WILSON CREEK CEMETERY

aka HADDEN - MOORE CEMETERY
&
ST. MARY'S BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY

The Wilson Creek Cemetery is located on private property
behind a locked gate in the Wilson Creek Community.
 

Burials
 

Obituaries

DIRECTIONS

The Wilson Creek Church and School Building
1891
St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church
 

Antone (Anthony) Deadrick, a Frenchman who came to America before the Civil War, made his way to Matagorda County, found work on the Grimes Ranch and married Martha Robinson, a black woman. In 1882, Antone acquired 48 acres from A. H. and J. E. Pierce on Wilson Creek. He donated an acre of land for the church and school which was built in 1891. Antone made sure the small school had qualified teachers to educate the black children in the Wilson Creek and Ashby area.

St. Mary's Baptist Church on Wilson Creek Road was given to the Matagorda County Historical Society by owners David and Vickie Garcia on condition that the Society would move the building. The building had originally been erected northwest of the Moore Cemetery and was later moved to Wilson Creek Road. The Society accepted the offer and took on the project to move the church one half mile back to the Moore Cemetery property.

Roosevelt Reeves, whose father was once a minister of St. Mary's Church, agreed to move the church for $3600. The church was relocated east of the  cemetery that is still used by the black community. Most of the people buried in the cemetery are descendants of Antone Deadrick and attended St. Mary's Church and School. After the move the roof, windows and doors were replaced. The marble marker that once was part of the front of the church could not be found. It was hoped that the church building would be less vulnerable to vandalism in the more isolated area.

Ben Hadden, pastor of Free Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Blessing, and his brother, Ercel, with the help of their members agreed to maintain the small historic church. The plan was to use the church for funeral services and other gatherings. Hadden planned to contact the District Association to have St. Mary's church reinstated.

Thelma Smith, the marker chairman of the Matagorda County Historical Commission researched the history of the church and planned to submit an application for a Texas Historical Commission historical marker. Later, rather than submitting an application only for the Wilson Creek community, an application was submitted and approved for Ashby and Wilson Creek.

Unfortunately, the church building was not safe from local teenage vandals who broke out all of the windows. Attempts to protect the building were futile and soon it was left to deteriorate. The landowner used the building for storage and later demolished it.

The cemetery still remains as a testament to the lives of the members of St. Mary's  Missionary Baptist Church and the Wilson Creek area.