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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Sun City (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Sun City. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Sun City is located in Williamson County.

To see how the shape of Texas' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Williamson County: Bastrop, Bell, Burnet, Lee, Milam & Travis.

Below are the counties that are near Sun City. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Sun City:

  • Williamson County     (The home county of Sun City)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.
    • Serenada
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Serenada is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Serenada
    • Georgetown
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Weir
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Weir is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weir
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 549 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weir <1>
    • Walburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jarrell
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Andice
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Florence
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Liberty Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Schwertner
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Round Rock
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Leander
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Leander is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leander
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 70,519 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leander <1>
    • Brushy Creek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Brushy Creek is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy Creek
  • Bell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.
    • Bartlett
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Ding Dong
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Ding Dong is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ding Dong
    • Salado
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Maxdale ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Maxdale is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxdale
    • Holland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Harker Heights
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Nolanville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Sparks
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Sparks is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sparks
    • Vilas
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Vilas is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
    • Killeen
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Academy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Academy is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Academy
    • Belton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Burnet County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.
    • Briggs
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bertram
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Oatmeal
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Spicewood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Burnet
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Coryell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.
    • Montague Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Montague Village is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montague Village
    • Comanche Village I
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Comanche Village I is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comanche Village I
    • Comanche Village II
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Comanche Village II is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comanche Village II
    • Comanche Village III
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Comanche Village III is located in Coryell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comanche Village III
  • Lampasas County
    • Kempner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Milam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.
    • Davilla
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Val Verde
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Val Verde is located in Milam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Val Verde
  • Travis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.
    • Three Points
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Three Points is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Three Points
    • Wells Branch
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Wells Branch is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wells Branch
    • Windemere
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Windemere is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windemere
    • Nameless ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Nameless is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nameless
      • Nameless has also been known as:
      • Cross Creek
      • Fairview
    • Kings Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Kings Village is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Village
    • Pflugerville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Jonestown
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Volente
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Cele
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Cele is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cele
    • Villa Siesta Retirement Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Lago Vista
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Hudson Bend
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Hudson Bend is located in Travis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson Bend

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Sun City, see our County-by-County Page for Sun City.

Cemeteries Near Sun City ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sun City.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Sun City - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Sun City covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.

  • Jenkins Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Sawyer Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Salyer - Millard Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Bullion Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Farmer Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Matsler Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Rocky Hollow Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Hunt Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Whiteley Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Whitley Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Wesley Chapel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (177 more) ...

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>

While we didn't find Sun City in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Sun City.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Sun City, with the one closest to Sun City listed first.

  • Georgetown
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Theon
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Theon is located in Williamson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Theon
  • Walburg
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Corn Hill
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Corn Hill is located in Williamson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corn Hill
  • Florence
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Jonah
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jonah is located in Williamson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jonah
  • Liberty Hill
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Leander
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Leander is located in Williamson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leander
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 70,519 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leander <1>
  • Round Rock
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Old Round Rock ‑ Historic
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Old Round Rock is located in Williamson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Round Rock
  • Mahomet
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Mahomet is located in Burnet County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mahomet
  • Cedar Park
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Hutto
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Hutto is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutto
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 29,987 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hutto <1>
    • Youngsport
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Youngsport is located in Bell County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Youngsport
    • Granger
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Sun City. See our List of 1890's Communities around Sun City.

Newspapers Published in Sun City ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sun City.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sun City, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sun City.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Sun City:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<3>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Sun City, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Sun City) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.