889, the congregation grew over the decades to include a grotto honoring the Virgin Mary of Lourdes.
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New Tabor Cemetery
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