Historic Texas Cemetery
From the files of the Fayette Heritage Archives and Museum:
The St. Martin Church and Cemetery were established in 1888 and 1889 as a mission of St. John the Baptist Church in Fayetteville. In 1886, a relatively large number of Catholic families were living in and near Warrenton, nine miles west of Fayetteville. The Fayetteville priest organized a congregation and visited on a regular basis saying Mass in private homes until 1888. On March 15, 1888 Frederick & Helen Spies sold one acre of land to the Catholic Bishop for the church and cemetery site. Within the year a large building was erected and the congregation named for Saint Martin.
It flourished for 27 years but by 1915 most of the Catholics had died or moved away. They needed a new school building in Fayetteville and the Catholic Bishop gave them permission to demolish St. Martin's Church and use the lumber to build the school at Fayetteville. There was enough lumber left over to build the small chapel at the original site of St. Martin's Church. The building is 14 foot 3 inches x 18 foot 1 inch and is known as the "Smallest Active Catholic Church in the World." It contains some of the original fixtures including the altar and tabernacle and statues from the original church. It has 12 benches that can hold about 20 people. Mass is held here once a year on All Souls Day. The church and cemetery are open to visitors who leave donations for its care and upkeep.
The church is located on Highway 237 at Warrenton. Kathy Carter, Helen Muras, and Annette Ruckert surveyed this site on May 14, 1990. In October 1997, Norman Krischke resurveyed the site and added names to the list that were taken from the Book of Burials provided by Rev. Ben Mazurkiewicz of the Fayetteville Church. See Krischke's booklet,"St. Martin Church," c10-15-1997 for additional information. [Joe Cole #057E]
For decades an original painting of St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of soldiers, hung in the tiny chapel. In recent years it was discovered to be the work of Ignac Berger, a master of church art. The painting was restored and can be seen at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fayetteville, along with other paintings by Berger. A digital reproduction of the painting now hangs in St. Martin Church. The cemetery was inventoried July 29, 2001 by Charlie Ward and Hazel Graham. Inscriptions were copied as closely as possible to the lettering on the tombstones. Connie and Stacy Sneed contributed significant additional data to this inventory on October 29, 2007, after quite a few more markers had been placed in the cemetery. Photos by Stacy Sneed.
NAME
BIRTH DATE
DEATH DATE
INSCRIPTION, NOTES
Blaha, Jan Same headstone as Marie Blaha Blaha, Marie Cervenka, Anton Crowley, Laura Holec
May 31, 1909
Jul 24, 2007
W/o Pete Crowley, married Oct 25, 1949. Same headstone
Crowley, Pete
Jun 25, 1910
July 11, 2002
H/o Laura Holec Crowley, married Oct 25, 1949. Same headstone
Ebner, Teres
1830
Jan 24, 1900
Geb 1830, Ges 24 Jan 1900
Foyt, Frank "Loving Memory" Fojt, Katrina
25 List 1866
10 List 1951
"Matko"; same headstone as Martin Fojt
Fojt, Martin
25 Dec 1860
1 Dec 1944
"Otec"; 25. Pros. 1860 1. Pros. 1944; same headstone as Katrina Fojt
Holec, Anna
Oct. 2, 1873
March 6, 1955
Same headstone as Frank Holec
Holec, Frances Amy Vaclavik
Jun 24, 1913
Aug 4, 1998
Holec, Frank
Feb 15, 1874
March 21, 1947
Same headstone as Anna Holec
Holec, Louis Edwin TEXAS M SGT14 TRP CARR SQ AAF WW I and WWII Holec, Louise
1900
1966
Kocurek, Martin
1838
1895
Mar died 1838 - 27 Deubna Roku 1895
Kopecky, Julia Nar. 19 Brez. 1904, Zem. 12, Zari. 1909
Kovar, Frances
1851
1934
Kovar, Infant son Infant son of Josef & Anna Kovar Kovar, Martin
Srp 15, 1843
Cer 27, 1909
Nar 15 Srp 1843, Zem 27 Cervcci(?) 1909
Kubecka, Ludmilla Michalik, Anna
1870
1899
"Matka"; "Zde ochpociuo Upanu zesmila."; "Rozena 1870, Zem Rela 1899"
Ryza, Jan 10 Cervence 1847 28 Medna 1899 Supak, Leona Teichmann, Francis
Sep 25, 1878
Feb 18, 1936
Same stone as Julius Teichmann
Teichmann, Julius
Dec 20, 1875
Feb 13, 1961
Same stone as Francis Teichmann
Trlicek, Anna Trlicek, Annie
None
None
Daughter. Same headstone as John Trlicek
Trlicek, Julia M.
Aug 2, 1888
1938
Same headstone as Steve Trlicek
Trlicek, Steve A.
Dec. 26, 1854
Feb 2, 1938
Same headstone as Julia Trlicek
Trlick, John
None
None
Father. Same headstone as Annie Trlicek
Vaclavik, John J.
Aug. 7, 1877
Feb 1, 1951
Same headstone as Mary Vaclavik
Vaclavik, Mary
Mar 30, 1876
Jul 8, 1951
Same headstone as John Vaclavik
Wagner, Antonie
Aug 26, 1913
Sep 28, 1994
Wagner, Frank O.
Sep 16, 1882
Nov 4, 1954
Same stone as Hattie Wagner
Wagner, Franz
1844
Apr 21, 1902
Hier ruht in Frieden. Geb im Jahre 1844, Gesst 21. Apr 1902. "Guter mann, hier meine thrdnen. Sind die blumen auf dein grab."
Wagner, Hattie
Oct 1, 1881
Mar 5, 1961
Same stone as Frank O. Wagner
Wagner, Joseph
Nov 30, 1834
Sep 1, 1904
Geb 30 Nov. 1834, Gest 1 Sept. 1904
Wagner, Leo
Jan 20, 1805
Aug 29, 1893
Geb 20 Jan 1805, Gest 29 Aug. 1893. Ruhe sanft
Wagner, Leo Wagner, Rosalia Kruger
Sep 1837
Mar 31, 1914
"R.W." H(atitle) _ Kruger. Geb Sep 1837, Gest 31 Marz 1914
Zapalac, Mary
Apr 29, 1889
Jan 12, 1983
Same headstone as Raymond Zapalac
Zapalac, R. (infant) Zapalac, Raymond
Aug 31, 1888
Sep 11, 1947
Same headstone as Mary Zapalac
Zetka, Anton
Dec 13, 1882
Apr 4, 1971
Syn
Zetka, Eva
Aug 6, 1839
Jan 27, 1892
Matka
Zetka, Jan
Oct 3, 1826
Nov 4, 1904
Ptec
In addition to the names listed above, the marker at left bears the names Francis Holec, Frank Holec, Jr., John Holec, (Nephew) Jimmie Lawrence and (Niece) Albina Holec.
