07/17/2026
THE WITCHES GRAVE , Katy , Texas .
It's a tradition almost as essential as football games or prom - many high schoolers in Katy visit the witch's grave at least once before they graduate.
That is, if they'll risk being cursed by the hexes rumored to be guarding her 115 year old grave.
The legend concerns the grave of Barbara Snyder in Katy Magnolia Cemetery. Snyder was a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania with her husband, according to an article in Katy Lifestyles and Homes by historical author Carol Adams. Snyder eventually moved to Katy with her daughter and son-in-law before she died in 1911.
Snyder's grave is marked by a large tombstone; a relic that is partially responsible for her reputation in urban legend.
"Prepare for death and follow me," reads the eerie final line of the epitaph on Snyder's grave. Story variations include a number of black cats that would congregate near the grave, strange voices, and whistles and cold breezes that blow even in the summer. If you do visit, be sure to leave a coin on her grave to appease her spirit.
