Saint Mary's Cemetery

Early Catholic settlers in northern McLennan County worshipped at St. Martin's Church in Tours, five miles southeast of present West. After more immigrant Catholic families of Czech, Moravian, Slovak, and German origin moved to the area in the late 19th century, a new parish was established in west. St. Mary's Church of the Assumption was built in 1892, and in 1893 Joseph and Maria Hromadka sold land at this site to the Catholic Diocese for development as a cemetery are those of Vaclav Masek (1838-1892) and Mary Cocek (1875-1893) Among the more than 2,700 persons buried here are pioneer settlers, immigrants, military veterans, members of several generations of some families, and priests who have served St. Mary's parish. The Rev. Monsignor Joseph Pelnar (1865-1940), who led the Parish for forty years, is buried beneath the large stone cross in the western section of the graveyard. Many of the graves are marked with distinctive marble tombstones or metal ornamentation; a large number of inscriptions and epitaphs are in the Czech language. The cemetery serves as a visible image of the area's rich cultural history.

Saint Mary's Cemetery is a historical marker in West, McLennan County, dedicated in 1994. 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 31.7082, -97.0075 near West. The nearest cataloged historic site is Olive Branch Cemetery (cemetery), about 1.5 miles away. Others within a short drive include Saint Paul's Church of Gerald, Janes, W.H., Home, and St. Martin's Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5309004469. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.