This pioneer graveyard is an important reminder of the German heritage of Austin county. Following two of their sons to America, Dr. Ernst Witte (b. 1791), a native of Blomberg, Germany, and his wife Lizette (Linnemann) bought 1422 acres here in 1856. Near this site, the Wittes built a home which Witte heirs later donated to the Texas German Society. Dr. Witte died in 1869 and was buried here; Lizette died in 1883. The following year, the Wittes' heirs sold the land to Ernst and Lizette's granddaughter Emilie Sophia and her husband John Scmid. More than twenty family members are buried here. The cemetery features upright marble and granite gravestones, with some inscriptions written in German.
Witte-Schmid Cemetery
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Witte-Schmid Cemetery is a historical marker in Shelby, Austin County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 83 historical markers documented in Austin County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 273 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 30.0001, -96.5585 near Shelby. The nearest cataloged historic site is Witte-Schmid House (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Kohler, Karmichael, and Fissler.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014744. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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