Tomball Magnolia Potpourri - News
Cemetery may be one of the oldest in Tomball area
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| Princess Pat Birdwell admits she is particular, spends a lot of time preening and maintaining the grounds at the Carmen Nelson Bostick Cemetery. |
By TANA ROSS
One of the oldest, if not the oldest, cemeteries in Tomball begs further inspection this Halloween with its alluring setting and dappled sunlight. But lookers beware, owner/caretaker Princess Pat Birdwell said there will be heavy security at the Carmen Nelson Bostick Cemetery on Holderreith Road this Halloween eve.
With the first grave dating back to the mid-1840s — the result of a son lost at the age of 21 — many in the area are familiar with the former Pillot Cemetery, founded by the earliest known settler along Willow Creek, Frenchman Claude Nicholas Pillot.
In fact rumors, disputed historical facts and even lawsuits have entangled the peaceful setting protected by the arms of huge live oaks for years. But one thing that cannot be disputed is the enchantment of the three-plus acres that was handed off by a Pillot ancestor to Birdwell — a result of “the Princess’s” dedication to detail and authenticity.
“First there is God, then family and then the cemetery,” Birdwell said. “I don’t know if you can tell, but I am real picky.”
Indeed a visit to the cemetery, with sections named by Birdwell after books of the Bible including Genesis and Exodus, is like a step back in time. A good portion of the 1880’s fence made in Covington, KY remains giving the original Pillot garden a gothic feel. Birdwell said vandals burglarized the fence a few years ago resulting in an estimated $5,000 loss of 60 feet of the ornate iron work.
Along with the fence, a few unmarked graves and infant and children’s headstones stand as tangible evidence of other mysteries the cemetery holds. Eight babies, 1-year-old and less, along with three children’s graves are in the Pillot section alone.
“Most believe they died of scarlet fever,” Birdwell said.
With so many reminders of death, it is hard to imagine the surrounding life the cemetery sustains. But on any given morning birds claim the site as a sanctuary and small furry creatures are often seen making their rounds in the adjacent hay field. Birdwell, who is a Christian, attributes these activities and the absence of spirits to her anointing of the cemetery, years ago.
“This is a sacred site,” she said.
The Carmen Nelson Bostick Cemetery at 12317 Holderreith Road is open from daylight to dark, every day. For more information call, 281-256-3635.
With the first grave dating back to the mid-1840s — the result of a son lost at the age of 21 — many in the area are familiar with the former Pillot Cemetery, founded by the earliest known settler along Willow Creek, Frenchman Claude Nicholas Pillot.
In fact rumors, disputed historical facts and even lawsuits have entangled the peaceful setting protected by the arms of huge live oaks for years. But one thing that cannot be disputed is the enchantment of the three-plus acres that was handed off by a Pillot ancestor to Birdwell — a result of “the Princess’s” dedication to detail and authenticity.
“First there is God, then family and then the cemetery,” Birdwell said. “I don’t know if you can tell, but I am real picky.”
Indeed a visit to the cemetery, with sections named by Birdwell after books of the Bible including Genesis and Exodus, is like a step back in time. A good portion of the 1880’s fence made in Covington, KY remains giving the original Pillot garden a gothic feel. Birdwell said vandals burglarized the fence a few years ago resulting in an estimated $5,000 loss of 60 feet of the ornate iron work.
Along with the fence, a few unmarked graves and infant and children’s headstones stand as tangible evidence of other mysteries the cemetery holds. Eight babies, 1-year-old and less, along with three children’s graves are in the Pillot section alone.
“Most believe they died of scarlet fever,” Birdwell said.
With so many reminders of death, it is hard to imagine the surrounding life the cemetery sustains. But on any given morning birds claim the site as a sanctuary and small furry creatures are often seen making their rounds in the adjacent hay field. Birdwell, who is a Christian, attributes these activities and the absence of spirits to her anointing of the cemetery, years ago.
“This is a sacred site,” she said.
The Carmen Nelson Bostick Cemetery at 12317 Holderreith Road is open from daylight to dark, every day. For more information call, 281-256-3635.
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