Welcome to the Comal Cemetery

Welcome to the Comal Cemetery. . The Comal Cemetery dates back to 1868, when John F. Torrey donated a portion of his land to be designated as a public graveyard. Over the years, the Comal Cemetery has been enlarged to almost 25 acres and currently contains more than 12,500 burials., In April of 1868 the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung reported: , "Mr. John F. Torrey offers to give the City of New Braunfels eight acres for a cemetery out of his so called 'Point' tract of land between the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers... The Citizens of New Braunfels and area would be asked to furnish the fencing and beautification of that grounds and improvement of the street to the cemetery." , In June of that same year a contract was let to John H. Petry for the construction of a cedar fence around the cemetery and two months later another article in the newspaper announced the availability of cemetery plots to the public. The article listed charges ranging from $1.75 for a small grave (for children under 10) to $2.50 for a large grave., Although there are burials on this portion of land thought to be dated back as early as 1854, the first formal use of the Comal Cemetery - as recorded in the sexton's record book- occurred with the burial of Fredrich Hartwig, who died on August 12, 1873., Cultural Differences , Upon entering, take note of the appearance of different areas of the cemetery. To your left is the oldest part of the cemetery, where early German settlers are buried. These graves are very orderly and symmetrically plotted due to the cultural tendencies of the Germans to be neat and methodical., Further back on the east and southeast sides are the more clustered and decorative Hispanic graves of recent years. These graves are greatly adorned, often with a strong religious and cultural influence., There is a contrast between modern headstones and the older markers. Many of the modern headstones you see are laid in ground, due to easier maintenance. Many of the older markers are vertical. Also, the older graves are oriented to face directly east, as many Germans believed that the Son of God would resurrect from the east. The newer graves are oriented in order to more adequately fit the plot of land and do not face directly east., We ask that you be respectful and courteous when touring this cemetery, as this is a place of remembrance and meaning for the loved ones of those who are buried here.