Warncke Cemetery
New Berlin, Guadalupe County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Heinrich Warncke (1839-1908), Elisabeth Eitzmann Warncke (1844-1921) and their two children emigrated from Germany to Ohio in 1868. Within several years their growing family joined other German settlers in New Berlin. Between 1876 and 1882 they purchased nearly 400 acres of land out of which they set aside this cemetery. Five graves remain unidentified, but the earliest dated burial is that of one-year-old Anna Helmke who died in 1880. The Warnckes' grandson, Elmer G. Bloch (1918-1943), a World War II casualty buried overseas, is honored here. The site continues to serve the descendants of Guadalupe County's pioneers. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2001
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Heinrich and Elisabeth Warncke left Germany in 1868, first settling in Ohio before joining the wave of German immigrants who put down roots in New Berlin, Texas. Out of the nearly 400 acres they assembled in the 1870s and 1880s, they set aside this burial ground, where the earliest known grave belongs to one-year-old Anna Helmke, who died in 1880. Among those honored here is a grandson lost as a World War II casualty, tying a pioneer German-Texan family to the wider American story.
Why it matters
German immigration profoundly shaped the Texas Hill Country and its surrounds, and family cemeteries like this preserve the memory of the settlers who built those communities.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Attractions
- Green Acres Golf and Games13.2 mi away
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Related people
- · Heinrich Warncke
- · Elisabeth Eitzmann Warncke
- · Elmer G. Bloch
- · Anna Helmke
Related events
- · German emigration to Texas
Themes & tags
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