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St. Hedwig church honors 16 Confederate heroes

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WCN Correspondent
January 28, 2009 | Comment on this article

St. Hedwig -- A ceremony Jan. 18 commemorating Confederate heroes buried in the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church’s cemetery included members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Sons of the Confederate Veterans, descendants of the Confederate veterans buried there, St. Hedwig Mayor Mary Jo Dylla, and church parish members.

Sixteen Confederate veterans are buried in the cemetery, including John Golla, Ignatz Kiolbassa, Anton Kolonko, Thomas Kosub, Simon Lipok, Charles Mergele, John Michalski, Joseph Pierdolla, Martin Pierdolla, Anton Ploch, Paul Prudlo, Emil Sacherer, Anton Tudyk, Joseph Tudyk, Carl Winkler, and Stanislaus Woitena.

Family members representing each veteran were recognized with a single blossom during the ceremony. Local historian Allen Kosub spoke on “St. Hedwig in Confederate History.”

Polish settlers began arriving in the Martinez Creek watershed of eastern Bexar County around 1854 from Upper Silesia. The community, with fewer than 20 families, was called Martinez. A log mission was built.

A cemetery was established adjacent to the church. The first burial was that of the Rev. Julian Przysiecki. He was killed in a fall from a horse, leaving the church without a Polish-speaking priest.

A new church and cemetery were dedicated in 1872. Burials from the original site were re-interred, and the community was renamed St. Hedwig in honor of Silesia’s patron saint.

The church received recognition as a Historic Texas Cemetery in 2005.
 


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