St. Michael's Cemetery

Duane's take

The way the official marker tells it, here's the story of St. Michael's Cemetery, out in Milam County. Back in December of 1876, two brothers, John and Michael Jones, went ahead and purchased a piece of land at this very site from a man named Francis Zelner.

Two brothers, one plot of ground, and a whole lot of history waiting to happen. Michael died two years after that purchase and was buried right there on the property. The land he had walked on in life became the land that held him in death.

Now that's a particular kind of permanence. The Jones family divided their landholdings in 1893, and when they did, Michael's heirs kept possession of the east half, the half that included the cemetery where he lay. They held onto it for a few more years, and then in 1897, the family deeded the site to the Catholic Diocese of Galveston, to serve as a Catholic cemetery for St.

Michael's parish. St. Michael's Catholic Church, mind you, was the church of Burlington, a town formerly known as Waterford, settled in large part by early Irish Catholic families.

So this cemetery was always meant to be a link to those settlers, those parishioners, those people who came and put down roots in a new place. And the roots they put down are still here, literally. Many of Burlington's founders and pioneers are among those interred at St.

Michael's. Veterans of American military conflicts, going all the way back to the Civil War, rest here too. And if you walk among the headstones and read the names, you'll find German names, Czech names, Irish names, Hispanic names, and others besides, every one of them a thread in the fabric of what this part of Texas became.

The cemetery itself carries a few details worth noting. Two matching monuments stand on the Jones brothers' graves, John and Michael together in stone as they were once together in life. And at the center of the cemetery stands a crucifix, placed there as a quiet anchor for everything around it.

St. Michael's Cemetery is a place where the names tell the story, if you take the time to read them.

What the marker says

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