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Ebenezer Cemetery

The below information was submitted by an anonymous patron.  If you are wanting more information contact the county coordinator.

Driving directions to cemetery:

From Giddings take Hwy77 North for 6.1 mi; turn left onto FM1624 for 4.1 mi; turn right onto CR326 for .2 mi. Cemetery on right on private property behind large barn.  Parts of scattered grave stones remain.  Church converted to residence.  Monument to left of gate at CR326 property fence with parts of moved original grave stones.

 

GPS: 

monument at county road: 30.272909, -97009730 &/or

original cemetery location behind barn: 30.273036, -97.009032

 

EBENEZER at San Antonio Prairie

            In 1871 there was a Wendish settlement three miles west of Lincoln.  Rev. J. A. Proft was then pastor of Fedor and served until 1875, when he resigned. He suffered from malaria; his wife and child died of this condition.

            Rev. Proft built himself a house near the spot where he had buried his wife and child. He then served the people living in that neighborhood, among whom were: Henry, John & August Schkade, John Kieschnick, August Birnbaum, Meissners (2), Lehmann, W. Werner, Exner, Proske, Johann Dube, Mattijetz, Schulz, Teinert, Wurm, Medack, Noack and others.

            In January, 1875, Rev. Proft baptized Ernst Winkler of Bell County. It was at the neighborhood known as San Antonio Prairie, with the baptism of a little Danish child, Jacob Windrop, by Pastor J.A. Hofius that Ebenezer was organized. The church was dedicated on April 2, 1876, as one of the ten oldest churches in the Texas District. Members were about half German and half Wendish.

            The original constitution. Article I says, " Unseren Gemeinde soll den Namen führen, Deutsch-Wendische Eben Ezer Gemeinde in Lee County,Texas." This being interpreted is: Our congregation shall carry the name German-Wendish Eben Ezer Church in Lee County, Texas. This gives this congregation the distinction of being the second only church with the word "Wendish" in its name, aside from St. Paul, Serbin, in the entire U.S.

            The church/school was built near Rev. Proft's house and a cemetery begun, which eventually had 87 graves. Rev. Proft served Ebenezer until 1877. Rev. J. Kaspar, who served until 1889, during a time of internal trouble in the congregation and great poverty. In 1886, a part of Ebenezer church branched off and organized a church near Lincoln. Late 1889 the old church property was sold and the congregation moved farther west in the direction of Paige/Manheim, where it still stands today.

            During these 13 years, 221 souls were baptized; 75 were confirmed, among them a Dane, Peter Tompsen; 60 were married; and 76 were laid to rest at Ebenezer San Antonio Prairie.

            “Internal trouble and poverty made the difficulty and barbed wire - the difference.” Meaning, having to go “around” instead of “across” the prairie to church. The last meeting of the voters in Ebenezer of San Antonio Prairie, December, 1889: "Resolved that due to an impossible debt, the entire church property - excepting the melodium, the pews, the pulpit, and the communion ware - be sold to pay the debts.” With this resolution old Ebenezer at San Antonio Prairie came to the point of collapse.

            The old church/school/parish on the San Antonio Prairie remains in existence, as a farm house. This property was purchased by the Kieschnick family and still owned by descendants as a working farm today. A monument has been placed on the property fence line, at the county road, and several grave stones have been moved from the original cemetery location behind the barn to that spot.

 

                  

Ebenezer San Antonio Prairie Cemetery: monument at county road GPS Lee County, TX, 30.272909, -97.009730 Original Cemetery location behind barn (estimated location) GPS Lee County, TX, 30.273036, -97.009032 Directions:  From Giddings take Hwy77 for 6.1 mi, turn left onto FM1624 for 4.1 mi, turn right onto CR326 for .2 mi. Cemetery on right on private property behind barn.  Parts of scattered grave stones.  Church converted to residence.  Monument to left of gate at CR326 property fence with parts of moved original grave stones.    sign at entry gate & cattle guard; monument & grave stones to left

1: monument at road property fence	2: monument with moved grave stones
3: footstones A.M.D.S. & L.B.H.	4: Magdalena Zwahr Mattijetz
5: Andreas Waiser	6: Wilhelm Werner
7: Andreas Farak	8: Andreas Wirth
9: footstones J.D., A.W., W.W, other pieces	10: possible German prayer
11: Jan 1880 grave headstone pieces	12: footstones J.W.W. & A.W.
14: barn side view facing road	15: barn back side; original cemetery location
16: marker found in grassy field barn back side	17: grave stone marker base found in grassy field barn back side
18: grave stone marker base found in grassy field barn back side	19: below 2 grave stone marker bases found in grassy field barn back side
20: right 2 grave stone marker bases found in grassy field barn back side with barn in background

 

 

 

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Page Modified: 18 December 2022