De Leon in Comanche County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Old De Leon Cemetery
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 6, 2026
1. Old De Leon Cemetery Marker
Soon after the Civil War and prior to the establishment of De Leon, many families settled in this section of Comanche County, together building a log schoolhouse on Austin Branch. In 1876, thirteen settlers met at the log building at the call of Rev. E.A. Bailey, presiding elder of the Dublin District, and organized a Methodist Society. When the Texas Central Railroad built west from Waco and surveyed and laid out the new town of De Leon, the railroad's civil engineer commandeered and moved the log building to use as a mule stable. Once the building moved, along with the school and church congregation, only the small graveyard which became known as Old De Leon Cemetery remained from the earlier settlement.
The cemetery was referenced in an 1885 deed from Albert Bryan Bender to his brother, Augustus K. Bender, a transaction which involved dedication of half an acre for the burial ground. Among the pioneers buried here are North Carolina native Thomas Brown (1844-1912), who married Mary Frances "Fannie" Sparks (1849-1934) in May 1865. Their first daughter was born in Virginia and their other children were born in Texas starting in 1873. Thomas, who built his own home and many homes for his neighbors and was a farmer, was listed in Comanche County tax rolls by 1876. Fannie was a medical practitioner, caring for the sick and dying and serving as a midwife. She was one of the last burials in the cemetery for many decades. A 1954 De Leon Free Press article refers to the city cleaning the overgrown grounds and researching who was buried here. A crew of men identified 24 graves with names, only some with dates, along with 87 graves with no headstones but with visible sand mounds. Those buried here include some of the earlier residents of the area and their descendants who have impacted
this page online
Erected 2019 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 23219.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1865.
Location. 32° 6.759′ N, 98° 31.587′ W. Marker is in De Leon, Texas, in Comanche County. It is on S. Festival Lane 0.1 miles south of East Navarro Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 S Festival Lane, De Leon TX 76444, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Big Country. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Frances Marie Sparks Brown (here, next to this marker); De Leon Peanut Company (approx. 0.6 miles away);
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, September 6, 2026
2. Old De Leon Cemetery and marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 6, 2026, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
