| Bender, Charles Sr. (Nov. 26, 1829 - Feb. 13, 1906) | Plot A-061 |
| *Benson, Ellis (Feb. 8, 1813 - Oct. 26, 1896) | Plot B-113 |
| Blackburn, John Gray (Sep. 16, 1860 - Jan. 31, 1944) | Plot A-101 |
| Boehringer, Carl Alexander (Oct. 6, 1847 - Mar. 24, 1897) | SR-Row 1, #14 (Plot R-109) |
| Borgstrom, Gustav Magnus (Mar. 14, 1846 - Feb. 28, 1917) | Plot D-043 |
| *Cline, Henry (Sep. 19, 1828 - Aug. 22, 1901) | Plot F-044 |
| *Dellschau, Charles August Albert (Jun. 4, 1830 - Apr. 20, 1923) | Plot A-070 |
| Detering, Herman Eberhardt (May 21, 1862 - Aug. 12, 1927) | Plot C-051 |
| Eisele, Gottlieb Friedrich (May 23, 1849 - Feb. 18, 1900) | Plot A-111 |
| Gammell, William (Oct. 18, 1812 - Apr. 10, 1869) | Plot A-036 |
| Hamilton, Hugh (1853 - Aug. 6, 1922) | Plot D-047 |
| Holdgraf, Ernest Heinrich (Jul. 24, 1867 - Jun. 25, 1950) and Holdgraf, Emma K. Marti (Nov. 3, 1875 - Mar. 26, 1937) |
Plot A-125 |
| Hussey, James J. (Aug. 25, 1865 - Jan. 31, 1941) | Plot A-057 |
| Johnson, Thomas Benton (Jul. 12, 1853 - Jun. 20, 1906) | Plot C-062 |
| Jonas, Henry F. (Mar. 7, 1868 - Jan. 31, 1948) | Plot F-005 |
| *Kelley, John Dickson "Peck" (Oct. 22, 1898 - Dec. 26, 1980) | Plot D-055 |
| Kohlhauff, William J. (Nov. 1, 1861 - Feb. 21, 1928) | Plot A-102 |
| Millard, Henry W., Sr. (May 6, 1868 - Jun. 1, 1943) | Plot A-145 |
| Neitsch, Frederick Theodore (ca. 1815 - May 29, 1896) | Plot A-051 |
| Noland, Jennie Carolyn Sharman (Mar. 15, 1886 - Mar. 11, 1970) | Plot H-005.5 |
| Noland, Willie Lee (May 18, 1878 - Oct. 3, 1941) | Plot H-005.5 |
| Petty, James Clifford, Jr. (Sep. 27, 1912 - Nov. 21, 2004) | Plot B-132 |
| Rolle, Johanna Henrietta Katerine Margaret (Jun. 14, 1878 - Mar. 11, 1945) | Plot A-041 |
| Rolle, Richard Julius (Feb. 28, 1885 - Dec. 24, 1963) | Plot A-041 |
| *Seelye, Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmondson (Dec. 1841 - Sep. 5, 1898) | Plot G-026 |
| Stelzig, Anton, Jr. (Jun. 29, 1849 - Aug. 25, 1893) | Plot A-070 |
| Von Haxthausen, Isabella Kniep (May 24, 1853 - Mar. 1, 1896) | Plot B-097 |
| *Von Streeruwitz, Wilhelm H. (Jul. 26, 1833 - Apr. 19, 1916) | SR-639 (Plot R-166) |
* Subject of an article in the Handbook of Texas Online
Bender, Charles Sr. (Nov. 26, 1829 - Feb. 13, 1906)
Plot A-061
A native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Charles Bender arrived in New York City at age 16. He subsequently lived in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri, before settling in Texas after the War Between the States. Bender operated a brickyard in New Braunfels, then sawmills in Corrigan, Moscow, Spring, and Humble. In 1887, Charles and Lena, his wife, came to Houston, where he established C. Bender and Sons, investing in downtown property. After his death, the Bender Hotel was constructed at Main and Walker in 1909 by Frank and Eugene Bender, sons of Charles and Lena, and named for their father. The hotel (later known as the San Jacinto Hotel) was decorated in a Louis XVI motif with interiors of marble and bronze. Among its services were a cafeteria and a Turkish bath. Charles Bender was a member of the Houston Turnverein, a German social club.
The second high school in Humble, Texas, Charles Bender High School, was named for him. Construction began in 1929; completed in 1930; renovated in 2015 as the Charles Bender Performing Arts Center.
Benson, Ellis (Feb. 8, 1813 – Oct. 26, 1896)
Plot B-113
Ellis Benson was born in Vermont. He arrived in Texas in 1836 having been recruited by Captain Turner in New Orleans. He fought in the Battle of San Jacinto where he handled one or the "Twin Sister" cannons. He continued to support the Republic of Texas following its independence at the Battle of Alcantra near Mier where he was wounded. He was a carpenter by trade. He was elected constable of Harris County in 1858. He was elected twice to the position of Harris County Coroner in 1860 and 1862. At an advanced age, Benson served in the Army during the Civil War using his carpentry skills and working in the railroad repair shop in Houston. Historical Marker awarded by Texas Historical Commission - 2008.
Blackburn, John Gray (Sep. 16, 1860 - Jan. 31, 1944)
Plot A-101
John G. Blackburn was the first head of the Houston Police Department to be referred to as Chief of Police, rather than Marshal. First a blacksmith, Blackburn entered public service following his election as Alderman in 1898. Mayor Samuel Brashear selected Blackburn as City Marshal and he eventually took on the title of Chief of Police. He commanded 46 men, implementing patrol beats of two-man teams and basing promotion on merit.
(Unmarked grave; adjacent to Ben Wilbush.)
Boehringer, Carl Alexander (Oct. 6, 1847 - Mar. 24, 1897)
SR-Row 1, #14 (Plot R-109)
Alexander Boehringer, a co-founder with his cousin Albert Boehringer of the major chemical company that is today Boehringer Ingelheim, was manager of the South Texas Coal company and opened the asphalt mines at Klein, Texas. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the company C.F. Boehringer & Soehne was noted as "Largest Makers in the World of Quinine and Cocaine." His obituary noted that he was known for years as the quinine king, but lost a fortune of more than $3,000,000 by a decline of the quinine market from $3.00 to $0.47 per ounce.
Borgstrom, Gustav Magnus (Mar. 14, 1846 - Feb. 28, 1917)
Plot D-043
Gustav was a tailor whose fashion designs won first prizes at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair. Among his customers was Texas Governor William H. Hobby. Gustav was also an accomplished singer who sang with Jenny Lind on a world tour.
Cline, Henry (Sep. 19, 1828 - Aug. 22, 1901)
Plot F-044
Henry Cline was born in Pennsylvania, graduated from Gettysburg College in 1849, and became principal at Myerstown Academy in Myerstown, PA the next year. He earned a law degree in 1853 at the University of Louisiana (now Tulane University) in New Orleans, and was President of the College of New Orleans, 1855-57. After five years in Woodville, Texas, he moved to Houston in 1865, where he practiced law for the next 35 years. Always a strong advocate for public education even when that was not popular, he was Supervisor of Free Schools for Harris & Montgomery counties, 1871-73. He was active in Republican politics, and was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1875, which produced the Texas Constitution still in use today. One son, Henry Ben Cline, became Harris County Superintendent of Schools, and another, Dr. Raoul Rene Daniel Cline, was the second dean of the School of Pharmacy at UTMB, 1895-1924.
Dellschau, Charles August Albert (Jun. 4, 1830 - Apr. 20, 1923)
Plot A-070
Charles Dellschau was a retired butcher who wrote a 200-page journal and several notebooks, and produced some 5,000 ink-and-watercolor drawings of flying machines. After his death, four of his notebooks were acquired by Dominique de Menil. Others surfaced later in junk shops. Interest in Dellschau's drawings and collages, known as "aeros," has increased and some are now in the Witte Museum and the San Antonio Museum of Art.
Detering, Herman Eberhardt (May 21, 1862 - Aug. 12, 1927)
Plot C-051
Herman Eberhardt Detering immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1871. He worked as a security guard for a Henke grocery store as his first job in the New World. Eventually Eberhardt Detering opened a general store on Washington Avenue at the end of the trolley line. A Detering business, primarily building supplies, remained on this site across the street from Washington and Glenwood cemeteries from the 1880s until 2015. Eberhardt and his wife Lina raised five children above the general store: Alma, Elsa, Herman Jr, Carl, and Lenora. He acquired substantial tracts of land around Houston, especially lands that fronted on waterways (the Ship Channel, bayous, and creeks), starting on Houston's east side and progressing westward. The Forest Club and the Saddlebrook subdivision off Memorial Drive east of Chimney Rock Road were later built on one of these tracts.
Eisele, Gottlieb Friedrich (May 23, 1849 - Feb. 18, 1900)
Plot A-111
Gottlieb Eisele and his son Theodore Heinrich Eisele were German immigrants who designed and built many of the Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Folk Victorian Cottages in the Sixth Ward. Several Gottlieb Eisele houses have been documented by architect Charles Stava of the Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association. The house that Gottlieb Eisele built for his own family, once located at 22 Artesian Street, was for many years the sole surviving structure on that street and was occupied by the Houston Police Department for several years. The Gottlieb Eisele house was moved in 2011 to its new location at 716 Sabine Street and was restored by its present owners, who claim it is the only surviving Gothic Revival structure in the city. The renovation and restoration was awarded a Houston AIA Design Award in 2015 and a Preservation Houston "Good Brick Award" in 2016.
Gammell, William (Oct. 18, 1812 – Apr. 10, 1869)
Plot A-036
William Gammell was a native of Ayrshire, Scotland and immigrated with his parents to Massachusetts. He arrived in Texas in March or April of 1836 and immediately enlisted in the Texian Army. He fought in the Battle of San Jacinto under Captain Wyly. Gammell was a gunsmith by trade and he supported the Republic of Texas by providing and repairing guns after the war. He also served in the Mounted Gun Men, in the Vasquez expedition under General Burleson, and in the Battle of Salado Creek. Historical Marker awarded by Texas Historical Commission - 2009.
Hamilton, Hugh (1853 - Aug. 6, 1922)
Plot D-047
Hugh Hamilton arrived in Houston in 1878 and built Houston's first ice plant. He developed the process of making clear ice from artesian water. He established, along with other businessmen, the Magnolia Brewery, later to be known as the Magnolia Dairy Products Co. His Central Texas Ice, Light, and Water Company operated many plants throughout Texas. He was associated with the Houston Lighting and Power Co. and served four terms, 1886-1894, as city alderman in the First Ward.
Holdgraf, Ernest Heinrich (Jul. 24, 1867 - Jun. 25, 1950) and
Plot A-125
Holdgraf, Emma K. Marti (Nov. 3, 1875 - Mar. 26, 1937)
Plot A-125
Ernest and Emma were part owners of the "Jolly Rovens," a traveling tent show. Emma was a buck and wing dancer in the show. They later managed amusement centers at Magnolia and Highland Parks, as well as the food concession for the Houston Buffaloes Baseball Stadium. The Holdgrafs introduced potato chips to Houston. Their business was eventually sold to the Dentler Brothers, who produced the well-known Dentler-Maid Potato Chips.
Hussey, James J. (Aug. 25, 1865 - Jan. 31, 1941)
Plot A-057
James J. Hussey was Houston Fire Chief from 1898 to 1901, presiding in the Fire House at 2403 Milam, now the Houston Fire Museum. Built in 1899 as the Central Station, it was the first fire station built by the city after the volunteer department was converted to a fully paid department in 1895. Also known as Station 7, it was one of several stations serving the city with horsedrawn fire trucks when Houston had a land area of nine square miles and a population of 44,633.
Johnson, Thomas Benton (Jul. 12, 1853 - Jun. 20, 1906)
Plot C-062
Thomas Benton Johnson and his brothers Benjamin F. Johnson and Charles C. Johnson were the owners and publishers of the San Antonio Light newspaper.
Jonas, Henry F. (Mar. 7, 1868 - Jan. 31, 1948)
Plot F-005
Henry F. Jonas was an architect of the firm Henry F. Jonas and Tabor, and designed many historic structures in Houston, including the Butler Brothers Building (winner of the Good Brick Award in 2012 from Preservation Houston), the Third Church of Christ, Scientist, and the Texan Theater. Perhaps the best known design by Jonas and Tabor was Houston's Buffalo Stadium, home to the Houston Buffs from 1928 to 1961. When built, it was a state-of-the-art minor league facility, with a Spanish-style tiled-roof entryway and large plaques of buffaloes on the wall around the stadium.
Kelley, John Dickson "Peck" (Oct. 22, 1898 - Dec. 26, 1980)
Plot D-055
Peck Kelley was a jazz pianist and bandleader and was best known for his 1920s band "Peck's Bad Boys," which included Jack Teagarden and Pee Wee Russell. Peck played for silent movies in the old Texan, Palace, and Majestic Theaters and his band played for parties in the Rice Hotel and Galveston's Balinese Room. Peck was also a member of the Dick Shannon quartet in the 1950s, from which the only recordings of his work survive. "Peck Kelley Jam Sessions, Volumes 1 and 2" were released by Commodore Records in 1983.
Kohlhauff, William J. (Nov. 1, 1861 – Feb. 21, 1928)
Plot A-102
W. J. Kohlhauff was born in St. Louis, son of German immigrants. He moved to Houston in 1883 and worked as a compositor for the Houston Post until 1909. He was an alderman for the First Ward, Houston city councilman, and Commissioner of the Houston city fire department.
Millard, Henry W., Sr. (May 6, 1868 - Jun. 1, 1943
Plot A-145
Henry Millard, a native Texan, was a skilled carpenter whose work included the beautiful Queen and Majestic theaters and Bayou Bend, home of the Hogg family and now a part of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
Neitsch, Frederick Theodore (ca. 1815 - May 29, 1896)
Plot A-051
Frederick Neitsch built and operated Theodore Neitsch's Opera House in Galveston, TX, in the mid-1850s.
Noland, Jennie Carolyn Sharman (Mar. 15, 1886 - Mar. 11, 1970)
Plot H-005.5
Jennie was the second wife of Willie Lee Noland and the mother of Raymond J. Noland, who operated Washington Cemetery after his father's death. After Raymond died on October 1, 1951, the burden of cemetery operations fell on Jennie, then 65, and Leona Ella Tonn (19061977). Miss Tonn had come to work for the Nolands in 1940 as a cook and live-in housekeeper. Jennie and Leona now took care of the books, mowed the grass, cut weeds, removed limbs and underbrush, and attempted to hold back the encroaching jungle. Just four days short of her 87th birthday, Jennie died of cancer at the caretaker cottage. Leona continued to live alone at the cemetery, tending the graves as well as she could, until July 7 or 8, 1977, when she was murdered in the cottage, a homicide that has remained unsolved. Leona is buried near her parents in her birthplace of Carmine, Texas.
Noland, Willie Lee (May 18, 1878 - Oct. 3, 1941)
Plot H-005.5
Willie Lee Noland was the son of Frank P. Noland and nephew of Samuel Perry Noland, who worked in the cemetery business in Houston. Samuel was affiliated with Glenwood Cemetery as Sexton by 1884 and Frank officially became Superintendent of Glenwood in 1887. Upon the death of his father in 1898, Willie Lee inherited that position until at least 1903. Willie Lee served as Sexton of the German Society Cemetery in 1907-08, then became Superintendent about 1915. He and his wife Jennie lived the rest of their lives in the caretaker's cottage on the cemetery grounds. After the incorporation of Washington Cemetery in 1918, John H. Lang, Jr. was installed as President and Willie Lee Noland as Superintendent. He held that position until his death in 1941. He worked at a variety of other occupations, including carpentry. He was at one time a deputy constable, as well as a Mason, and a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Woodmen of the World.
Petty, James Clifford, Jr. (Sep. 27, 1912 - Nov. 21, 2004)
Plot B-132
James C. Petty, Jr., known as "Jess", was an outstanding athlete on the Rice Institute track and field team, specializing in the discus throw. He was inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978. He barely missed (by a few inches) going to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and, in fact, in earlier competitions, he had beaten all three of those who were awarded medals in Berlin. Jess was one of the 12 incorporators of Concerned Citizens for Washington Cemetery Care, Inc. which was responsible for restoring Washington Cemetery from the abandoned overgrown jungle that it had become by the late 1970s. Mr. Petty, a C.P.A., served as Treasurer during those difficult first six years.
Rolle, Johanna Henrietta Katerine Margaret (Jun. 14, 1878 - Mar. 11, 1945)
Plot A-041
Johanna Henrietta Katerine Margaret Rolle, known as "Gertie," was a member of the National Concert Managers' Association. She was Business Agent of the musical organization known as Treble Clef, which had 102 singing members. She also served as its Treasurer. She was the first to block out a reserved-seat diagram of the City Auditorium Hall's floor space.
Rolle, Richard Julius (Feb. 28, 1885 – Dec. 24, 1963)
Plot A-041
Johanna's brother, who is buried in the same plot, was president of the Houston menswear store Rolle-Jewett & Beck, which was founded before 1920. It merged with Leopold & Price in 1958 to become Leopold Price & Rolle, and Richard Rolle became chairman of the board.
Seelye, Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmondson (Dec. 1841 - Sep. 5, 1898)
Plot G-026
Sarah Emma Edmondson, a native of New Brunswick, Canada, enlisted in the Second Michigan Infantry in May 1861 under the alias Franklin Thompson. She served for nearly two years as a male nurse, orderly, and mail carrier, but when she contracted malaria and was denied a furlough in April 1863, she deserted rather than have her true identity discovered. She later resumed female attire and nursed soldiers until the end of the war. Her 1864 book, "Nurse and Spy in the Union Army," an embellished account of her war experiences, including numerous examples of spying behind Confederate lines in various disguises, was quite popular, and she donated the proceeds to hospital work. She was granted a veteran's pension in 1884, and later became the only female member of the Grand Army of the Republic. She was originally buried near her home in La Porte, Texas, and was reinterred here in the GAR lot on Memorial Day 1901.
Stelzig, Anton, Jr. (Jun. 29, 1849 - Aug. 25, 1893)
Plot A-070
Anton Stelzig learned his trade of leather work while traveling on a Conestoga wagon with his parents, offering services to Texas ranchers. The A. Stelzig Company, later known as the Stelzig Saddlery Company, had a long and thriving business in Houston at several locations. From 1926 to 1989, the company was located at 612 Preston, and offered many lines of western wear, boots, and jewelry, in addition to the saddlery.
Von Haxthausen, Isabella Kniep (May 24, 1853 - Mar. 1, 1896)
Plot B-097
Born in Germany, Isabella and her husband Marcel Wilhelm, Baron von Haxthausen, came to the United States in the early 1880s. They bought a German language newspaper known as Deutsche Zeitung in New Braunfels, TX and moved it to Houston. After her husband's death, Isabella continued to publish the newspaper until her death, when it was taken over by her son August. It ceased publication around the time of World War I.
Von Streeruwitz, Wilhelm H. (Jul. 26, 1833 - Apr. 19, 1916)
SR-639 (Plot R-166)
Professor William von Steeruwitz, native of Bohemia, was a civil and mining engineer, geologist, metallurgist, chemist, and author of several books. He spoke four languages, was a geologist for the state of Texas in the 1890s, was a founder and fellow of the Texas Academy of Science, became a member of the Houston Natural History Society, and was a charter member of the Texas Geological and Scientific Association. In his role as civil engineer and surveyor, he prepared the original plat of Washington Cemetery (then the Deutsche Gesellschaft Cemetery) in 1887, establishing the lot numbers and road locations still in use today.