History of the Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate Cemetery aka Calvary Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas explained and explored. A lost cemetery that has been covered away by time.

Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate Cemetery aka Calvary Cemetery is one of San Antonio’s lesser known and forgotten cemeteries. This cemetery was a Catholic cemetery which belonged to Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate aka the Convent of The Holy Ghost. This is the Calvary Cemetery that is on Yucca Street near the MK & T Railroad and is not the the same Calvary Cemetery that is near I 10 (Interstate 10).

Land was surveyed for a cemetery by Bexar County surveyor James C. Adams on behalf of Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate in July 1945. An enclosed burial tract of 1 2/3rds acres of land (1 2/3 acres) fronting 222 away from Yucca Street on land property owned by Miss Annie M. Sullivan. (Ref: Bexar County Land Records, Volume 3347, Page 337)

 

A plat for the Lincolnshire Subdivision was filed on March 13, 1947. This plat shows Block 12 Cemetery 1.56 AC on the northeast corner of Robeson Avenue and Yucca Street. (Ref: Bexar County Plats, Volume 2222, Page 165)

Miss Annie M. Sullivan was the original owner of Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate Cemetery aka Calvary Cemetery before Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate was or had been.

Miss Annie M. Sullivan conveyed and quitclaimed her land property to Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate on the date of May 25, 1953 on a cemetery deed. Stipulations of the deed stated that existing burials will remain undisturbed and tract shall be kept in good condition. (Ref: Bexar County Land Records, Volume 3347, Page 337)

According to the original plats from the cemetery deed, there was a total of 28 burials. 13 of the burial plots were unused in 1953. A total of 15 burial plots were in use at the time. A shrine location was located on the western portion of the cemetery property. Nellie Street (Nellie St) and E Street (E St) were closed. Calvary Cemetery was 1.563 acres in lot size. (Ref: Bexar County Land Records, Volume 3347, Pages 338 & 339)

The burials of Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate Cemetery aka Calvary Cemetery were as listed by the original plats from the cemetery deed which showed the numbers of graves and burials.

Grave 1, Burial Plot 1, Frank Calmbach
Grave 2, Burial Plot 2, Julia Louise Calmbach
Grave 3, Burial Plot 3, S Heaton, 5 (?)
Grave 6, Burial Plot 6, Chas. Wernicke
Grave 7, Burial Plot 7, Edward B. Burke
Grave 8, Burial Plot 8, E. A. McManon
Grave 10, Burial Plot 10, Josephine Mzyk
Grave 11, Burial Plot 11, Philomena Halamulm
Grave 19, Burial Plot 19, Lizzie Grimes
Grave 23, Burial Plot 23, Velma Valicer
Grave 24, Burial Plot 24, Margaret E. Mulnearn
Grave 25, Burial Plot 25, Peter Kotzur
Grave 26, Burial Plot 26, Mrs. May Finch

Grave 6, Burial Plot 6 is the burial plot belonging to Chas. Wernicke (Charles Wernicke). Grave 19, Burial Plot 19 is the burial plot belonging to Lizzie Grimes (Elizabeth Grimes).

The burial and tombstone of Julia Louise Calmbach bka Julia Louise Babcock Calmbach was reinterred at San Fernando Cemetery #2. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82017703/julia-louise-calmbach)

The burial and tombstone of Frank Calmbach bka Frank Rehberg Calmbach was reinterred at San Fernando Cemetery #2 with his relative Julia Louise Calmbach bka Julia Louise Babcock. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82017719/frank-rehberg-calmbach)

According to www.findagrave.com, the burial and tombstone of Edward B. Burke was reinterred at San Fernando Cemetery #2 with the burial of his wife Clara E. Burke. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/179520469/edward-b-burke)

The burial and tombstone of Charles Wernicke bka Chas. Wernicke was reinterred at Holy Spirit Convent Cemetery. Chas. Wernicke was a member of the religious order known as Holy Spirit Mary Immaculate. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140293875/charles-wernicke)

According to www.findagrave.com, the burial and tombstone of Peter Kotzur was reinterred at Saint Jerome's Cemetery. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75529396/peter-kotzur)

Interestingly enough, Sisters Servants of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate sold the property to the George Gervin Youth Center, Inc. on the date of July 15, 1998. Stipulations of the 1953 deed sate that existing burials will remain undisturbed and tract shall be kept in good condition. Sisters Servants of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate violated the stipulation by having burials at the Calvary Cemetery reinterred at different cemeteries in San Antonio. (Ref: Bexar County Land Records, Volume 7728, Pages 1710-1713)

A search of the Bexar County Appraisal District records lists the property as the Gervin Subdivision (1.56 acres), New City Block (NCB) 9555, Block 5, Lot 30 (BAD 2018). This 1.56-acre tract is part of the George Gervin Youth Center Alternative Living Center and is known as the Yucca Garden Apartments, located at the present-day location of 511 Yucca Street which was once was the Calvary Cemetery. The Yucca Garden Apartments were built over the cemetery grounds in 2001. (Ref: https://bexar.trueautomation.com/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=110&prop_id=441614)

The Calvary Cemetery was located on the north side of Yucca Street and west of Amanda Street. Based on the indicated perimeters, the cemetery would have been located within the southwest quadrant of the APE. As indicated, the aerial extent of the cemetery would have been vast and would have included the APE.
(Ref: http://car.utsa.edu/CARResearch/Publications/TRFiles/TR%2072%20Archaeological%20Monitoring%20of%20Utilities%20Placement%20for%20OkTex%20Utility%20Construction%20Inc.%20TAP%208450.pdf)

Sisters Servants of The Holy Ghost & Mary Immaculate Cemetery aka Calvary Cemetery was located at 511 Yucca Street, San Antonio, Texas, US 78220.