Cistern Public Cemetery Texas State Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony to be Held Nov. 11

The community is invited to the Dedication Ceremony of the Texas State Historical Marker at Cistern Public Cemetery. The ceremony will be held Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. at St. Cyril & Methodious Catholic Church, to be held in the St. John Parish Hall, located at 113 Manchester St. in Cistern. After a brief program, the Historical Marker will be unveiled at the cemetery.

The cemetery property was originally part of the J.T. Whitesides Texas Land Grant settled by Starks S. Cockrill. Starks and several of his children came from St. Louis County, Missouri about 1852 and settled in what was originally called “Whiteside Prairie”. The town name changed to Cockrill Hill after the Cockrill’s settled there and the name was changed to Milton to honor Stark’s Son. Currently the name is Cistern.

Starks Cockrill (born March 31, 1795 in Virginia) died May 5, 1862 in Cistern) was the first burial to take place on this land. Many Cistern residents utilized this plot to bury their family members. There were blacks buried on the south side and whites buried on the north side. The black cemetery, a separate entity, is legally known as the George J. Michaelas Cemetery Association.

The Cistern Cemetery Endowment Fund Committee of 1963 included: President- Max Marburger, Vice President-William B. Rietz, Harry Lueders-Secretary-Treasury, Alvin Gosch and Edmund Tiede. They initiated Articles of Association and Trust Indenture to form the Cistern Cemetery Association on Dec, 7, 1963. The purpose of the Association was to maintain the Cistern Public Cemetery in Cistern.

The 2023 Trustees of the Cistern Cemetery Association are Dale and Gayle Newkirk and Joe and Donna Cockrell.

Cistern Public Cemetery is located at the corner of St. Charles St. and Manchester St. in Cistern.