Holy Family Cemetery

Duane's take

The way the official marker tells it, here's the story of Holy Family Cemetery out in Castro County. Pull over if you can. This one's worth a moment.

It starts in 1902, when a man named Joseph Reisdorff, pastor and colonizer of Nazareth, devoted a piece of land to become Holy Family Cemetery. The land itself came by way of a donation from Wilhelmina Thier, and Reisdorff set it apart for the purpose it still serves today. For a few years the ground simply waited.

Then, in August of 1906, the first interment took place. The body of Anna Lackerman was laid to rest, and the cemetery began its long work. If you walk among the early markers, you'll notice something quietly telling.

Nine of those old tombstones bear German inscriptions, reflecting the heritage of Nazareth itself. The community planted its roots deep, and the language carved in stone was the language carried from the old country. The cemetery grew with the years.

In the 1940s, the grounds saw real transformation. More property was added. The crucifixion statuary went up.

Pipe fencing and brick pillars took shape, tree-lined walks were laid in, and an arched gateway framed the entrance. Someone had a long-term vision for this place. Time kept moving.

In 1985, the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed on the east side of the grounds. A decade later, in 1995, the Unborn Children's Memorial was dedicated on the west. And in 2012, the New Jerusalem Oratory was dedicated, built for visitors seeking a place of devotion and a source of information about the cemetery itself.

Among those buried here, the marker calls out some notable names. Three priests rest in this ground. And there is R.T.

Dirks, noted as the only World War II death casualty from this community. One name, representing a weight the whole town carried. Holy Family Cemetery, out on the Texas plains, tended for over a century now.

The arched gateway still stands. The tombstones in German still speak. And the story they tell together is the story of Nazareth, Texas, written not in books, but in the ground.

What the marker says

In 1902, Joseph Reisdorff, pastor and colonizer of Nazareth, devoted land donated by Wilhelmina Thier to be Holy Family Cemetery. First interment was the body of Anna Lackerman in August 1906. Reflecting Nazareth’s heritage, nine early tombstones bear German inscriptions. In the 1940s, additions included more property, the crucifixion statuary, pipe fencing, brick pillars, tree-lined walks, and an arched gateway. In 1985, the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed in the east, and in 1995, the Unborn Children’s Memorial in the west. In 2012, the New Jerusalem Oratory was dedicated for visitors’ devotion and cemetery information. Notable interments include three priests and the only World War II death casualty, R.T. Dirks. Historic Texas Cemetery – 2011