Navidad Baptist Cemetery

Also known as the American, Tubbs or Lyons Cemetery

SCHULENBURG, FAYETTE COUNTY, TEXAS,
293829N 965314W


Note: The Navidad Baptist Cemetery received the Historic Texas Cemetery designation in December 2004. For historical information about the cemetery, call Milli Riley Williams at 512-755-3064; all other information, including available burial sites, meetings, membership, etc., call Sharon Kramer at 512-517-0493 (leave message) or email skramer5@austin.rr.com.
The next meeting of the Navidad Baptist Cemetery Association will be September 16, 2023 at 10 a.m. at the Schulenburg Library meeting room. Visitors and perspective members are always welcome. There is no fee for membership. The current association mailing address for donations is NBCA, 1007 Walker Rd, Oakland, TX 78951.

From the Historic Texas Cemeteries marker:

NAVIDAD BAPTIST CEMETERY
In 1853, Seth F. and Caroline M. Hazel deeded land to trustees of Navidad Baptist Church and Cemetery. This cemetery served the residents of the pioneer community of Lyons, whether or not they were members of the Navidad Baptist Church. The community was established by the 1840s on land originally granted in 1831 to Kesiah Crier. In the 1870s, however, most businesses and members of the community moved north toward the new railroad town of Schulenburg, and Lyons soon ceased to exist, although some residents continued to live in the area. The oldest known burial in the cemetery dates to 1853. Many of those interred here are early Texas pioneers, including relatives of the Old Three Hundred, the first families Stephen F. Austin settled in Texas. In addition, veterans of conflicts dating to the Texas Revolution are buried here. Today, though the community of Lyons is gone, the cemetery remains an important reminder of the early town. The burial ground chronicles the lives of area pioneers. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2004
The following was taken from Navidad Baptist Cemetery, Fayette County, Texas, copyrighted 1995, with the permission of the author, Norman C. Krischke.

Cemetery before restoration began

The cemetery before cleanup efforts began.
The Navidad Baptist Church and Cemetery originated November 5, 1853 when Seth Fields Hazel & wife Caroline sold, for ten dollars, a tract of "three or four acres off the east end of the Thomas Taylor League" to the Trustees of the Navidad Baptist Church.

About 1900, the burial ground was referred to as the "American Cemetery," because the people buried there had migrated to Texas from other states in the United States. Beginning about 1920, the cemetery was called "Tubbs Cemetery" because of the Tubbs family members buried there. The Fayette County and Geological Survey maps of 1965 labels it as "Lyons Cemetery". This name was probably applied because the burial ground served the village of Lyons, which was, located about 1 1/2 miles to the north-northwest.

The site is 2.8 miles SSE of Schulenburg, from the railroad tracks on Lyons Ave proceed south for 1.4 miles to the Effenberger, now "Holub's Drive In. Turn east on County Road 401/Vacek Loop, proceed 0.4 mile and then turn south for 0.2 mile, east 0.55 mile and south 1.1 mile to the cemetery on the west side of the road. The cemetery is adjacent to the road but difficult to recognize because of the trees, brush and grass in the area. [Note: This was still true ca 2001 when the photo at right was taken; however, recent restoration efforts have overcome this problem.] It is 0.1 mile north of the Black Corinth Church or Brown Chapel which is on the east side of the road.

Cemetery restoration work in February 2006.
Restoration photos contributed by Iris Rose Guertin.
At present (1995) the site is partially enclosed with a 4-strand barbed-wire fence. The original Church building was located due west of the entrance drive at the SW corner of the site. The second two-story building was about 100 feet north of the first and used as both a church and school. At the time the church building was located at the cemetery, the stage road from Oakland to Lyons passed by the cemetery on the east side and then, about a hundred yards north, turned west to connect with the road which is now Highwayy 77. After the church was discontinued, Henry Sommer brought the building, about 1900, and moved it intact to his property and used it as his home. In 1934 the building was completely dismantled and the lumber used to rebuild from the ground up. In the 1960's the house was sold to Buddy Kusey and moved to 712 Black Street in Schulenburg.

The present cemetery boundaries do not conform to the bounds set down in the deed record. It is theorized that the portion of the cemetery north of the original land purchase was not intended as a public or church cemetery but was set aside as a family burial ground by George & Keziah Taylor. It appears that all the people buried in this area were related to the Taylors.

Norman Krischke's booklet contains maps, obituaries, and additional family data and can be found at the Fayette Heritage Museum & Archives.


New veterans markers on Memorial Day, 2008
From the Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives:
Norman C. Krischke visited this cemetery in June 1965, October 1966, and April 1971. He first mapped and surveyed it in December 1969 and returned in the early months of 1995 to confirm previously recorded information. . . .

Kathy Carter and Helen Muras visited this site on 10-22-1987 and used Norman Krischke's survey & map done in 1965. The cemetery is about 5 acres in size with graves in no particular pattern and placed throughout the site. It [was] extremely overgrown. We found 3 new stones that were placed here after Mr. Krischke's initial survey. We did not find the ruins of a fenced grave that was 3 feet high by 12 feet long nor did we find the large gravestone of Elizabeth Kornegay that Mr. Krischke surveyed. Someone had been in the cemetery recently (1987) and cleaned the brush away from Huffor, Glass, & May graves.

There are only 23 graves with inscribed tombstones. Additional names and information in this report is taken from research done by Krischke. The complete Krischke report "Navidad Baptist Cemetery, Fayette County, Texas" (95.17.10) is available in the Fayette Heritage Archives. [Joe Cole #120W]

Since these notes were written, ten new markers for old graves have been erected in the cemetery.

View the Historic Navidad Baptist Cemetery website for more on the cemetery's history, markers, cemetery association, etc. However, please be aware that website is no longer being updated and does not contain current contact information. See current info at the top of this page.


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

B

Batson, Jewelle Ray, Died about 17 Nov. 1948, Daughter of Charles & Edna (Ray) Harrison. (No Headstone)

Briggs, Catherine Leavel, 9 Feb. 1867, 28 Jul. 1867, Daughter of Henry & Elizabeth (Frazer) Briggs (No Headstone)

Briggs, Elizabeth Frazer Clayton, 29 Oct. 1840, 21 Dec. 1933, Daughter of James & Catherine (Leavel) Frazer. Second wife of Henry Clayton, Second wife of Henry Briggs (See photo of grave marker right)

Briggs, Henry F., Died about 1875, (No Headstone)

Bruin, Cola, 11 Sep 1835, 26 Jan. 1860, from Fauquier Co., VA; husband of Sarah "Sallie" Rebecca Rose; He was reportedly shot to death over a cattle dispute.

C

Chandler, John B., 1848, 17 Sep. 1861, Son of Wm. A. & Susan (Simms) Chandler. Died of Typhoid fever. ( Sandstone Rocks)

Chandler, Susan E., 1848, 3 Oct. 1861, Wife of Wm. A. Chandler, Died of Typhoid fever. (Sandstone head)

Chandler, William A., 1820, 26 Jul. 1861, Husband of Susan Simms Chandler, Member of the Lyons lodge. (Sandstone head and foot stone)

Clayton, Charlotte, 4 Oct. 1824, 5 Aug. 1857, Daughter of Wm. & Keziah Cryer Hemphill. First wife of Henry R. Clayton ( Marble slab. See photo right.)

Clayton, Charlotte E., 26 Jul. 1857, 6 Aug. 1857, Daughter of Henry R. & Charlotte Hemphill Clayton (No Headstone)

Clayton, Eveline, 1849, 1850, Daughter of Henry R. & Charlotte Hemphill Clayton (No Headstone)

Clayton, Florence, Died 19 Oct. 1882, (Shares a stone with Levonia Clayton. Footstone: W.S. Clayton Girls)

Clayton, Henry Franklin, Born and died 1855, Son of Henry R. & Charlotte Hemphill Clayton. (No Headstone)

Clayton, Henry Rayford, 9 Mar. 1809, 1 Feb. 1863, Husband of Charlotte Hemphill, and Elizabeth T. Frazer (See headstone right)

Clayton, Levonia, Died 19 Oct. 1882, (Shares a stone with Florence Clayton. Footstone: W.S. Clayton Girls)

Clayton, W. H., 1844, 1858, Son of Henry R. & Charlotte Hemphill Clayton (No Headstone)

Crenshaw, O.B., Died about 15 Nov. 1863, (Name & date from Lyons Lodge Resolutions) (No Headstone)

F

Fitchette, W.H., 1827, Died about 4 Dec. 1862, Husband of Nancy Taylor, Nancy the daughter of George & Keziah Cryer Taylor

Fitzgerald, Christopher, Died about Sep. 1865, Son of Samuel & Nancy Fitzgerald. Married Mary Burke. Buried with Masonic Honors (New marker)

Foster, James J., Died about 1900, (No Headstone)

Frazer, Archie Leavel, 14 Nov. 1878, 26 Oct. 1879, Son of John Leavel & Fannie R. Park Leavel (No Headstone)

Frazer, Charles Kesler, 1 Feb. 1856, 31 Oct. 1867, Son of James & Martha Berrisford Frazer. (No Headstone)

Frazer, George Read, 4 Jun. 1853, 21 Nov. 1857, Son of James & Martha Berrisford Frazer. (No Headstone)

Frazer, James, 8 Nov. 1805, 24 Feb 1885, Husband of Catherine Turner Leavel Frazer. (No Headstone)

Frazer, Mary E., 10 Sep. 1832, 18 Apr. 1853, Daughter of James & Catherine Leavel Frazer. (Probably first grave in cemetery) (No Headstone)

Frazer, Milton, 18 Feb. 1830, Died about 1884, Son of James & Catherine Turner Leavel Frazer. (New veterans marker)

G

Glass, James, 29 Mar. 1791, 23 Jan 1866, Methodist Minister, Husband of Rebecca, nee Allison, Glass. Son of Vincent & Susanah Listin Glass. (Dual Stone)

Glass Rebecca E., 7 Nov. 1794, 23 Jan. 1866, Wife of James Glass (Shares Dual stone with husband)

Glass, Robert D., 15 Apr. 1830, 9 Feb. 1867, Son of James & Rebecca Allison Glass, Husband of Lucretia Kirby. (new Confederate plaque)

H

Harrison, Edna, Died 27 Dec. 1925, Nee Ray, wife of Charles Harrison (Funeral Home marker)

Hatchett, John L., Aged 3 yrs., 4 months, 2 days. Possible son of J.M. Hatchett (Footstone: JLH Marble)

***Hazel, Caroline, (Not buried in Navidad Baptist Cemetery, Nee Buckholts. Wife of Seth F. Hazel)

Hazel, Mary Jane, Died about Jun. 1857, Nee Simpson, wife of John N. Hazel. (No Headstone)

Hazel, Seth Fields, 1800, 3 Feb. 1867, Believed buried in rock walled plot, (See rock wall at right. A new marker has been erected.)

Hildebrand, William J., Died about 1860, (No Headstone)

Hildebrand, Narcissa, 30 Sep. 1861, Nee Whittenburgh (No Headstone)

Hines, Rhoda, Died about 1865, Nee Glass, wife of John H. Hines, sister to James Glass. (No Headstone)

Horton, James J., Died about 1898, One of the original trustees of the Christian Church. (No Headstone)

Huffor, Ida, 19 Dec. 1878, 30 Jan. 1879, Daughter of G.A. & M.E. Huffor (Footstone: IH Marble)

K

Kornegay, Elizabeth, 18 Jan. 1826, 29 Sep. 1880, Nee McGary, wife of David Smith Kornegay.

L

Lane, Mary "Polly", Died about 1859, Wife of William T. Lane (No Headstone)

Lane, William T., Died 6 Feb. 1864, Husband of Mary. Death date from Probate Record. (No Headstone)

Lobpreiss, Franz, Died about 3 Nov. 1891, Date of death from Probate Record.(No Headstone)

M

May, Mary Antoinette, 5 Jun. 1843, 14 Feb. 1865, Daughter of Joseph T. & Dicey Glass May.

McIntyre, Cecilia, Died about 1867, Wife of Richard D. McIntyre, Daughter of John J. & Cecilia McMillan. (No Headstone)

McIntyre, Richard Dickerson, Died about 1870, Husband of Cecilia McMillan. (New veterans headstone)

McKinnon, Murdock, Died about 1860, Name & date from Lyons Lodge Resolutions. (No Headstone)

McMillan, Cecilia, Died about 1888, Nee Hastings, wife of John J. McMillan. (No Headstone)

McMillan, George Sidney, 8 Aug. 1843, 24 Nov. 1872, Son of John J. & Cecilia McMillan, Sr., Husband of Rachel Catherine Smith. (New veterans marker)

McMillan, John Jr., Died about 1860, Information from Family History. (No Headstone)

McMillan, John J. Sr., Died about 1888, Husband of Cecilia Hastings. (No Headstone)

McMillan, William Sidney, 8 Jul 1869, 20 Apr 1870, Son of George S. McMillan. (No Headstone)

McMillan, Winston Hastings, Born 1833, Son of John & Cecilia Hastings McMillan. (New veterans marker)

Morrow, Isaac, Died about 25 Nov. 1862, Date from Lyons Lodge Resolutions, Sr. Warden Lodge 14, Worshipful Master of Lodge. (No Headstone)

N

Nabors, James, Died about 4 Nov. 1859, Name & date of death from Lyons Lodge Resolutions (No Headstone)

O

Overbay, Lamar, Died about 1880, Son of Henry P. & Penina E. Henderson Overbay. (No Headstone)

Overbay, Penina E., Died about 1870, Wife of Henry P. Overbay, Daughter of Col. T.J. Henderson. (No Headstone)

P

Pennington, Thomas D., Died 15 Nov. 1858, Name & date from Lyons Lodge Resolutions, Trustee of Navidad Baptist Church. (No Headstone)

Perkins, James R., Died about 5 Jun. 1862, Name & date from Lyons Lodge Resolutions, First Senior Deacon, Junior Warden, Senior Warden, Lyons Lodge. (No Headstone)

R

Ray, Frederick, Born 1816, Husband of Disar Glass Ray. (Sandstone Head and footstone)

Ray, J.G., 10 May 185?, 25 Jun. 1894, (Sandstone marker)

Ray, Lucinda, No dates, Nee Horton, wife of J.G. Ray. (Sandstone Head and footstone)

Ray, Nellie, Nov. 1885, 31 Jul. 19??, Probably daughter of J.G. & Lucinda Horton Ray.

Rimmer, John, 21 Jan. 1811, 22 Feb. 1875, Married 4 times. (Sandstone marker)

Rimmer, John William, 1854, 1872, Son of John & Parmelia Youngblood Rimmer. (Sandstone marker)

Rimmer, Ruffin Plez, 10 Nov. 1857, 27 Nov. 1890, Son of John & Parmelia Youngblood Rimmer. (Sandstone marker)

Rose, Benjamin Franklin, 28 Aug. 1809, 28 Nov. 1889, Physician (Obelisk marker, head and footstone with the letter R; also a new marker)

Rose, Elizabeth Ford, 2 Jan. 1819, 4 Feb. 1866, Nee Higgs, Second wife of Benjamin Franklin Rose. (Obelisk marker, head and footstone with the letter R)

Rose, Mary Anna Knight, third wife of Benjamin Franklin Rose is also believed to be buried here inside the brick perimeter of the Rose lot. However, there is no marker. Several others may possibly be buried in the Rose plot.

S

Searcy, O.L., Died about 1861, Second husband of Mrs. Mary Ann May, widow of John May. (No Headstone)

Secrest, Washington Hampton (New veterans marker)

Simpson, Amanda, 1834, 1871, Nee Hazel, Daughter of Seth & Caroline Hazel, wife of Jackson L. Lee, then Charles O. Simpson. (No Headstone)

T

Taylor, Annie, Born and died 1863, infant, Daughter of George & Keziah Cryer Taylor. (Small sandstone headstone)

Taylor, George, 1827, 4 Dec. 1862, Third husband of Keziah Cryer. (Sandstone headstone)

Taylor, William, Born and died 1861, infant, Son of George & Keziah Cryer Taylor. (Small sandstone headstone)

Tubbs, Elizabeth, 1851, 8 Nov. 1919, Daughter of John & Parmelia Youngblood Rimmer, wife of James T. Wilson, then William Tubbs. (Sandstone Headstone)

Tubbs, George, Born and died 1879, infant, Son of William & Elizabeth Rimmer Tubbs Jr. (Sandstone marker)

Tubbs, May Belle, 24 May 1880, 10 Oct 1900, Daughter of William & Elizabeth Rimmer Tubbs. (Sandstone marker)

Tubbs, Sam Lee, 8 Mar. 1876, 14 Dec. 1891, Son of William & Elizabeth Rimmer Tubbs. (Sandstone marker)

Tubbs, William Jr., 30 Mar. 1837, 25 Dec. 1911. (Concrete headstone. See photo right.)

V

Vester, T. Guy, Died about 1879, Son of David & Elizabeth Vester, husband of Rachel C. Smith Vester. Killed by cattle rustlers. (No Headstone)

W

Watson, Mary, 1 Jan. 1861, 22 Dec. 1888, Daughter of Henry R. & Elizabeth T. Frazer Clayton, wife of Samuel Marion Watson. (Granite Headstone)

Wilson, James T., Died about 1872, Husband of Elizabeth F. Rimmer (New veterans marker)


Photos and new information provided by Iris Rose Guertin.


Many thanks to Debbie Hanson for transcribing the data from Norman Krischke's book for this site.

View the Historic Navidad Baptist Cemetery website for more on the cemetery's history, markers, cemetery association, etc.