Hillendahl Cemetery

Harris Co. Cemeteries of TX

by George E. Wolf Jr./1987-2001

CEMETERY SEEMS OUT OF PLACE
Houston Chronicle
Arnold L. Hillendahl and his wife, Etta, farmed much of the land in that area. The land had been in his family since his German born grandfather, Henrich, bought 80 acres in 1854 at an acre. Several years ago Hillendahl hesitantly decided to sell most of the land. He said city taxes were eating him up, and that he operated the land at a loss. The land his grandfather had bought for an acre was costing Hillendahl an acre per year in city taxes. He made a decision, he gave each child five acres for their homesites. The children have since sold most of their land. All the rest of Hillendahl's land, except for about 11 acres, were sold for the present site of Monarch Oaks, a residential subdivision.
Part of the remaining land was leased to stores. Though stores, streets, and residential sections invaded the area, Hillendahl insisted that the family graves remain undisturbed.
The 25 by 55 foot cemetery at the corner of Long Point and Pech contains the graves of his parents, grandparents, an infant daughter, and 15 other kin.

FAMILY CEMETERY IN THE MIDDLE OF HOUSTON TRAFFIC
Houston Post
The resting place of 19 members of the Henry Hillendahl family that once farmed 130 acres of adjacent land now covered by business buildings and residential subdivisions, Arnold Louis Hillendahl, 75, of 9411 Kerrwood, personally tends the roses and day lillies that bloom in the little plot where his parents and grandparents are buried.
But pebbled cement has replaced the grass that grew there.
Elizabeth, the first wife of Henry Hillendahl, was the first to be buried. She died in 1854, three years after she and her cobbler husband came to this area from Germany.
His second wife, Maria, and the parents of Arnold Hillendahl lie in graves around that of Henry Hillendahl who died in 1870.
The tiny burial ground is officially designated a cemetery and was fenced in 1962.
Henry Hillendahl b 1814 d 1870
Maria Hillendahl b 1828 d 1907
Elizabeth Hillendahl d 1854