Historic Cemetery

Simmons-Oscar Cemetery

a.k.a. Little Elm

Little Elm Loop, Texas 76501
Location: South from Hwy 53 on FM 3117 1.6 miles to FJ Bedrich Home on west side of road at 8871 FM 3117. Cemetery is located .5 miles west of Bedrich home on south side of Little Elm Creek on edge of cattle pasture, due west of the Little Elm Creek Bridge on FM 3117.This site has the last remaining wooden grave shed in Bell County. The shed is in fair conditionThe site is maintained occasionally but the vinca has covered much of the site, hiding many of the stones. Many graves are unmarked and the stones have been covered by undergrowth and vines. Many branches have fallen, causing damage to the fence and stones.Access to this site has been a problem in the past, but the current owner of the property (F. J. Bedrich, Rt. 3 Box 104, Temple, TX 76501) gave access.

Source: RIP Fields Table

To address the problem of cemetery destruction and to record as many cemeteries as possible, the Texas Historical Commission offers the Historic Texas Cemetery designation.

The Historic Texas Cemetery designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence. Every county in Texas has at least one cemetery designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery through this program. The HTC designation is the first step toward preservation of a historic cemetery.

A cemetery is eligible for designation if it is at least 50 years old and is deemed worthy of recognition for its historical associations. The very nature of a cemetery being a landmark of a family’s or community’s presence is considered to validate the criteria of historical associations. Any individual, organization, or agency may submit a request for designation.

gravesites