Saint Paul Cemetery
Saint Paul,
Photos by Gary Webb
Additional Information Submitted by Brenda Kellow
Charles
C. Stibbens
(May 14, 1810 - March 31, 1879)
A Native of Maryland, Charles C. Stibbens came to Texas about 1835. He served in the Army during the Texas Revolution, participating in the Battle of San Jacinto. He settled in Anderson County soon after the war and worked as a farmer and shoemaker. Following the death of his first wife, Julie Ann Frost Slaughter, he was married in 1849 to Elizabeth Creekman. They eventually were the parents of eleven children. Charles and Elizabeth Stibbens moved to Saint Paul in 1870. He is the only veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto known to be buried in Collin County. (1992)
Charles C. Stibbens Born May 14, 1810 Died Mar. 31, 1879 No pain no grief, no anxious fear, Can reach the peaceful sleeper here. |
In
Memory of
Mary Ratican, Jul. 15, 1857, Jan. 1883 Wife of Michael Ratican, Dau. of Jas. & Margaret O'Connor:Born in Co. Clare, Ireland. |
Sacred to the memory of John C. White Born, Oct. 14, 1836 Died, Mar. 16, 1885 |
In memory of
James Neilon Sr. Born in R??? Co. Ireland Died Feb. 27, 1904 Age 87 Years |
Thomas H. Smith Texas Cook 165 Depot Brig. August 18, 1957 |
|
ST. PAUL CATHOLIC CEMETERY AND
CHURCH
by Brenda Kellow, B.A. (History), CG, CGI*
MAP
St. Paul Catholic Church and
cemetery is located in the St. Paul Community in southeast Collin County just
east of the intersection of Farm Road 2514 and St. Paul Road. St. Paul was the
first catholic church to be formed in either Collin or Dallas Counties and
predates by thirty-four years the establishment of the Dallas Diocese. The
church is a landmark for the Catholic Church and for Collin County.
According to Sister
Lois Bannon (deceased)
at the Dallas Catholic Archives, the church was established
as a mission in 1847 by local Irish farmers in the community.[1]
It was operated as a mission by the Diocese of Galveston, whose jurisdiction
composed all of the State of Texas east of the Colorado River. In the beginning
there was no building. The parishioners in the St. Paul community met in each
others homes. It was in one of these homes where the idea was formed to build a
church!
According to Sister
Lois’s archival files, the
acquisition of the land is recorded as follows: Aunt Ella Burns
was washing clothes in the creek with another lady companion when they
were frightened by a stranger approaching them on horseback. The gentleman
introduced himself as James Gallagher
. He told Aunt Ella he was searching for Andrew H.
and Lucinda Burns
. Gallagher said his mission was to ask them whether a parcel of their
land could be purchased by the Galveston Catholic Diocese for the purpose of
building a church for the small community. Mr. Gallagher appeared to be a
gentleman who meant no harm. Aunt Ella recognized his name and evaluated the
circumstances. After she told Gallagher where to locate Mr. and Mrs. Burns,
Gallagher approached them and presented his proposal. They quickly agreed to
sell a parcel of land to the church.
The legal transaction occurred in the fall of 1869.
Andy and Lucinda Burns, both Baptists, sold the land for $1 to Bishop
C. M. Dubius
of Galveston for the use of a
catholic church. At that same time, on 27 November 1869, Emily Galleghar
Father
Thomas Henesey
, from Nacogdoches, was the
first circuit priest until St. Paul was built in 1856. At that time, Father
Henesey became the permanent priest to the parish. The second clergyman was the
Roman Catholic Priest, Father Joseph
Martiniere
, a native of France.[3]
He became the priest in 1868. In 1872, Father
Charles Martiniere joined Father Joseph
Martiniere, his brother. Others to follow were:
1875
Rev. Troncy
1879
Rev. A. Des Flaches
1880
Rev. Claude Martiniere[4]
1881
Rev. A. Des Flaches
1882
Rev. P. Garvey
1883
St. Paul attended from Dallas
1885
Rev. R. F. Neale
, buried at St. Paul
1890
Dallas Diocese established
1891
Rev. J. B. Lehne[5]
1892
Rev. P.M. Regan
&
Rev. J. J. O'Riordan
1893
Rev. B. Pujos
1894
Rev. A. O'Hara
According to the Collin County
Census of 1880, Father Martiniere resided with the James
Kirkland
family on their farm outside Wylie.[6]
Please note the various spellings of these French Priest's names. I have not
corrected their spelling of names.
The Diocese records document the church’s destruction by a cyclone in
1871. It was rebuilt by church patrons with lumber hauled from Jefferson in
wagons of local businessmen John Burns
and Tom Brown
. The patrons of the rebuilding are listed in the archives files as
being fine people of Wylie. The original lumber bills, paint bills, etc., are
all kept in the files of the Diocese Archives Library in Dallas, Texas.
The church was destroyed for a third time by fire.
Rather than rebuild the church one more time, the parishioners decided to build
the church closer to Wylie. This new church, St. Anthony Catholic Church, built
in 1916, is still in operation and is located at 404 North Ballard.
*about
the author.
Brenda Burns Kellow, a Certified Genealogist and a Certified Genealogical Instructor, grew up in Plano, in Collin County, Texas. She is the great-great granddaughter of Charles C. Stibbens, the only soldier of the Battle of San Jacinto to be buried in Collin County. He and his wife, Elizabeth Creekman, are buried in St. Paul Catholic Cemetery. A Texas Historical Marker stands by their graves. Brenda is the author of the award winning book, Charles C. Stibbens: Soldier of the Battle of San Jacinto, Citizen of the Republic of Texas.
[1]
The records and history were graciously given to me to record by the late
Sister Lois Bannon, Archivist, on
21 July 1985. Sister Lois died
of leukemia at St. Paul Medical Center,
age 75, 27 March 1991.
[2]
Collin County Deed Book T, page 169, Register Deed of Emily Galleghar (
[3]
Msgr. Joseph Martiniere, 8 Jan. 1841-3 April 1910, was buried in Ursuline
Academy Cemetery, as is Rev. The remains were reentered
in Calvary Hill Cemetery on Lombardy Lane in Dallas in 1981.
[4]
Rev. Claude Martiniere, 9 Aug. 1842-15 Oct. 1884, was buried in Ursuline
Academy Cemetery. The remains were reentered in Calvary Hill Cemetery on
Lombardy Lane in Dallas in 1981.
[5]
Priests names and dates after 1890 given to Brenda Kellow by Sarah Y.
Stibbens, 1313 Burns in Dallas, on 4 August 1991.
[6]
1880 U. S. TX Census, Collin Co. Supr.
Dist. 3, enum. dist. 26, p. 5, dwel. 40, family 41, enumerated 3 June
1880.