Location: Apolonia Cemetery—aka Pine Grove Baptist Church School Cem. Recorded: GRIM11, GRIM05, GRIM12: Parsons.. .THC Atlas (They Speak): “Known as Pine Grove for the Baptist church that was focus for community in the area, this burial ground was in use in 1860s. Tombstone of Mrs. Harriet Hobdy Kelley is dated 1869, but there may be earlier, unmarked graves. Land donors were (1886) J. L. and Eveline Mansfield. War veterans here: the Confederates Richard Butler, Henderson Green, and W. T. Wasson; also Wasson's son, Brosig T. Wasson, Grimes County's first fatality of World War I. When the church disbanded in 1929, the cemetery was renamed for area's defunct post office. At least one family has 3 generations here.” --Texas AtlasDirections: from Anderson take FM 2819 E approx. 6 miles to CR 215; then on CR 215 approx. .6 miles to cemetery.”NOTE: THC Atlas marker location for Apolonia & the Pine Grove Cem. location do not appear in same place?? AKA or same sites?H&P, Grimes Co Hist.: p. 59: “Pine Grove Baptist Church organized in early 1840s, frme church and school house built. Mansfield family deeded land for church and cem. 3 miles down the road.” p. 726: “Pine Grove Cem in 1869, cemetery later named for post office. Located 0.5 mile on FM 2819 on unpaved road. … Land doners [as THC Atlas] Cem. Assoc. formed in 1971, N. B. Fabian, caretaker (1980s). Apolonia Homecoming eld each year at Cem. on 1st Sunday in Oct. Picnic tables. Cem. never closed to anyone wanting to use it. Oral history with Mrs. Mattie Bennett and Mrs. Helen Sims, child dying remarked not wanting to be buried under pines. Doner of land, Edd Hobdy [sic] cleared & planted cedars. First soldier of WWI buried. Approx. 150 burials, earliest about 1880s. Index.” [E of Anderson off CR 214, S of road at CR 215] SEE Cemeteries of Grimes County, vols 1-5 John Maxwell, GCHC.THC site visit MB 4/21/04. Large formal cemetery off FM 2819 for 3 miles on CR 214. THC subject marker HTC. Site adjacent to but quite separate from Piney Woods Cem, historical AA site with no connecting gate. Many formal markers with diversity over time, Many huge Cedar marker trees, some Limestone fieldstones. Iron fence plots, obelisks, photo enamels. Some floral grave materials. Maintained privy at back. Adjacent to pastures and woodlands. Vets, cem assoc. CSA, homecoming every October. Approx 2 acres. GPS 30.29.10.60090N –95.57.42.09947W Quad 3095-233Low risk endangerment, fenced, maintained, still in use. On road, on map. Sign, cemetery assoc.Low endangerment: maintained, fenced, near residences, recent burials. SEE Notes.
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.