BREWSTER RANCH CEMETERY

Hidalgo Co. Cemeteries of Tx

Submitted by cshaffer@houston.rr.com  (typed from records provided by surveyors)

Surveyed by Goldsby Goza and Fran Isbel on January 19 and 26, 1980.
COPYRIGHT HIDALGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

LOCATION: In Brewster Woods at northwest corner of Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge south of Alamo. From the Refuge, drive west two miles on US 281 to FM 2557 (Stewart Road); turn south on caliches road one-half mile, passing Doffin Road. Then go east on levee a half mile and take first dirt road south.  Brewster Cemetery will be visible to west through the trees after about 1500 feet. There is a dirt road up to the east cemetery gate. See Refuge manager during operating hours for permission to visit the cemetery.

SURVEYED: Goldsby Goza and Fran Isbell surveyed Brewster Cemetery, April 16, 1988. 

PERSPECTIVE: The rectangular cemetery measures approximately 90 feet north  to south and 115 feet east to west. It is surrounded by hurricane fencing, with gates on east and west sides. The western gate, which is kept locked, is of wrought iron and was made in Edinburg. The corners are woodsy, with mesquite, anaqua, brasil and retama trees. Census began in southwest corner,
and proceeded south to north.


HISTORY: Brewster Ranch Cemetery is located in Los Toritos (Little Bulls) Land Grant, two leagues of pastureland awarded to Maxiomo Dominguez by the  Mexican State of Tamaulipas in 1834. In 1912, William R. Brewster (1869-1953) bought the first 40 acres of his Brewster Ranch from David and Emma Box Bravo, and later added 90 acres purchased from Lina Box Bowyer. The 140 acre ranch
extended from the Rio Grande to the Military Highway (US 281), then a gravel horseback trail. Here Brewster kept horses and cattle.

The El Sauz Ranch of attorney, US Customs collector and Confederate veteran Lina Helen (sic) Box was adjacent to Jackson Ranch, and the Brewster, Box and Jackson families were all members of the first Methodist congregation in Hidalgo County, founded in 1874.

Brewster was a son of Dr. William J. T. G. Brewster of Connecticut, a Union surgeon who served in the Rio Grande Valley during the Civil War, and who  settled at Jackson Ranch south of Pharr. Dr. Brewster and Lina Helen Box  married Minerva and Louisa Singleterry, stepdaughters of Nathaniel Jackson. Dr. Brewster was at one time schoolmaster in Hidalgo. He sold a large tract  of land to John Closner and William R. Sprague of Chapin Town site Company,  including the 1400 acre site of future Edinburg.

William ("Uncle Billy") Brewster located his ranch house about 100 yards  northeast of the cemetery. He was a peace officer and later jailer at the  County Jail in Edinburg. He donated Brewster School in San Manuel. He and  his wife Emilia Rodriguez Brewster (1873-1945) had six children: Mary (Mrs. Manuel "Toncho" Brewster), Louis, Emily (Mrs. Fernando Balli), Minerva 
(Mrs. Erasmo Velasco), Estela (Mrs. Amado J. Cavazos), and John.

According to family tradition, William R. Brewster made a gentleman's agreement  with his neighbor, Esteban Bravo (1854-1924) of the adjoining Bravo Ranch to allow the Bravo family to continue to make interments in Brewster Cemetery. The first burial was before 1912, that of a baby of David and Emma Box Bravo (grave is unlocated). The cemetery is located on a high knoll where the  floodwaters of the Rio Grande did not reach it.

According to grandson Captain Erasmo Bravo of Hidalgo County Sheriff's  Department, Esteban Bravo bought 22 acres from the Cavazos and Balli families and founded Bravo Ranch, which is northwest of Brewster Ranch. He came to  San Juan in 1910, where he owned a grocery store operated by two of his  seven sons.

Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge acquired the Brewster Ranch property in 1978, and the Brewster family retains the right to bury family members in the cemetery.

Sources: Interview with Mary Brewster, Bertha Herrera, Emily Brewster  Rosaura Balli, Lois Brewster and Ramon Montalvo, Sr., April 1988.

Abstract of Title to Alamo Tract, Alamo Land & Sugar Company subdivision of  Porcion 72, Los Torritos (sic), Santa Ana and El Gato Grants, Edinburg, 1914.

"Pioneer Family's Cemetery recalled by Valley Lawman." Monitor, McAllen,  Texas, Sept. 28, 1985.

"Jackson Ranch Church." Hidalgo County Historical Commission. Application  for a Texas Historical Marker, 1982. Narrative by Frances W. Isbell.

See also Eli Jackson-Brewster Cemetery.

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Row A

A01. JUAN SANCHEZ
Died 12 Nov 197? Age 39 yrs, 4 mos., ? days

A02. (Cement cross, no inscription)

A03. (White wood cross, no inscription)

A04. (Pink wood cross, no inscription)

A05. (White wood cross, no inscription)

A06. IGNACIO GARCIA
Died 29 Jan 1973 Age 47 years

A07. (First name unknown) JACKSON
Died 7 Feb 197? Age 61 yrs, 5 mos, 10 days

A08. JUAN RODRIGO
Died 7 Aug ???? Age 28

A09. (Unmarked grave)

A10. DANIEL YARRITO
6 Nov 1907 27 Jan 1965
(picture)

A11. SILVERIA C. DE YARRITO
13 Apr 1890 19 Mar 1930
(picture)

A12. REFUGIO JACKSON (double grave?)
Father
(Double grave, left side)

A13. ALVENA JACKSON (double grave?)
Mother
(Double grave, right side)

A14. JOAQUIN PRADO (double grave?)
14 Feb 1865 2 May 1965

A15. NANCY JACKSON
21 Dec 1939

A16. (Cement slab, no inscription)

A17. (Unmarked grave)

A18. NANCY JACKSON
Died 5 Sept 1972 Age 66 years

A19. RUBEN SINGLEERRY
20 Aug 1915 7 June 1976

A20. (No name)
Died 1960

A21. ELUISA SINGLETERRY
(Double grave)

A22. LUIZ SINGLETERRY
(Note: A card on the flowers placed on this grave reads "Given to
Abuelito y Abueita by nietos Raul y Mares Singleterry.").
(Double grave)

A23. ROBERTO JACKSON
(Son of Refugio)
Note: Information obtained by Dale Swartzmiller from Mrs. Adela Jackson 
Reyna and her daughter, Mrs. Elvira Cordena: Roberto Jackson died 
24 Mar 1943. Death Records Hidalgo County, Book 6, Page 122, 
Vol. 6517.

A24. ESTEFINA JACKSON
(Daughter of Refugio and Elvena)
(Note: The information on the two graves above was obtained from Adela 
Jackson Reyna. The graves are unmarked.)

A25. PAULINO CASARES
18 July 1893 29 Dec 1920

A26. FREDRICO JACKSON
18 July 1893 29 Dec 1920

(Note: There is only one stone here. It is not clear who was born in 1893,
but these two men were shot at the same time by the same person 
(Graves A25 and A26). The inquest record in the Hidalgo County 
Courthouse says Paulino was about 37 at the time of his death and
his father was Sabino Casares. The inquest record gives Fredrico's
age as about 35 and his father is given as Nat Jackson.)

A27. W REYNA
Nov 1873

A28. (Wood cross, no inscription)

A29. GEORGE BREWSTER
Died 18 June 1898 31 years

A30. EDITH BREWSTER
12 Feb 1902 13 Jan 1903

A31. MINERVA BREWSTER
Died 17 Dec 1909 64 yrs 5 mos

A32. LOUIS BREWSTER
1873 28 Oct 1911 38 yrs

A33. JAMES BREWSTER
24 Apr 1888 28 May 1912 Age 24 yrs 1 mo 4 days

A34. BEDE BREWSTER

A35. HULDA R. BREWSTER
17 Oct 1891 9 Apr 1912 Age 20 yr 5 mo 23 days

A36. IN-NIE (?) BREWTSER
23 June 1905 16 May 1912 Age 7 yrs 1 mo

A37. ROSA BREWSTER
28 Mar 1909 4 July 1910 Age 1 yr 1 mo 3 days

A38. JOE BREWSTER
3 Dec 1895 25 Mar 1915 Age 19 yr 3 mo 22 days

A39. IDA BREWSTER
10 Jan 1894 15 May 1912 Age 17 yr 4 mo 5 days

(Note: All Brewsters, except Bede, are in a fenced plot)

A40. ROBERT RUTLEDGE
8 June 1862 16 Mar 1919

A41. (Unmarked grave)

A42. (Unmarked grave)

A43. (Unmarked grave)

A44. SATURNINO BLAS CANTU
Nació 29 Nov 1882 Falleció 4 Nov 1953

A45. CRISTOBAL MARTINEZ
Born 3 Oct 1895
(Triple monument, one of three?)

A46. NICOLASA MARTINEZ
Born 10 Sept 1904 Died 19 Jan 1976
(Triple monument, one of three?)

A47. (Unmarked grave)

A48. (Painted cement cross, no inscription)

A49. E. GONZALES
Died ???? Age 6 yr 16 days

A50. BALDEZ XOCHITL
Died 19 Dec 1975

A51. (Unmarked grave)

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The following may be buried in this cemetery:

MANUEL RODRIGUEZ JACKSON
Died 6 Dec 1942, Book 6, Vol. 6165, page 109

PEDRO JACKSON
Died 1 June 1925, son of Leonard Jackson

LEONARD JACKSON
Infant son of Leonard Jackson and Refugia Adams, died 2 Oct 1946

TOMAS CASTRO
Died 26 Oct 1946 of Tuberculosis


End of Brewster Ranch Cemetery