|
Washington Cemetery
aka German Society Cemetery
2911 Washington Ave. Houston, Harris Co., TX
I, Diann Tooley, step daughter-n-law of William Lee Noland
(birth name Willie Lee Noland) am trying to help research the shareholders of
this cemetery. If you are related to any of them, I would like to include
your family tree. Your ancestors were important because this is one of the
first cemeteries in Houston and is historical.
William Lee Noland passed away
3-10-2009 in Houston, Harris Co., TX after a long illness.
This cemetery borders Glenwood Cemetery and consists of 21.3
acres. Its original 27 acres were purchased in 1887 by local German businessmen
who formed an association called Deutsche Gesellschaft von Houston, the German
Society of Houston, and established a cemetery for Houston's German citizens.
Now owned and operated by Glenwood Cemetery.
The two, John Lang & Willie Noland had an agreement that which
ever one died first, the other one would inherit their shares. Mr. Lang died 3
or 4 years before Willie so Willie received Mr. Lang’s shares. There are close
to 7000 graves here, including at least 105 Confederate and more than a dozen
Union soldiers. If you're wandering around this graveyard and happen to notice
the 1820 marker for Alexandros Seitandes, it means nothing more than that the
stonecutter made a mistake. The headstone should read 1920. The same mistake was
made on another stone dated 1847. It should read 1947. Former caretaker, Leona
Tonn, lived on this property from the late 1930's until July 1977. Her death is
one of Houston's unsolved murders.
Family Tree
Lang
Family Tree Noland
Family Tree Sharman
Woynofsky
(related to Kumke/Lang) Family Tree
Lotz
Per grandson of William "Willie" Lee Noland, Mr. Noland worked for the German
Society. Washington Cem. was an association between John Lang (owned largest of
shares), William Noland owning 2nd largest of shares (37 %) and 4 or 5 other
shareholders. William Noland was last survivor of shareholders and eventually
owned largest of shares. When Mr. Noland died, his (2nd) wife Jennie (Sharman)
Noland inherited the shares. When Jennie died, her grandson, William "Willie"
Lee Noland (b. 1933) became owner. Mr. Noland also worked for Hollywood Cem.,
Houston, Harris Co., TX.
Research has been done on the cemetery and research is showing that Willie Lee
Noland owned some of the shares in a "Not For Profit" corporation. The cemetery
association was originally chartered prior to 1900 "For Profit". It became "Not
For Profit" in 1918. No one has been able to acquire evidence that Mr. Noland or
his wife actually owned the cemetery property or that they owned all the shares.
It has been determined that John Lang, Jr. (died 1935) owned more shares than
the other shareholders, but he did not own the majority of the shares. Three of
the 37 original shares were subsequently acquired by CWCC Inc. It is said that
several other shares are held by various other families and institutions. The
cemetery corporation ceased to exist in 1947, when the last charter expired.
Per: Bernice Mistrot, Secretary - Washington Cemetery Historic Trust
On a notarized deed for a cemetery plot for Mrs. Max Wagenknect, it states W.L.
Noland as President of Washington Cem and Mrs. W. L. Noland (Jennie C. Sharman
Noland) as Secretary and it was dated May 1936.
A partial list of the original stockholders in Washington Cemetery (dated Jan 1,
1940):
Aladof Haffen (Charles A. Hahn) 12
John Wagner 34
E. F. Schmidt (Erich F.) 25
Henry Kasche 14 (longtime secretary)
Chris Kunty (Kuntz) 16
A Dietrich (Alexander) 4
John H. Lang, Sr. 18
Geo Bauss (George) 2
Chris Scanegga (Charles Scoregga) 33
James Masterson (James R. Masterson, Sr.) 37
B.L. Shieffer (Gus A. Schiefer) 24
F. Minster (Frederick Minster) 19
Alex Barthling (Alexander Barttlingck) 3
Louis Schmidt 28
F. Jemme (Fred Temme) 35
A. Fisher (Fischer) 7
E. Knadell (Ernst Knodel) 15
F. Juergens (Friederich Jurgens) 13
L.F. Lang (Charles F. Lang) 17
N. Piffart (Nick Pippart) 20
Jacob Remmel 23
Louis Stahi (Stahl) 36
Noland, Willie Lee (W.L.)
Noland, Jennie C. (Mrs. W.L.) (nee Sharman)
Noland, Raymond Joseph (R. J.)
Noland, Mamie C. Lotz (Mrs. R. J.)
Perry, Mrs. Ed F.
(there are other shareholders but I do not have the names)
Most of above shareholders are buried in Washington Cemetery.
Per Bernice Mistrot:
I think Mrs. Perry is buried in Section P, lot 7-3/4. Also in that plot are the
Wagenknechts, and some Sharmans. Each of those families had aquarter of the plot
(3 spaces each). Antoinette Laux is by herself in the fourth quarter. Loys
purchased by Mattie Sallee.
Burial Date NE 1/4 Plot P-007.75 09-24-1936 Ed F. Perry 07-06-1965 Mrs. Ella F.
Perry 11-03-1946 William B "Bill" Perry Ed and Bill have headstones, Ella does
not. Bill is probably a son of Ed and Ella.
Found an Edward F. Perry born Houston, Harris Co., TX 1875. Parents were Charles
J. and Agnes Stuart Perry.
An Edward Perry married Harris Co., TX 4-26-1893 Louisa Drew.
|
