Historic Cemetery

Bend Cemetery

a.k.a. Old Bend; Bend Colored; Betsie Johnson

Mexia, Texas
Location: From Mexia, drive west on Hwy. 84. Turn left on County Road 199, then an immediate right onto County_ Road 475. Continue driving until you cross over the Comanche Crossing bridge. Continue forward until the road curves to the left & becomes County Road 379. Keep straight and turn right on LCR 377. Then go down and turn right on LCR 376. Stay looking to the left for an abandoned home. This is the old Farris Conner homestead. As you slowly~past the Farris Conner homestead, look to the right for a creek, then immediately for two (2) wooden posts situated between some bushes. This is the entrance/exit point of The Bend Cemetery.
Graves: 81 documented (1886-1960)

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