Cranes Mill Cemetery
Cranes Mill Cemetery sits on a high hill (elev. 1100') off of FM 2673 (Cranes Mill Road), about 2 miles past Startzville which is on the south side of Canyon Lake. It overlooks the Tom Creek valley which once flowed into the Guadalupe River, now Canyon Lake.
The earliest grave markers in the Cemetery date from 1888 to 1902 and indicate that the site probably served initially as a family cemetery for some of the families who settled and lived in the area. While it may have been referred to as the Cranes Mill Graveyard or Cemetery earlier, it was in September 1907 that a deed was filed which formally established the cemetery. A fee of one Dollar was paid by August W. Engel to Henry Jonas for 3 acres of land for the "Cranes Mill Graveyard Association".
Until the early 1900's, there were only about a dozen burial markers. Some of the the older grave markers are still in relatively good shape and reflect recognizable German inscriptions, hex signs, and symbols. Early family names include: Engel, Flugrath, Kaderli, Kraft, Pantermuehl, and Startz and are located on each side of the middle (original) entrance to the cemetery.
(John B. Coers Sep 2011. Sources: Cranes Mill Cemetery, Comal County Clerk's Office, Spring Branch & Western Comal County, Texas, by Brenda Anderson-Lindemann.)
