Location: Cross Cemetery—aka Spring Free Will Baptist Church Cem. early 1900sRecorded GRIM12—Parsons. H&P, Grimes Co Hist.: Local hist. map, p. 65-66 “Cross community in NW, near Iola. First church at same place as cem., est. about 1900 as Spring Hill Free Will Baptist Ch., later used as a school-church.” p. 731: “Land for Cross Cem. donated by Silas Wilson during early 1900s, death of son in 1903. Wilsons lived on land bordering cem. to the east. Cem. enclosed in cyclone fence with main double entrance gate and 2 smaller gates on each side. Entrance gate metal with arch and scroll designs on both sides, Cross Cemetery. Well kept by caretaker appointed by Cross Cem. Assoc. Upkeep by association , annual homecoming, 2nd Sunday in July. Meeting includes memorial service, business, [speaking] noon feast and singing.” Tombstone/Rootsweb/TcxGenWeb: “Located 0.25 mile W of Hwy 39 on Grimes CR 102. Approx. 20 burials, earliest about 1906. Index. TxDoT map.” SEE Cemeteries of Grimes County, vols 1-5 John Maxwell, GCHC.THC site visit MB 4/15/04 Also related to Cross Free Will Church, about 0.2 miles N of cemetery. Large site on sandy CR 102 about 0.25 mile W of SH 39, near Cross, Tx. Just N of Iola, Tx. Formal, diversity over time. Vets, WoW. Some fieldstones. Topiary, marker shrubs, Pommegranit, Althea, Gardenia, also Irises, Vinca, Roses. Also Pines and Live Oaks, Oaks.. Benches, memorial cem. marker inside gate. Formal archway entrance. Approx 100 burials, some recent.Approx 2.09 acres. GPS 30.48.36.23847N –96.06.08708W Quad 3096-441Low endangerment: maintained, fenced, near residences, recent burials.
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.