Moline swedish lutheran cemetery

The Moline Swedish Lutheran Cemetery was established in Elroy, Texas in 1897. It was originally an annex to the Gethsemane Lutheran Church of Austin, Texas. The Swedish population began to move away from the area in the 1930s, and by the 1950s, the congregation was too small to sustain the church. The church was dismantled after closing in 1955. The remaining congregation became the charter members of the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas and many of its members became stewards of the site.

The Swedish migration to central Texas was largely fueled by the work of Swante Magnus Swenson who came to America in 1836. Swenson eventually settled in Austin, Texas and established numerous successful business endeavors with his uncle Swante Palm. After establishing the SMS Ranches, Swenson became one of the largest landowners in Texas and was encouraged by Samuel Houston to recruit more Swedish immigrants to come work the land holdings. Swenson traveled by ship back and forth to Sweden 16 times beginning in 1848, recruiting his countrymen to come and join his agricultural efforts in the central Texas region. In Elroy, Texas, roughly 70 families of Swedish immigrants established schools, farms, cemeteries, and three churches including the Moline Swedish Lutheran Church (1897), the Swedish Evangelical Free Church (1901), and the Swedish Baptist Church (1903). This "Swedish Pipeline," which primarily ran from Småland to Galveston, slowed greatly by 1910 but the Swedish influence on the region is still visible today.

In 1908, the women of the Moline Swedish Lutheran Church organized and raised funds to buy the lot next to the church and built a parsonage for the pastor and his family. The parsonage also served as a venue for weddings and community gatherings. This building is still standing near the cemetery.

The Friends of Moline Lutheran Cemetery (FMLC) is a nonprofit organization which formed in 2012 to revitalize and maintain the cemetery. This organization works to protect the unique history contained within the Moline Swedish Lutheran Cemetery and raise funds to ensure its enduring accessibility to the public. A grant from the Swedish Council of America has helped fund the FMLC's goal to build a kiosk and information board to help visitors understand the history and geography of the cemetery. Other contributors to the restoration of this cemetery include the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Gesthemane Lutheran Church and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church of Austin, the University of Texas at Austin School of Information, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and the Swedish Women's Education Association.

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