St. Ann's Cemetery
Hochheim, DeWitt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1845, Valentine Hoch settled in this area, and the community that developed nearby soon became known as Hochheim Prairie (now Hochheim). A number of Eastern European emigrants would settle here in the following years. Among them were Jacob and Anna (Laake) Poth, who sponsored other European settlers and rented them land in this area. Many newcomers were of the Catholic faith and in need of a place of worship, so in 1906 the Poths deeded land to the Diocese of San Antonio for the establishment of a church (St. Ann's) and cemetery. The Poths had already set aside a small plot of land at this site for a family burial ground, with the earliest interment dating to 1891. Known as Poth Cemetery, it remains a part of St. Ann's Cemetery today. The oldest marked grave in the St. Ann's portion is that of early settler Vilhelm Onhaizer, in 1907. Initially, the cemetery included distinct sections (no longer set apart), including an infant burial area and a section for Mexican American parishioners. Among those buried here are farmers, members of fraternal organizations and veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War. The burial ground contains curbed plots for individuals and families, decorative interior fencing, early vertical stones, an obelisk, a mausoleum and a large crucifix. Today, St. Ann's Cemetery continues to serve Hochheim and surrounding communities, chronicling the lives of pioneer area settlers and later residents. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2006
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When Valentine Hoch settled here in 1845, the community of Hochheim Prairie grew up nearby, soon drawing waves of Eastern European Catholic immigrants. Settlers Jacob and Anna Poth sponsored newcomers and in 1906 deeded land to the Diocese of San Antonio for St. Ann's Church and cemetery, incorporating an older family burial ground dating to 1891. The grounds hold farmers, fraternal-order members, and veterans of conflicts reaching back to the Civil War, marked by obelisks, a mausoleum, and a towering crucifix.
Why it matters
The cemetery is a lasting record of the German and Central European Catholic migration that reshaped the rural Texas countryside in the nineteenth century.
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Related people
- · Jacob Poth
- · Anna Poth
- · Valentine Hoch
Themes & tags
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