Texas Cemetery Records Research Guide
Texas cemetery records will help you fill in gaps in the genealogy or family tree project you are working on. There are different types of vital records you can use aside from Texas cemetery records, but you will find some great data and important details from using these. Because Texas is such a large state with such an extensive history, it has more national cemeteries than many other states. For Definitions of all Cemetery Terms See Symbols on Gravestones and Their Interpretations
The six national cemeteries you may use Texas cemetery records from include:
- Kerrville National Cemetery
- Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery
- Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
- Fort Bliss National Cemetery
- Houston National Cemetery
- San Antonio National Cemetery
In addition to these, you may also find Texas cemetery records for other private and public cemeteries in the state. The bottom line is that if your searches have led you to Texas, you are bound to find some data that will be useful.
What You Can Track Down
Texas cemetery records are much more useful than many people realize. You can get much of the same data on Texas cemetery records that you would on other types of vital records. From names, dates and locations to even names of other family members, these records can be very useful. In fact, some people prefer to use Texas cemetery records and tombstone transcriptions because you can often times find records that date back further.
Also, while many standard paper records could be lost or may not have ever been kept very organized to begin with, Texas cemetery records can also be easier to use. Of course, much of this is based on the location and dates you are seeking. You can use this type of valuable data to find important information for ancestry reasons and find it is very helpful in completing your records.
Whether or not you have used cemetery records before does not matter. Even if you would like to use other vital records in addition to these to find what you need, these records should work together. Regardless of how much data you need, you can use Texas cemetery records to help get the job done.
Research In Texas Cemetery Records
Over the years, several Texas cemetery records have been transcribed or collected by various individuals and organizations. The DAR has the largest collection on file. There is also a two-volume collection of entries related to Peters' Colonists and their descendants available. The FHL and the Texas State Library have copies of the DAR collection available on microfilm.
Several funeral home and cemetery records have been published by genealogical and historical societies in Texas. Researchers can typically purchase copies of those records from those various societies.
Two examples of recently released publications include:
- Funeral List. 2 vols. Texarkana: Texarkana USA Genealogical Society, 1995–56. Contains 2,047 burials in the Texarkana area with names listed in alphabetical order.
- Cemeteries of East Texas. Weatherford, Tex.: Parker County Genealogical Society, 1999.
Famous People Buried in Texas Cemeteries
| County | Name / Date / Cemetery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bexar | Bowie, Jim (James) 4/10/1796 - 3/6/1836 San Fernando Cathedral |
Folk Figure, Alamo Defender. Born in Logan County (present day Simpson County), Kentucky, one of ten children of Rezin and Elve Bowie. |
| Bexar | Crockett, David 'Davy' 8/17/1786 - 3/6/1836 San Fernando Cathedral |
US Congressman, Frontiersman, American Legendary Figure. Defender of the Alamo. |
| Bexar | Defenders of the Alamo Memorial - The Alamo |
Following the Siege of the Alamo, Generalissimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna ordered that, with one exception, the bodies of the Alamo defenders be burned. Two funeral pyres were set. One at what is now the location of the Alamo Cenotaph and the other at the location of East Commerce and Rusk Streets. |
| Bexar | Kitchen, George K. 10/5/1844 - 11/20/1922 Saint Mary's Cemetery |
Indian Wars Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, he served as a Sergeant, in Company H, 6th U. |
| Bexar | Nash, James J. 2/17/1905 - 6/11/1927 San Antonio National Cemetery |
Spanish-American War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served in United States Army during the War with Spain as a Private in Company F, 10th United States Infantry. |
| Bexar | Travis, William Barret 8/9/1809 - 3/6/1836 San Fernando Cathedral |
US Military Officer. Commander at the Alamo. |
| Bowie | Blocker, Dan 12/10/1928 - 5/13/1972 Woodmen Cemetery |
Actor. He is best remembered for his role of ‘Hoss Cartwright' in the TV series, "Bonanza," which ran from 1959 to 1972. |
| Brazoria | Austin, Stephen Fuller 11/3/1793 - 12/27/1836 Gulf Prairie Cemetery |
Father of Texas. When he was seven years old the family moved from his father's lead mines in Virginia to southeastern Missouri. |
| Brazos | Bush, Barbara Pierce 6/8/1925 - George Bush Presidential Library and Museum |
First Lady of the United States of America. Born on June 8 1925, as Barbara Pierce, she married future President George Walker Bush on January 6, 1945. She served as the First Lady from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993. |
| Brazos | Bush, George Herbert Walker 6/12/1924 - George Bush Presidential Library and Museum |
Cause of death: Still living |
| Dallas | Barrow, Clyde 3/24/1909 - 5/23/1934 Western Heights Cemetery |
Outlaw. Even though he lived on the edge of the law as a youngster, Clyde Chestnut Barrow's first crime was not until an auto theft in 1926 at the age of 17. |
| Dallas | Garson, Greer 9/29/1904 - 4/6/1996 Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park |
Actress. Greer Garson was beautiful, bright and most of all strong - strong enough to make Laurence Olivier wither in "Pride and Prejudice," and Walter Pidgeon to back down in their multiple, memorable pairings. |
| Dallas | Landry, Thomas 'Tom' 9/11/1924 - 2/12/2000 Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park |
Hall of Fame Professional Football Coach. A native of Texas, he served during World War II as a bomber pilot. |
| Dallas | Mantle, Mickey 10/20/1931 - 8/13/1995 Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park |
Professional baseball player. During his career which lasted eighteen years (1951-1968) while wearing Number 7, all with the American League New York Yankees, Mickey Mantle was the AL Triple Crown Winner in his outstanding 1956 season (best batting average . |
| Dallas | Parker, Bonnie Elizabeth 10/1/1910 - 5/23/1934 Crown Hill Memorial Park |
Legendary Outlaw. She was the middle child and oldest daughter of Henry and Emma Parker. |
| Dallas | Vaughan, Stevie Ray 10/3/1954 - 8/27/1990 Laurel Land Memorial Park |
Rock/Blues Musician. Born in Dallas, Texas, he was part of a musical family. |
| Denton | Nelson, Byron 2/4/1912 - 9/26/2006 Roselawn Memorial Park |
Professional Golfer. Real name John Byron Nelson Jr. |
| Fisher | Baugh, Sammy (Samuel Adrian) 3/17/1914 - 12/17/2008 Belvieu Cemetery |
Professional Football Player. As quarterback, defensive back, and punter for the Washington Redskins between 1937 and 1952 he set 13 NFL records, two of which still stand. |
| Franklin | Meredith, Don (Joseph Donald) 4/10/1938 - 12/5/2010 Mount Vernon City Cemetery |
Professional Football Player, Broadcaster, Actor. Nicknamed "Dandy Don". |
| Gillespie | Johnson, Claudia Alta 'Lady Bird' 12/22/1912 - 7/11/2007 Johnson Family Cemetery |
Presidential First Lady. Born Claudia Alta Taylor to T. |
| Gonzales | Battle of Gonzales memorial - Dikes Family Cemetery |
At the confluence of the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers, Gonzales, at the westernmost point of Anglo-American settlement in Texas as a province of Mexico, became a center of much of the Texas revolutionary activity. On October 2, 1835, Texans led by Colonel John H. Moore resisted Mexican dragoons sent to retrieve the town cannon. |
| Harris | Fields, James 6/26/1920 - 6/17/1970 Houston National Cemetery |
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Caddo, Texas, he served as a First Lieutenant in the 10th Armored Infantry, 4th Armored Division, US Army. |
| Harris | Hughes, Howard 12/24/1905 - 4/5/1976 Glenwood Cemetery |
Academy Award-winning producer and director, aviator and businessman. Howard Hughes was born in Houston on December 24, 1905 to wealthy parents. |
| Haskell | Kimbrough, John Alec 'The Haskell Hurricane' 6/14/1918 - 5/8/2006 Willow Cemetery |
College Football Player. He was a star fullback for the 1939 Texas A&M national championship team. |
| Jefferson | Ritter, Tex (Woodward Maurice) 1/12/1905 - 1/2/1974 Oak Bluff Memorial Park |
Country Music Singer, Actor. A major star in the 1930s and 1940s as western cowboy for PRC and Monogram, he was also the father of actor |
| Kinney | Paine, Adam 1/16/1905 - 2/19/1905 Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery |
Indian Wars Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Born to a black Seminole family in Alachua, Florida, he served as a Indian Scout Private in the 4th US Cavalry. |
| Lubbock | Holly (Holley), Buddy (Charles Hardin) 9/7/1936 - 2/3/1959 City of Lubbock Cemetery |
Musician. Born in Lubbock, Texas, by junior high school he had turned his attention to the guitar, and formed a western duo with his friend Bob Montgomery. |
| Nueces | Quintanilla-Perez, Selena 4/16/1971 - 3/31/1995 Seaside Memorial Park |
Tejano Singer. A Hispanic singing idol, she was murdered at age 23 at the Days Inn, Room 158, in Corpus Christi, Texas. |
| Panola | Reeves, Jim 8/20/1923 - 7/31/1964 Jim Reeves Memorial Park |
Nicknamed "Gentleman Jim," he was one of the great voices in music. His aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player ended due to an ankle injury so he turned to singing and working as a disc jockey for KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana, the home of the Louisiana Hayride. |
| Parker | Martin, Mary 12/1/1913 - 11/3/1990 City Greenwood Cemetery |
Actress. Born in Weatherford, Texas, she began taking voice lessons at age twelve. |
| Tarrant | Hagerman, Amber Rene 11/25/1986 - 1/17/1996 Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery |
Murder Victim. She was riding her bike in the parking lot of a grocery store near her home with her little brother, and he was the only witness to her kidnapping. |
| Tom Green | Mahoney, Gregory 1/15/1865 - Fort Concho National Historic Landmark |
Indian Campaigns Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Private in the United States Army in Company E, 4th US Cavalry. |
| Tom Green | McCabe, William 1/21/1905 - Fort Concho National Historic Landmark |
Indian Campaign Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Private in the United States Army in Company E, 4th US Cavalry. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on September 26-28, 1874 at Red River, Texas. |
| Travis | Austin, Stephen Fuller 11/3/1793 - 12/27/1836 Texas State Cemetery |
Father of Texas. When he was seven years old the family moved from his father's lead mines in Virginia to southeastern Missouri. |
| Travis | Michener, James A. 2/3/1907 - 10/16/1997 Austin Memorial Park Cemetery |
Author. He was a prolific writer who gained a readership and fortune in the missions. |
| Travis | Vaughan, Stevie Ray 10/3/1954 - 8/27/1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial |
Rock/Blues Musician. Born in Dallas, Texas, he was part of a musical family. |
| Walker | Houston, Sam 3/2/1793 - 7/26/1863 Oakwood Cemetery |
Texas Republic Army General, Texas Republic President, Tennessee Governor, Texas Governor. He is best remembered as the General who defeated the Mexicans to win Texas independence. |
Texas Cemeteries
| Cemetery Name | Cemetery City |
|---|---|
| Texas State Cemetery | Austin |
| Jim Reeves Memorial Site | Carthage |
| Seaside Memorial Park | Corpus Christi |
| Laurel Land Memorial Park | Dallas |
| Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery | Dallas |
| Mount Olivet Cemetery | Fort Worth |
| Der Stadt Friedhof - Pioneer cemetery | Fredericksburg |
| Glenwood Cemetery | Houston |
| Olivewood Cemetery | Houston |
| Whittaker Memorial Cemetery | Kildare |
| Baby Head Cemetery | Llano |
| Meadowlawn Memorial Park | San Antonio |
| Oakwood Cemetery | Waco |
Texas Cemeteries & Graveyards Links
- Find a Grave - Texas Cemeteries
- The Texas Political Graveyard
- Terminology & Meanings of Tombstone Symbols
- Texas Cemetery Books
Suggested Reading
- Texas Graveyards: A Cultural Legacy (Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 1984) for a scholarly look at the state’s burying practices over time.
- The Digger’s Index - Is a three-volume set of cemetery records and is an alphabetical listing of old, abandoned, vandalized or still in use cemeteries.
- Funeral List. 2 vols. Texarkana: Texarkana USA Genealogical Society, 1995–56. Contains 2,047 burials in the Texarkana area with names listed in alphabetical order.
- Cemeteries of East Texas. Weatherford, Tex.: Parker County Genealogical Society, 1999.
- A Reference to Texas Cemetery Records (Humble, Tex.: the author, 1988), arranged by county
- Texas Cemetery Inscriptions: A Source Index (San Antonio, Tex.: Limited Editions, 1977).
