IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CEMETERY (2007)

Gate of Heaven Cemetery

McCook, Hidalgo Co. Cemeteries of Tx

Immaculate Conception (2007) Submitted by Matthew Kotara

LOCATION: Cemetery is ˝ mile south of McCook on FM 2028, in west-central Hidalgo County.

HISTORY: McCook, settled about 1925, is in the Newman Brothers Subdivision of Leagues 1-4, Hidalgo County School Lands. Origin of the name McCook is unknown.

Urban Kotzur’s family, including married sons Nick and Leon, were the first settlers. Frank Prukop of Kosciusko in Wilson County was the first to purchase land there; his family arrived on November 27, 1927. Other Polish families—in all about 20—arrived from Panna Maria in Karnes County. They practice dry land farming, raising corn and cotton.

For 25 years, people went in to Mission, 25 miles south, for church services. In 1950, Immaculate Conception Church was built and became the area’s social and religious center. In front of the church is a statue of St. Isidor, patron saint of farmers, erected in memory of Monica and Isydor Moczygemba, McCook residents who were descendants of Father Leopold Mocyzgemba, founder of Panna Maria in 1874, oldest Polish settlement in the United States.

Two religious festivities celebrated annually in McCook are the February blessing of seeds to be planted and a novena (9 days of special prayers) for April 4, the feast day of Saint Isidor.

In 1949, August Skloss donated one acre in the southeast corner of his farm for a Catholic Cemetery. It was fenced with cedar posts and wire in 1951. In 1960, the congregation purchased an additional acre to square off and enlarge the cemetery. In 1972, a hurricane fence was donated with the name Gate of Heaven Cemetery.


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Last Name First Name Birth Death

Baggett

Leonard

9/17/1942

 -

Baggett

Marilyn

9/7/1948

5/1/2003

Cantrell

George

2-6-1924 -

7/26/2002

Esparza

Bernard Frank

8/19/1908

10/28/1988

Keller

Albert J

1942

1993

Keller

Benedict R

6-6-1899

6/30/1983

Keller

Ernest Paul

7/19/1934

12/29/1971

Keller

Gladys M

1940

 -

Keller

Hellen T

5/8/1901

8/12/1987

Keller

Peggy Ann

4/10/1935

4/24/2000

Keller

Sharon Rose

5/17/1961

2/7/1985

Kotara

Albert

5/20/1926

6/20/2007

Kotara

Evelyn

2/19/1930

 -

Kotara

Felix

8-30-1891

9/25/1962

Kotara

Margaret

6-1-1894

7/9/1983

Kotara

Richard J.

6/29/1952

7/15/2007

Kotzur

Adela E.

3-7-1898

1/26/1992

Kotzur

Anton

9/18/1922

9/16/1985

Kotzur

Benedict Frank

8/12/1929

5/7/2000

Kotzur

Clement A.

12/10/1925

1953

Kotzur

Diane Sue

6-191950

 -

Kotzur

Edmund Lee

12/2/1948

11/30/1997

Kotzur

Elenora

2/14/1914

5/2/1998

Kotzur

Elizabeth

6-28-1889

4/27/1986

Kotzur

Henry A

5/25/1914

2/1/1982

Kotzur

Isador

3/17/1916

4/23/1967

Kotzur

Leon

12-9-1889

8/6/1969

Kotzur

Leonard A

6/13/1925

8/21/1992

Kotzur

Louis P

8/5/1920

4/29/1978

Kotzur

Nick J

9-15-1891

6/22/1965

Kotzur

Peter J

6/18/1918

1/2/1987

Kotzur

Raymond John

3/2/1951

9/10/1996

Kotzur

Rosie

9/24/1922

7/30/1994

Kotzur

Susie

 5/11/1911

no dod

Kotzur

Theckla R

9/12/1913

12/11/1996

Kotzur

Thomas

12/9/1902

7/8/1981

Kotzur

Vincent II

11/7/1909

1/2/1978

Lyssy

Adam

2-15-1886

2/24/1964

Lyssy

Clemence

10/20/1925

 -

Lyssy

David

11/17/1957

2/13/1978

Lyssy

Florence B

1890

1968

Lyssy

Fred V

10/7/1913

5/12/2006

Lyssy

Gertrude K

8/31/1905

 no dod

Lyssy

Irene M

4/5/1917

3/5/1980

Lyssy

Joseph w

1888

1965

Lyssy

Julia

2-14-1894

2/13/1965

Lyssy

Leonard

11/30/1919

12/13/2001

Lyssy

Veronica

2/6/1933

5/28/1996

Lyssy

Veronica Rose "Babba"

6/26/1959

7/23/2001

Machaca

Angela

3/25/1937

 -

Machaca

Frank D. Sr.

12/7/1934

4/23/2000

Moczygemba

Alois J

11/1/1904

2/25/2006

Moczygemba

Alois B

6-23-1895

10/1/1966

Moczygemba

Benjamin

2/17/1912

11/15/2005

Moczygemba

Camilla

9/4/1907

8/27/1984

Moczygemba

Clement I

7/21/1916

9/8/1987

Moczygemba

Eleanore

11/23/1912

2/8/2002

Moczygemba

Father Isador T.

4-1-1885

9/30/1958

Moczygemba

Regina Ann

8/22/1908

2/13/1978

Moczygemba

Rosie

10-9-1894

3/24/1970

Moczygemba

Severen

4/17/1910

7/16/1959

Moczygemba

Sylvester

11/21/1921

6/3/1952

Moczygemba

Thomas

3/14/1916

10/10/1962

Pawelek

Thomas Anton

11/16/1943

3/29/2004

Pawelek

Cecelia A.

1910

 -

Pawelek

Michael D.

11/29/1952

8/8/1986

Pawelek

Stanley I

1909

1970

Pilarczyk

Clara Jacobs

 - -

Pilarczyk

Robert Lucian

8/4/1925

7/28/1984

Prukop

David

4/10/1957

4/14/1957

Prukop

Frank

12/13/1918

12/30/1981

Prukop

Frank B. Sr.

10-4-1894

6/8/1940

Prukop

Gertrude M

10-24-1898

3/30/1999

Prukop

Nancy Lee

1/11/1947

5/2/1953

Prukop

Philip R

2/7/1925

7/7/2003

Prukop

Proxey K

4/30/1928

 -

Prukop

Tillie

9/17/1914

12/15/1993

Prukop

Bernadine Joe

5/8/1953

12/7/1981

Sekula

Barbara D

12-2-1893

3/8/1969

Sekula

Edward

2-9-1893

11/19/1976

Sekula

Julia

3/15/1917

6/3/1987

Sekula

Tom

10/10/1915

5/31/1988

Skloss

August Anton

7/1/1912

10/17/2002

Skloss

Clem F.

11/23/1914

 1/6/2009

Skloss

Irene F.

10/24/1917

8/19/2002

Skloss

Sylvia Marian

9/9/1924

 -

Wagner

Laura Lee

7/18/1927

 -

Wagner

Otto Sr.

3/20/1918

4/10/2006

Young

Elanora

9/9/1917

 -

Young

Paul Sr

7/2/1914

11/8/1990