Brenham Masonic Cemetery AKA The Yellow Fever Cemetery in Brenham, Texas

This Cemetery was established

before 1847, the year it was

deeded to Graham Masonic

Lodge No. 20.

Minna Becker

Nov. 18, 1886 - April 5, 1887

Lenora Becker

Jan. 12, 1902 - Sept. 5, 1902

Mother, Anna Becker

Feb. 5. 1860 - Sept. 14, 1939

Father, Matthew W. Becker

Jan. 15, 1855 - June 8, 1937

This old Cemetery has swaths of tall grass.   Some areas have piles of tree branches.

This Memorial, with a book on top

its column is written in German:

Maria Verena Schmid

Dec. 21. 1824 - Aug. 3, 1891

I found a Headstone with the Masonic Symbol...

Nirum B. Ruff

Born in Girard, PA.

April 16, 1838

Died Oct. 6, 1867

Head Stones with photos...

Thomas Janica

Died Feb. 20, 1895, Age 87 years

Mrs. V. Janica

Died March 25, 1908, Age 68 years

This Cemetery has two unmarked Mass Graves.  In 1867, Brenhan, and other nearby communities lost many of its citizens to the Yellow Fever Epidemic.  

In memory of Lydia

wife of M. Crundwell

Stockade fencing separates homes in the adjacent housing development on three sides of Brenham Masonic Cemetery.  

Josiah Barnett

Aug. 20, 1817 - Oct. 7, 1867

Geo. W. Barnett

Mar. 27, 1845 - Oct. 14, 1867

Mrs. E.M. Barnett

 April 28, 1823 -  Jan. 9, 1892

Tamar, daughter of

A.M. & Harriet Levinson

Oct. 31, 1859 - June 1860

Eliza Williamson

Mar. 1797 - Mar. 14, 1869

John P. Key

Oct. 6, 1867, Age 56 yrs. & 27 days

Susan E. Key

Sept. 18, 1868, Age 37 yrs. & 21 days

Judith Key

Sept. 5, 1851 - Jan. 26, 1860

W. P. Russell

Oct. 30, 1857 - July 22, 1911

Emily wife of

J.K. Alderson

June 22, 1834 - Jan. 16, 1916

A Family Plot with a 

partially open gate

The sandals I'm wearing leave lots of exposed skin for prickly Burs to grab onto.  They hurt my feet and I take the last of my photos with my camera's long lens.

Patrick H. Lusk

November 30, 1851

aged 28 years, 9 mos, 9 days

A secluded section of the Cemetery...

The Obelisk: C.B. Shepard

Oct. 15, 1812 - Dec. 31, 1892

M.J. Andrews Shepard

Died May 3, 1892

Judge James E. Shepard

April 24, 1817 - July 16, 1894

I decided not to go any closer to this grouping of graves.

The specks in the middle of the photo are Ants moving back 

& forth from the underground Nest.

Thomas Deye Owings

Col. 28 Ky. Infantry

War of 1812

Mar. 7, 1776 - Oct. 6, 1853

The Eldridge Family Plot

is overgrown.  

Brenham Masonic Cemetery is an important historic site.  Families buried their parents, babies, children, wives, and husbands here.  

Hundreds lie in unmarked graves because of the swift-moving, too often fatal Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1867.  The lack of monuments and plaques to memorialize them does not make their lives less important to their families or less important to the community.