Bismark Cemetery ? (Kunkel- Grelle Grave s)

Was there really a Bismark Community? Is this the Bismark Cemetery? It is quite possible by the facts that are known. There are three known graves on the Gottlieb George Niemann property, the South East corner of the Pasture. These graves are just across the county road from the Priddy Cemetery. Speaking with several people I have learned that there is at least one other grave here, a school teacher. One of the older persons living remembers her mother telling her about the school teacher when they visited the grandmother's grave there. Could there be others buried there? The Texas Department of Transportation map * shows "Bismark Cemetery" to be located a short distance and across the road from the Priddy Cemetery  (Highway 16 South and County Road 134)

In the book, "No Man's Land Becomes A County" by Flora Gatlin Bowles, Editor and copyrighted and reprinted by the Mills County Historical Commission The books speaks about the history of Mills County and about the town of Priddy, the book itself goes into detail about the Priddy Family who settled in the area in 1886 and the town was later named after because Mr. Priddy was the postmaster at the time. The Priddy's actually moved here a few years after the German's had already lived here and built homes and a school house. This school house also held the church services and common in that time period, a burial ground was often built near the school/church buildings. If this is the case in Priddy, then the cemetery was probably on the Niemann land where the Kunkel Twins are buried. It doesn't mention the facts that the Germans had called the community "Bismark" . Roses were planted around the property of the old school house/church and you can still see the roses blooming now even though the buildings are long gone and only vague memories remain.

Use your "Back" Button to return to this page Click here to see close up of a Rose Another close up of a Rose another close up view of Roses

In the Zion Lutheran Church Centennial Book   1889-1989 in the History of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Priddy, Texas, it stated that the German's were early settlers who came to this community in the late 1870's and early 1880's It doesn't mention any other church or who served as Pastor for that period of time (late 1870 -1889) until the Zion Lutheran Church was formed. But you know that they must of held services. The History does mention the "Bismark School".

Photos of the only three headstones found

	Close up view

Peter and Paul Kunkel, were twins born to Peter Julius Kunkel and Karoline Marie Niemann, on June 29, 1884. This was just after the family had moved to this area. They were normal and healthy babies, but they died at 12 and 13 months of age of Dysentery. They were buried on their Grandpa Niemann's land which is located two miles south of Priddy, TX.

Currently this land belongs to William Newt Ivy, the husband of Hattie Louise Niemann who died Jan 1993. They are located in the South East corner of the pasture, just off Hi-way 16. They are buried under a tree and the graves are behind a Iron fence.

A short distance east of the Kunkel Twins within a fence area is the grave of Margaretha Rossel Grelle.
Click here for more information  below
Written on the stone was "Arrived in the US from Germany 1881"



Margaretha Rossel Grelle 1826 June 7, 1891 SS Arrived in the US from Germany 1881 .

NOTES: Her husband, Hans Heinrich Carl Grelle died June 30, 1881 and is buried in Smithville, TX. Most of this information came from a Great grandson, Ryan Grelle who told me that "Hans Hienrich Carl Grelle (being a telephone conversation, the spelling of Carl could be Karl) was married to Kathy Margaretha Rossel and they immigrated to America via New York, then Chicago, ILL and then to the Bastrop area. Hans Hienrich Carl Grelle died in Smithville, TX on June 30, 1881

Ryan told me there were at lest three children that migrated with the parents, Wilhelm (William), Carl born about 1852 and Emma Marie. Emma Marie died about two years after coming to America, so she could be buried near Chicago.

Carl Grelle married a Marie Servin and settled in the Bastrop area. Wilhelm Grelle must of brought his widowed mother with him to Mills County as she is buried on the Niemann farm. According to the Zion Lutheran Church marriages, Wilhelm Grelle and Anna Maas were married in the church in 1901

There is a display in the Goldthwaite Historical Musuem with the photo of the wedding, part of the Wedding dress - Click here to see a Photoshop combined photo's of this display. The museum is located in Goldthwaite, TX.

I checked the records at the Mills County Courthouse and found that he was known by William Grelle also known as Wm Grelle, Willliam Jacob Grelle, Henry William Grelle according to the birth records of his and his wife, Anna Bertha Lousie Maas children

"Transcribed by Sharon Ivy Aug 15, 1997
   Book “Records of Declarations” page 3
   
The State of Texas }                          District Court
County of Mills         }

PERSONALLY APPEARED   Wilhelm Grelle                           ,           
who declares upon oath that he is the natural born subject of     Germany ,          
that he was born in  Provience Holsterse ____: that he is 36 years of age;
that he emigrated to the United States of America and arrived at the
port of  New Orleans    , in the state of  Louisiana    on or about the
  _ Day  of  ,  A.D. 18  73; that it is his  bona fide intention to become
a Citizen of the United States, and renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity
 to any foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly
  any and all allegiance to the  German Government    , and that he will bear true
  allegiance to the United States, and support the Constitution of the same. 
                   		(signed by his own hand)         Wilhelm Grelle   ,      ____           
	Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 30 day of  March   18 92