Tuleta Cemetery
History
The Tuleta Cemetery was established September 22, 1908, with five acres purchased from William RAPP for $125.00. This fee was paid by S. B. OVERHOLT, C. C. SCHROCK and D. N. HAMILTON, trustees of the Tuleta Mennonite Church.Tuleta was founded by a colony of Mennonites from Illinois in 1906, but it wasn't until 1908 that the need for a cemetery arose. The cemetery is for use of the people of Tuleta and their relatives, forever, and is recorded in Volume L-2, Page 392, Deed Records of Bee County, Texas. Dan TROY was clerk and M. L. DUGAT the deputy clerk in 1908.
The wife of the founder of Tuleta, Milinda UNZICKER, is buried in the cemetery. Milinda was the first white child born in what is now the state of Illinois. Her playmates were the Indian children, and one of their favorite games was to stand on two horses and race, chariot style. Milinda was very good at this but fell once, striking her head, and from that time she suffered severe headaches, moments of blackouts and memory loss until her death. Her head injury was never treated. She married the Rev. Peter UNZICKER and moved with him to Tuleta in 1905. They raised their family here.
The cemetery is located on the west side of US Highway 181 within a section of land belonging to the DIRKS-RAPP estate, and is laid out with four-foot aisles between each row of 10 by 10 lots. It has a section set aside for infants and small children. During the great flu epidemic in 1916-17 many succumbed, and also during the typhoid fever in 1911.
A map of the cemetery was drawn by David SAMSEL, a draftsman for Brown and Root of Houston. David, better known as "Sam", was later killed in Houston, and was buried in the southeast corner of the cemetery. The resting place he had chosen when he drew the map. The view across the meadows with the breeze blowing the grass like waves upon the sea and the birds singing in the trees, brought peace, quiet and tranquility to one's soul.
The cemetery was completely renovated in 1976. People in the community formed the Tuleta Improvement Program, and then the Tuleta Cemetery Association was formed. The brush, trees and grounds were cleared; new fences were built, broken tombstones mended; and the stones that had fallen over were cemented into place. Past officers of the Cemetery Association were: Grady CHANDLER, chairman, and Clinton BAGWELL, secretary-treasurer. Some of the members-at-large were: Bill DIRKS, Mrs. Juan CARRIZALES, Mrs. Maria Adagoberto PEREZ, Felipe PEREZ, Mr. and Mrs. Willie MARTINEZ, Sr., Willa and Chris CHANDLER, Roxanne DIAZ, Connie DENTON, Rev. Leo OLIVER, Mrs. Rosalie SEMAR and Mr. and Mrs. Bill THIEDE.
Information furnished by a descendant of Peter UNZICKER.
East Section
ADAMS, Gerald A., Feb. 22, 1958 - Feb. 25, 1980ADAMS, Charles, 1900 - 1986
BECKNER, Carrie, wife of Charles E. BECKNER, Feb. 17, 1867 - Sep. 10, 1911
BONTRAGER, J. S., Mar. 6, 1908 - Sep. 1908 (sic), aged 27 yrs
CONWAY, James, 1845 - 1917 (served in Civil War)
FIELD, Edward H., Nov. 5, 1876 - Aug. 16, 1909
HOWELL, Lee Ann Adams (no dates)
JONES, J. Frank, 1916 - 1978 (US Army)
MILLER, Inf. dau. of James & Emma MILLER, born & died 9 Jan 1907
PUNDT, Ernest W. May 1, 1912 - Aug. 12, 1984 (double marker)
PUNDT, Julie H., Aug. 7, 1911 - Jul. 20, 1975
REEDY, Ezra, son of Susan & P. B. REEDY, died Nov. 7, 1908 (6 yrs, 6 mo's, 8 days)
ROECK, Bobby Joe, Nov. 19, 1930 - Aug. 28, 1982 (PFC, US Army, Korea)
ROTH, Ezra, Jan. 6, 1917 - Apr. 8, 1917
SAMSEL David H. "Sam", Jul. 5, 1952 - May 7, 1979
SCHROCK, Inf. dau. of Mr. & Mrs. J. F. SCHROCK (no dates)
SCHROCK, P. H. (Father), Nov. 28, 1844 - Nov. 19, 1916 (71 yrs, 11 mo's, 21 days)
SEMAR, Lloyd B., Aug. 31, 1922 - Mar. 20, 1981 (US Army)
SEMAR, Rosalie J., May 19, 1925 -
SHEERE, Pheona May, dau. of J. A. & M. A. SHEERE, Dec. 2, 1891 - Jun. 6, 1910
SWARTZENJUBER, Inf. son of J. M. & B. SWARTZENJUBER, born & died Feb. 11, 1911
SWARTZENJUBER, Abraham J. (Father), Jun. 2, 1860 - Aug. 16, 1909
TROYER, Sevella Hochstetler, wife of Levi D. TROYER, b. Holmes Co. OH, 17 Dec. 1845, d. 29 Sep 1916
UNZICKER, John Emerson, born & died 1911
UNZICKER, Baby Luzelle, dau. of Melvin & Lena UNZICKER, Apr. 2, 1908 - Jan. 13, 1909
UNZICKER, Milinda (Mother), Apr. 9, 1859 - Mar. 22, 1909
UNZICKER, Milinda Grace (Baby), died 1911 (children of John UNZICKER, typhoid fever)
There are many graves in this section of the cemetery which are unmarked. The temporary metal markers used by the funeral homes rusted away and were lost over the years.
West Section
BENITEZ, Mr. Jesus, 1902 - 1985CARRISALES, Deonico, Apr. 8, 1907 - Jul. 6, 1948
CARRISALES, Juan, Dec. 28, 1891 - Nov. 8, 1927
CARRISALES, Nicolas, Dec. 6, 1896 - Aug. 1, 1929 (by wife Elisa C. ESPINOSA
CARRIZALES, Carlos, Nov. 4, 1872 - Dec. 14, 1919
CARRIZALES, Aurelia V., 1899 - 1932
CARRIZALES, D. Juan, 1849 - 1918
CARRIZALES, Juan, 1895 - 1978
CARRIZALES, Francisca Hernandes, Oct. 4, 1864 - 24 Dec 1924
CARRIZALES, Dianicio, Oct. 20, 1948 - May 6, 1970 (Sp4, 11 Armd Cav, Vietnam, PH)
CARRIZALES, Eugenia Garcia De, 1875 - Feb. 9, 1919
CASAVEZ, Maria Rita L., Mar. 19, 1893 - Aug. 27, 1925
CASTILLO, Dora V., Dec. 3, 1902 - Mar. 10, 1984
CUEVAS, Jason Greg, Oct. 9, 1975 (only date given)
DeHERNANDEZ, Manuelito Trevino, Aug. 28, 1916 - Sep. 17, 1918
DeHERNANDEZ, ("Sus Padres" A. TREVINO & M. EVIVIA)
DeLaROSA, Dolores (no dates given)
DeLaROSA, Elida, Mar. 18, 1934 - Jan. 20, 1940
DELGADO, Domitiln P., Mar. 15, 1908 - Dec. 14, 1946
DURAN, Natalia P., Dec. 1, 1914 -
DURAN, Adan P., Aug. 29, 1907 - Aug. 20, 1982 (double marker)
ESPINOZA, Juanita Z., Feb. 2, 1906- Aug. 8, 1959
ESTRADA, Maria, 1943 - 1979
GONZALES, Cayetano, Dec. 15, 1898 - Sep. 20, 1918
GUTIERREZ, Domingo, Nov. 16,1919 - Nov. 6, 1966 (SGT, Btry B, 7 AAA, TEX, WWII)
GUTIERREZ, Eugenio, Sr., Nov. 14, 1921 - Jan. 6, 1969 (SSGT, Co. H 32 ma., TEX, WW II, PH)
GUTIERREZ, Circumsicion N., Jan. 1, 1894 - Jul. 27, 1968
GUTIERREZ, Don Eugenio, 1854 - 1911
GUTIERREZ, Roberto V., Mar. 27, 1891 - Oct. 29, 1960
GUTIERREZ, Joseph, 1962 (only date given)
HERNANDEZ, Vicenta, Dec. 16, 1888 - Jan. 19, 1938
HERNANDEZ, Mrs. Barbarita C., 1854 -1966
HERNANDEZ, Gerardo G., Oct. 4, 1939 - Jan. 9, 1965
HERNANDEZ, Juanita C., Feb. 7, 1901 - Aug. 21, 1974 C. C., Aug. 10, 1898 (only date given)
HERNANDEZ, Cayetano C. "Tano" (Son), 1930 - 1980
MARTINEZ, VELA Magdalena P., Jul. 22, 1860 - Feb. 18, 1933
MARTINEZ, Francisco, Apr. 2, 1882 - Oct. 3, 1966
MARTINEZ, Eulogia C., Mar. 11, 1900 - May 26, 1973
MARTINEZ, Sylvestor C., Oct. 2, 1950 - Jun. 15, 1971 (Sp4, Co. D, Vietnam, PH)
MARTINEZ, Mrs. T. Z., 1875 - 1959
PEREZ, Maria B., 1915 ?
PEREZ, Portirio, Oct. 24, 1876 - Aug. 22, 1940
PEREZ, Rita Zuniga, May 22, 1876 - Nov. 1914
PEREZ, Felipe (no dates given)
PEREZ, Adagoberto Z., 1910 - 1981 (double marker)
PEREZ, Antonio, Jan. 6, 1884 - Jan. 20, 1958
PEREZ, Maria C., Jun. 17, 1908 - Sep. 16, 1975
RICO, Concepcion G., Jul. 4, 1902 - Jun. 10, 1950
RICO, Martins, Nov. 10, 1902 - Jul. 24, 1952
RICO, Eulalia, Dec. 14, 1933 - Nov. 27, 1943
RODRIGUEZ, Rocaslon, May 9, 1919 - May 30, 1933
SALAZAR, Emiterio, Mar. 3, 1881 Aug. 5, 1932
ZAPATA, (no other information)