Welcome to Our Hidden Jewel in Crystal Beach

By Elinor Tinsley
How many of you know that there are four cemeteries on the Bolivar Peninsula, not to mention an unknown quantity of ancient indian burial grounds?  We have High Island Community Cemetery, Port Bolivar Community Cemetery on Hwy 87, Patton Cemetery off Bob Rd and a little known jewel called Crystal Beach Cemetery on of all places, Cemetery Rd. off Hwy. 87.  We call this a jewel because it is the only cemetery from Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston that has any plots available for sale, unless you buy from an individual.  The Crystal Beach Cemetery land was donated in 1987 and the deed was transferred on 6/16/1988 and had its first burial in 1988.  The cemetery has 703 plotted spaces and many of these are still available.  Cemetery Rd. is the road right by the Baptist Church on Hwy 87.

We’re going to play the, “did you know game”.  Did you know that:

• Residents and their spouse may be buried for free in the Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach and High Island Cemeteries
• There are no plots left for sale in the Port Bolivar or High Island Cemeteries for non-residents or additional family members for residents
• There are plenty of spots available in the Crystal Beach Cemetery for residents and their spouses for free and spots available for sale to non-residents and additional family members 
• Fairview Cemetery in Winnie, TX has plots for sale and they run $1,500 for residents and $2,500 for non-residents
• The average cost for a cemetery plot off the peninsula and to the north of us is $5,000 a plot and many you have to buy in multiples of three
• The last plot for the city-run cemeteries in Galveston, TX was purchased roughly 50 years ago and the only way to get buried in Galveston now is to already have a plot available, contact the privately owned cemeteries to check availability or search the internet for “plots” for sale
• The free residents plots are not reserved plots; you will be placed in the next available spot on the plat and your spouse’s plot will be adjacent to it

Come stop by our Crystal Beach Cemetery to meditate by a bird filled slough and pay your respects to those buried there and to our 22 veterans buried there.  Our cemetery board places flags on our veteran’s graves each year and we had a donation this year from an individual to place fresh flower wreaths on many of their graves.  The cemetery is a non-profit entity and so there are no taxes on your plots and like most cemeteries in the U.S. you do not own the property, you are basically renting it for perpetuity and at the Crystal Beach Cemetery you are making a donation for your plots.  The Crystal Beach Cemetery is not a perpetual care cemetery in order to keep initial costs down to families but in the same sense we have to have funds for the major job of grounds keeping and repairs and improvements that go on in the cemetery, so the way to raise these funds is to sell more plots and also ask families of those buried out there to donate each year for upkeep.

After doing comparative studies, we have found that there are no cemeteries in the near proximity that come close to our current prices of $250 for a cremation plot and $750 for a full sized plot, but unfortunately, we will be raising the price of full sized plots to $1,000 each as of January 1, 2026.  The cremation plots will remain $250 each.  We also offer discounts if purchasing more than 8 plots at a time. These amounts are considered donations and are tax deductible.  You will also receive a deed to your plot that you will keep in a safe place and pass it down through the family if you have multiple plots.

 We know that discussing funeral arrangements and burial spots isn’t the happiest thing to do, but if you love the Peninsula and your family loves the Peninsula, and you don’t have your spot somewhere else, what better place than Crystal Beach and what better time to acquire them while the price is still lower.  Isn’t it better to have it and not need it right away, than to need it right away and not have it?  If you are interested in purchasing a plot or multiple plots or just have questions, please email Lesli Hodges at lesli.hodges@yahoo.com.  We accept cash or checks payable to Crystal Beach Cemetery, P. O. Box 1573, Crystal Beach, TX 77650.  I for one, will be purchasing plots before the end of the year so my children don’t have to worry about where our heads or our ashes will be laid when the time comes.  Just one less thing to worry about. 

Elinor

Elinor Tinsley been a permanent Crystal Beach resident since April of 2017, after building her home with her husband, Pat Tinsley in 2011. Elinor has spent many years in service to others from Girl Scout leader to youth group leader to volunteering in many organizations, with the Bay Vue Methodist Church and the Bolivar Peninsula Cultural Foundation being the two that she commits most of her time to.

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