Olivia Cemetery
Olivia, Calhoun County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1892, the Rev. Carl J. E. Haterius of Galesburg, Illinois, acquired land at this site with the intention of establishing a community for Swedish settlers. He named the settlement for his wife, Olivia. When the townsite was laid out in 1893, land was set aside for this burial ground in association with the Swedish Lutheran Eden Church. The earliest marked grave is that of Anna Bernardino Wilson, who died in 1902. Swedes and non-Swedes together contributed to the early development of Olivia, and the community cemetery serves as a reminder of their contributions. (1986) Correction: The oldest marked grave in the Olivia Cemetery is that of Christina B. Cavallin, who died in 1897.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1892 the Rev. Carl J. E. Haterius of Galesburg, Illinois, bought land on the Texas coast hoping to build a home for Swedish settlers, naming the town Olivia for his wife. As the townsite was laid out in 1893, ground was set aside for this cemetery tied to the Swedish Lutheran Eden Church. Swedes and non-Swedes alike helped raise the community, and their graves remain here.
Why it matters
Olivia is one of the many immigrant colonies that reshaped rural America, as Old World families carried their faith and language into the Texas countryside.
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Related people
- · Carl J. E. Haterius
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Olivia
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Olivia was founded in 1892 by a Swedish Lutheran minister who bought land on the Calhoun County coast and advertised a new colony to fellow Swedish immigrants in the Midwest, naming the town for his wife. Twelve families answered the first call, and the settlement grew with a schoolhouse where parents studied English at night, a church, and a scatter of stores and trades. Though newcomers of other backgrounds soon arrived, Olivia held onto its proud Swedish heritage.
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