St. Michael's Cemetery
Burlington, Milam County, Texas
Marker Inscription
St. Michael’s Cemetery is a link to the early Irish Catholic settler and parishioners of St. Michael’s Catholic Church of Burlington, formerly known as Waterford. In December 1876, brothers John and Michael Jones purchased land at this site from Francis Zelner. Michael died two years later and was buried on the property. Jones family members divided their landholdings in 1893, with Michael’s heirs retaining possession of the east half that included the cemetery. In 1897, the family deeded the site to the Catholic Diocese of Galveston for use as a Catholic cemetery to serve St. Michael’s parish. Many of Burlington’s founders and pioneers are among those interred here, as are veterans of American military conflicts dating from the Civil War. The range of surnames found on headstones reflect German, Czech, Irish, Hispanic and other cultural contributions to the area’s rich heritage. St. Michael’s Cemetery is noted for the two matching monuments on the Jones Brothers’ graves, as well as for the crucifix placed in the cemetery’s center. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
St. Michael's Cemetery grew from the Irish Catholic families who settled the Milam County community once called Waterford. In 1876 brothers John and Michael Jones bought the land; Michael died two years later and was buried there, and in 1897 his heirs deeded the plot to the Catholic Diocese of Galveston. The headstones—German, Czech, Irish, Hispanic, and more—record the mingling of cultures that built Burlington, including veterans reaching back to the Civil War.
Why it matters
The cemetery is a record of Irish Catholic settlement in central Texas and of the immigrant diversity that shaped the state's rural parishes.
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Related people
- · John Jones
- · Michael Jones
Themes & tags
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