Historic Cemetery

Bethel Cemetery #3

Decatur, Texas 76234
Location: Boonesville, 12 miles S to SW of Bridegeport. Bethel Cemetery is located about half a mile to the east of Gilley Cemetery. Like Gilley it is on the north side of CR 3655 about 100 yards from the road, but dense woods keep you from seeing it from the road. Turn in on the dirt road and you will see the double gate to the cemetery on the left.

Source: Parsons, Kim, Ref. to Texas Cemeteries, 1988; Wise County Historical Commission; Gregg, Rosalie, History of Wise County: A Link With the Past, 1987; Tombstone Transcription Project; Rootsweb-Wise County Cemeteries North Texas

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