Smithson Valley Cemetery
Beginning as a private cemetery on the family ranch, infant Carl Ohlrich, son of Carl and Louise Pantermuehl Ohlrich, was the first to be buried there in May 1876. 1 In the year 1898, Heinrich Pantermuehl, brother of Louise, donated the 140' x 145' plot of ranch land to be the Smithson Valley Community Cemetery.
Of the now 74 graves, 2 of which are unmarked, the majority of the deceased were of German heritage, most of which were Protestant. Of the graves there is a veteran of the World War 1.
Located off of F.M. 311, between State Highway 46 and F.M. 3159, in Spring Branch, Texas, Smithson Valley Cemetery is surrounded by pasture land owned by a local rancher, Curtis Bremer. The cemetery is fenced and gated to protect the serenity of the trees casting shadows on the stone grave markers.
In 1970, on May 30, a group of relatives of the deceased family buried in the cemetery met and organized the Smithson Valley Cemetery Association, for the purpose of cleaning and upkeep of the property. The group cleans the cemetery every fourth Saturday in May and every fourth Saturday in October. The families with plots care for the cemetery, paying for mowing services and cleanup each year.
The Cemetery is still a place of burial for families with deceased relatives in the family plots.
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