Shillerville Cemetery
Victoria, Victoria County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The community of Shillerville began when several Czechosovakian families came to this area in 1894. Among the first settlers was Jan Shiller, for whom the farm community was named. The first burial, that of Rosalie Balcar Jirasek, took place in 1897 on land given by Josef Lesikar and wife, Terezie Marek Lesikar. The graveyard was originally known as the Lesikar or Bohemian Burial ground. Additional land was donated in 1954 which increased the size of the cemetery to one acre. Some of the early grave markers are inscribed in Czech. (1986)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Shillerville took root in 1894 when several Czech families settled this stretch of Victoria County, naming the farm community for early settler Jan Shiller. The cemetery's first burial, in 1897, was Rosalie Balcar Jirasek, laid to rest on land given by Josef and Terezie Lesikar — which is why it was first known as the Lesikar or Bohemian Burial Ground. Some of the oldest stones here are still inscribed in Czech, a quiet record of the immigrants who built the place.
Why it matters
It preserves the memory of Central European immigrants whose farming communities helped shape the cultural fabric of nineteenth-century Texas.
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Related people
- · Jan Shiller
- · Rosalie Balcar Jirasek
- · Josef Lesikar
- · Terezie Marek Lesikar
Themes & tags
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