Bishop Cemetery Association Contact

Bishop Cemetery Association

Board of Directors

Tom Estes, President Margaret Cookie Johnsey, Vice-President Nancy Smith, Secretary-Treasurer Dewey Lawhon Wesley Rogers Robert Schroeder Virginia Gayle Filla

Bishop Cemetery Association Post Office Box 142 Bishop, Texas 78343 Phone (361) 584-2914 info @ bishopcemeteryassociation.org

Shorty after the hurricane of 1919, the Bishop Cemetery Association made the decision to move the cemetery from its original location on Carreta Creek to land east of Bishop. On October 3, 1919, the association acquired Block No. Two (2) in the Gardendale Farms, a subdivision adjoining the town of Bishop, from H.A. and Clara Scharlach, for $1,400. Thus was the beginning of the history of Restland Memory Park in Bishop, Texas. (As a side note, it appears that Mr. Scharlach had been the high bidder on the property in 1917 and had acquired it for $250.) In minutes of the cemetery association’s meeting of November 4, 1919, a report was given by Mr. J. M. Binion, head of a committee that had been sent to Corpus Christi to view the cemetery there. The committee was instructed to pattern the Bishop cemetery after the Corpus Christi’s, getting a surveyor to survey the grounds and set up the lots. In those same minutes, the Financial Committee reported that $1100 had been paid to Mr. Scharlach and the balance of $300 would be paid in the forthcoming days when the money could be raised. It was also noted in the minutes that Mr. J. A. Harrell was given authority to rent out the grounds not laid off for burial lots to be planted in cotton for the year 1920. The Association, in the March 23, 1920 meeting, voted to prepare only the North East quarter of the cemetery for lots with the remaining used as farm land. A committee was appointed to ready the cemetery for the burial of the bodies being moved from the old cemetery. The bodies were to be moved in April 1920. At the March 30, 1920 meeting, the Kingsville undertaker was hired to move bodies for $5 each. Mr. W. E. Whitten, Jr. was given the authority to sell lots in the cemetery “to be governed in accordance to the financial condition of party buying as to the terms given on the purchase of lots.” According to the minutes of the May 5, 1920 meeting of the association, 21 bodies, with tomb stones, had been moved. Directors were elected for the following year: Mrs. Whittington, Mrs. Hardin, John A. Harrell, H. D. Ligon, and W. E. Whitten, Jr. The financial report given at the meeting indicated that Jordt Allen was paid $105 to move the 21 bodies and Bishop Lumber Co. was paid $61.25 to make boxes for the move. (The 21 bodies are buried in what is now Block 2, Section 3 Middle East.) The paper trail picks up in 1966, but only in the form of The Constitution of the Bishop Cemetery Association No. 2, adopted February 16, 1966. The paper trail picks up again when, on July 8, 1987, the board of directors met. The board noted the death of director G. B. Davis, Jr. and the incapacity of directors Robert Nelson and Ira Imken and, since the board had not been meeting regularly for several years, it was determined that new directors should be elected. Dwain Miller was elected President and Inez True was elected Secretary/Treasurer. It was decided to hold a meeting of members to consider and act upon the incorporation of the association as a nonprofit cemetery corporation without perpetual care powers and to select a Board of Directors to serve until the first annual meeting of members. On August 25, 1987 a Bishop Cemetery Association Notice of Incorporation Meeting was held to consider and act upon the incorporation of the association, to be known as Bishop Cemetery Association, Inc. Board members elected at that time were Dwain Miller, Inez True, Doris Miller, Donna Gaye Arnold, Tommy Lawrence, Nancy Smith, and Jimmy Plocek. On August 28, 1987, the State of Texas issued a Certificate of Incorporation of Bishop Cemetery Association, Inc. The association was given charter number 01060296. In the summer of 1996, under the direction of Inez True, a water well with a well house was added to the cemetery at a cost of $16,892.36. Also in the 1990s a brick fence was added to the cemetery under the direction of Tom Kelly and Harold Hickman. In the fall of 2003 the board reorganized again after many years of not meeting regularly. The cost of a cemetery plot was raised to $600 with $300 going into the long term care account. In March 2005, the first of three lots west of the cemetery were purchased at county auction for $1540. As of December 2005, Rafelita Cardenas had donated the middle lot to the cemetery. The third lot was purchased at county auction for $1400 in December 2006. Demolition of the old buildings on the lots was carried out on May 15, 2007 at the direction of Bishop City Councilwoman Billie Erwin, Nueces County Precinct 3 Constable Jack E. Caughman, and the Texas National Guard Clean Sweep Project. The debris from the demolition was removed on February 25, 2008, with the donation of equipment by Clifton Bradshaw of Nueces Power Equipment, Inc. of Corpus Christi and donation of land for the land fill by Ray Patrick. The total cost for the project was $1000 for the 12 truck loads removed. At the February 25, 2006 Bishop Cemetery Association Annual Meeting, Mildred Guess led the dedication of a volunteer plaque that is placed at the entrance of the cemetery. On April 4, 2008, the cemetery received 501 (c) (13) non-profit status from the IRS.

History of Restland Memory Park

Please note that all board members are non-paid volunteers. We ask your patience as we try to assist you with your requests in the most timely manner possible.

LtoR: Tom Estes, Wesley Rogers, Virginia Gayle Filla, Cookie Johnsey, Nancy Smith, Dewey Lawhon, Robert Schroeder.