San Saba County Historical Commission

Colony Cemetery

LOCATION:
The Colony Cemetery is located in Southeast San Saba County in the Colony Community about ten miles from the city of San Saba. It is located on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Means.

GPS:  Latitude: 31.1436o N   Longitude: 98.5610o W

DIRECTIONS:

• From the San Saba city limit sign on U. S. Highway 190,

• Go east 2.9 miles to the junction with FM 580 (Bend Road).

• Turn right onto FM 580 and go 6.4 miles to the junction with CR 419.

• Turn left onto CR 419 and go east 0.7 miles to the junction with CR 416.

• Turn right onto CR 416 and go southeast 0.4 miles to the Colony Methodist Church and Cemetery.

• The church and cemetery are on the left side of CR 416. The gate into the cemetery parking is locked. There is a walk-through gate to allow access to the cemetery.


 CONDITION: 

The Colony Cemetery was established in 1892 and is still in use as a burial ground in 2018. The first burial in this cemetery was that of an infant born to James and Mattie Means and the grandchild of J.W. and Martha Means who gave the land for the cemetery. The child was born and died in 1896.

The cemetery is an area of about ¾ of an acre enclosed by a 4 ft. high chain-link fence. There are two gates into the cemetery. Both are in the west fence line opening into the cemetery from the parking area. The main entrance from the parking area is a 10.5 ft wide gate marked by two large slabs of red sandstone, one on each side of the gate and inside the cemetery. On the slab on the left side of the entrance is the inscription, “Mrs. R. Kolb, the last survivor of the first settlers of Colony. First settlers R. Kolb and Mrs. Kolb, J. W. Means and Mrs. J. W. Means, Date of 5-10-1936.”

The slab to the right of the entrance has the inscription

“Colony”
“Sunday School Supts.”

H. H. Hovey 1881          C. C. Colburn

O. S. Depew 1882         D. B. Hillin

C. Joxley 1883               W. C. Kolb 1903

T. C. Depew 1884          T. Z. Means 1933

T. W. Means                   J. K. Petty 1934

J. Towerton                      M. Toparks 1935

W. J. Wilson

The Colony Methodist Church became inactive in 1965. The church building is now used as a community center and for funeral services. The church and the cemetery have been well maintained by an active Cemetery Association.