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Hillendahl-Eggling Cemetery (Blue Light Cemetery)
Harris County, Texas

Addicks Project Coordinator
Chris Brown, 281-497-0704

Lat: 29°49'45"N, Lon: 95°39'03"W

Bear Creek Park, between Pavillions 9 & 12 there is a southern pasture. The cemetery is surrounded by a 14' Federal Fence. No stones survive.

Contributed by Mark vanHudson [mvtex@ev1.net]. Total records = 12.

Seven graves are not legible or are only the bases--the dies have been destroyed. I did a visual survey on Jun 24, 2001.

Hillendahl and Addicks families were among the first Moravian-German settlers in Texas. They established farms and hostelries that became the launching point west for German immigrants who followed. Land was part of the George Toliver Survey of the Austin Colony and Republic of Texas. The land was sold to George M. Patrick in 1838 and a few years later to Darius Gregg who parceled the land out. One parcel of 480 acres was sold to Henry Eggling on Dec 28, 1859. Hillendahl family is thought to have migrated from Fallerslehan, Hanover.

The cemetery was next to the Bear Creek Methodist Church and was abandoned when that church moved to Rt 6 and I 10 at the turn of the twentieth century. The cemetery obtained the name "Blue Light" because many stones (typical of Texas German cemeteries) were quarried in New Foundland and Nova Scotia then carved in New Oleans and Houston. The stones contain Laboradorite which at certain Sun or Moonlight angles causes a blue glow. The cemetery was a famous "parking" spot in the 1940-50's and has been the subject of vandalism and Halloween pranks.

- Mark vanHudson

Addicks, William, no dates
Gaisber, George H, b. Jul 16, 1866, d. Nov 18, 1895
Gaisber, John H., b. Sep 1857, d. Dec 1885
Hillendahl, Avalie, b. Apr 1, 1873, d. 1875
Hillendahl, Dora, b. Jul 8, 1878, d. 1888
Hillendahl, George H., b. 1872, d.1881
Hillendahl, Hugo, b. Jan 26, 1888, d. Mar 10, 1988
Keely, Eliza, b. Nov 4, 1856, d. May 24, 1882
Ries, Erlie, b. Jan 26, 1846, d. Nov 21, 1914
Ries, Fred Rev., b. 1832, d. Sep 18, 1884
Sauer, Dina H., b. 1850, d. 1896
Thompson, E, b. Apr 4, 1840, d. 1880