ANDERSON COUNTY - HISTORY - St. Joseph’s Cemetery

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Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald – scottfitzgerald@tyler.net
East Texas Genealogical Society, President
29 December 2004

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Originally published in The Tracings, Volume 2, No. 1, Winter 1983 by the
Anderson County Genealogical Society, copyright assigned to the East Texas
Genealogical Society.

The parish properties which include Sacred Heart Church the Rectory and the
old St. Mary’s School are a significant historic unit but not complete until
we have included the cemetery where the Catholic faithful departed received
their Christian burial.

While he was pastor of the parish, Father Chaland bought four acres of land
in 1884 to be used as a cemetery. It was purchased from the City of
Palestine and was located on the outskirts in the northeast section of town.
Today it is accessible over Newman Street.

As was customary at the time, it was called St. Joseph’s after the parish
church. When the name of the church was changed in 1892, the name was
retained and it is still called St. Joseph’s.

As years passed more space was needed and two acres were added in 1890.
Again in 1928, one additional acre was acquired bringing the total area to
seven acres.

A fund was established some years ago to provide for the perpetual upkeep
and maintenance of these burial grounds.

In former years on All Souls Day, a time set aside by the church to honor
the dead, the parishioners walked through the cemetery repeating the prayers
of the rosary. However with the changing times, an outdoor Mass is
celebrated under the Elm trees in commemoration of those who lay buried
within these well tended grounds.

A survey of the names on the markers provide a list of the prominent, the
well known, the humble and all those who labored unceasingly to build the
memorials, monuments, legends and historic fact contained in the preceding
reports.

May they rest in Peace!

Submitted by Lorretta C. Torma