St. Martin's Cemetery

A wagon train of German Catholic settlers from Teutopolis, Illinois arrived in this area on November 11, 1874, the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. That year, they built and dedicated a log cabin church to St. Martin. The John Deiterman family donated five acres for the church and two for a cemetery. Other German, Czech and Moravian families soon joined the farming community. In 1887, county surveyors discovered an error in the cemetery's location. It was actually sited on Anton Halbrook's property. He sold 10 acres across the road, and the graves were moved to the new site. Although several unmarked graves exist, the cemetery's first marked grave is that of Clement Uptmore (1831-1876). Represented at the cemetery are generations of the Deiterman, Jupe, Pfeiler, Seith and Willenborg families. Among the numerous decorative gravestones are metal crosses and granite and marble markers. A large crucifix marks the graves of two parish priests. An association maintains the burial ground, a significant reminder of the German and Czech history of Tours. Members hold a memorial service each November celebrating All Souls' Day. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004

St. Martin's Cemetery is a historical marker in West, McLennan County, dedicated in 2004. It is one of 198 historical markers documented in McLennan County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 224 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.7565, -97.0451 near West. The nearest cataloged historic site is Tours Community (historical marker), about 0.5 miles away. Others within a short drive include Janes, W.H., Home, Groppe Barn, and Saint Paul's Church of Gerald.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5309013283. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.