History of Mount Olive Cemetery

 
Mt. Olive Cemetery is a historical cemetery that is 47.45 acres with over 12,000 graves.  The oldest known death date is 1883; however, Mt. Olive Cemetery was not established until 1884 when the Howard County Commissioners Court ordered the original cemetery be moved.

For many years, death certificates were not required to be filed and cemetery records were not always kept with exact locations of the grave. Therefore, it was up to the family to mark the grave and keep a record of the location.  While most families did place a wooden cross or something similar, in this West Texas weather those items deteriorated or were covered by dirt over the years.

City staff is working diligently to not only maintain current records of burials within Mt. Olive Cemetery, but to identify locations of many known to be buried in the Cemetery, in unknown locations.  We ask the assistance of family members as we strive to identify the locations.  We are thankful for each person that has worked with us in this endeavor, and look forward to working with others.
 
 The City asks that each person observe the rules of the Cemetery; therefore, helping us maintain its beauty.   The rules of the Cemetery can be found in the Code of Ordinances.

Location

Mount Olive Cemetery is located 0.2 miles off Interstate Highway 20 on Highway 350 (Snyder Highway).