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In 1895, members of the German Bethel Baptist Church (now Bethel Heights Baptist Church) established this graveyard as the German Baptist Cemetery. A. T. Voss deeded two acres of land to the deacons of the church to be used as a cemetery. The property was located approximately one mile east of the former church site, and was located across the road from the Hemmeline School, which was named for a family living nearby. The small community, originally settled by german immigrants, is now known as the Plainview/Bethel Heights Community. The early organizational records of the cemetery were handwritten in German, and designated one acre to be divided into family plots of eight graves to be sold for one dollar, with the second acre to be used by the community. Minutes in 1915 show that cemetery officials decided that the cemetery would be open to persons of any nationality or skin color, with preference given to members of the church congregation and their families. Although no records exist showing an official name change, obituaries show that the cemetery came to be known as Hemmeline Cemetery during the early 1900s. American involvement in World Wars I and II may have contributed to the permanent name change. Many people and institutions dropped German references or German-sounding names at that time in order to avoid hostility. The church also changed its name from German Bethel Baptist Church to Bethel Heights Baptist Church in 1940. The German Bethel Baptist Church (Bethel Heights Baptist Church) continued to administer the cemetery until 1974, when a cemetery association organized. Historic Texas Cemetery – 2008 |
