Cemeteries are in bloom this spring!





grave concerns texas historical commission branded header




April 2025






Color photo of a golden colored dog walking through a field of red and orange wildflowers in a historic cemetery in Lee County, Texas

Prospect Cemetery, Lee County

Grave Concerns in Texas, April 2025

A Publication of the Cemetery Preservation Program

"The Cemetery Preservation Program of the THC supports cemetery preservation efforts in each of the 254 counties across the state. Cemetery Preservation Program staff provides consultation, educational materials, and training to concerned citizens and public officials. In addition, the program offers the Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) designation and maintains a statewide inventory of cemeteries to record and protect historic burial grounds. Click here to learn more about our work. [ [link removed] ]"

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HTC Highlight: Yoakum City Colored Cemetery
Color photo of an African American woman touching a concrete headstone in a historic cemetery in Yoakum, Texas

Vanita L. Cheeves visiting the Yoakum City Colored Cemetery. Photograph by Duy Vu, The Victoria Advocate, February 10, 2023

We’re excited to share the inspiring story of the 132-year-old Yoakum City Colored Cemetery [ [link removed] ] and the preservation efforts of longtime local advocate Vanita L. Cheeves in this issue’s HTC Highlight.

The cemetery was established in 1893 thanks to resident Annie Dunn, who donated one acre of land to a group of cemetery trustees representing Yoakum’s African American community. By 1925, the growing cemetery was under the management of the newly formed Yoakum City Colored Cemetery Association. As is common with cemetery associations, elderly members began passing away and regular cemetery maintenance became harder to achieve with limited resources. 

Fast forward to the 2000s, Vanita took action to correct a pattern of environmental racism by the city of Yoakum that exacerbated the problem of illegal dumping and deteriorating conditions at the cemetery.



Color photo of a military headstone for U.S. Air Force veteran Augustine Howard.

In the later half of the 20th century, city-owned industrial and waste facilities began surrounding the historic cemetery, leading many to mistake the sacred burial grounds as an extension of the city landfill.

With her personal funds, Vanita began the long-overdue property research and clean-up efforts at the cemetery before receiving a matching $10,000 grant from the Yoakum Economic Development Corporation. Through community organizing and creative fundraising methods, the revived Yoakum Memorial Association has received a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey, a Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) designation, and, most importantly, a formal acknowledgment by the city of Yoakum for its past historical injustices.



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HTC Honor Roll

We’re thrilled to announce that 12 cemeteries have received HTC designations since February 7! Congratulations to the following cemeteries:

Gold colored graphic with the name of 12 Texas historic cemeteries and county names listed on the front

Alt-text: Daugherty Cemetery, Cherokee County; Post Oak Cemetery, Coryell County; Yoakum City Colored Cemetery, DeWitt County; Gann Cemetery, Hamilton County; Lone Star Baptist Church Cemetery, Kaufman County; Robinson Cemetery, Montague County; New Hope Cemetery, Palo Pinto County; Memorial Park Cemetery, Rockwall County; Walnut Creek Colored Cemetery, Travis County; Chalk Ridge Cemetery, Williamson County; Mullen Cemetery, Williamson County; Ratliff Cemetery, Williamson County

 

 

Want to designate a historic cemetery you care about? Visit our website [ [link removed] ] to get more information, watch a how-to video, and download the application.

Official Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion

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Cemetery Protection: Legislation We’re Watching

Color photo of a Black community member standing in a historic African American cemetery in Houston, Texas

Over the past several years, we’ve collected numerous examples of historic cemeteries erroneously charged for property taxes and then auctioned off by the county for delinquent taxes. Still more concerning is that, in some cases, the buyer had no idea they’d purchased land containing a cemetery. One major contributing factor to this situation is that so many cemeteries are abandoned, and no identifiable owner can complete and sign the exemption form required by appraisal districts.



House Bill 2723, authored by Representative Charles Cunningham (District 127) and carried in the Senate as SB 1920 by Senator Royce West (District 23), intends to rectify the problem. These bills give the county’s chief appraiser the power to grant a property tax exemption for cemeteries lacking an identifiable owner. To correctly identify these cemeteries, the appraisers can seek assistance from the county, cities within the county, the county historical commission, a preservation non-profit, or a state agency with related responsibility.

To follow the progress of these bills, visit the Texas Legislature Online [ [link removed] ].

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Cemeteries in Bloom

Colorful wildflowers cover a grave plot in Cementerio Mexicano Maria de la Luz, Travis County

We might be biased, but we think every day is a good day for visiting historic cemeteries, no matter the season. Visitors in April and May, however, may be in for a special treat. A growing number of cemetery caretakers are allowing nature to take its course during spring, resulting in a stunning show of wildflowers.

To see where the flowers are blooming, click here to visit the THC Blog. [ [link removed] ]



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The Resurrection of Oakland Cemetery

Oakland Cemetery volunteers pose with the cemetery's new historical marker

A crowd gathered in Oakland Cemetery [ [link removed] ] in Dallas on a cool, damp morning several weeks ago to unveil the cemetery’s new historical marker. The weather did not dampen their enthusiasm, though. They weren’t just celebrating the marker—they were celebrating a new life for the 134-year-old cemetery.

To read how volunteers saved Oakland Cemetery, click here to visit the THC Blog [ [link removed] ].



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Texas State Cemetery Visit

Color photograph of a tour guide speaking to a small group outdoors at the Texas State Cemetery on a walkway lined with Texas state flags.

This March, the Cemetery Preservation Program and our colleagues in the History Programs Division were treated to a special tour of the mother of all burial grounds – the Texas State Cemetery [ [link removed] ]. The 18-acre grounds are under the care of the State Board of Preservation, while eligibility to receive a burial plot is determined by the Texas State Cemetery Committee.



Color photo of a cemetery tour guide showing a visitors the grave of U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan at the Texas State Cemetery

We thank cemetery historian Will Erwin for sharing his favorite memories of the hundreds of funeral services he’s attended for the who’s who of Texas throughout his career.

We visited the grave of Warren Skaaren [ [link removed] ], the screenwriter of "Batman" (1989) and "Beetlejuice" (1988), got a rare up-close view of Elisabet Ney’s memorial statue of Albert Sidney Johnston [ [link removed](Texas_State_Cemetery)?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ], then ended the day on top of Republic Hill, where the late U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan [ [link removed] ] is buried. Touchingly, someone had left fresh flowers on her headstone, which reads:

Eloquent Champion of Ethics and Justice. We The People Salute You.



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Famous Graves—Selena Quintanilla

Color photo of Mexican American Pop and Tejano star Selena Quintanilla wearing a black and white stylish outfit during a photoshoot

This month’s famous grave is dedicated to one of the most influential Texans of our lifetime – Selena Quintanilla [ [link removed] ]. Fans across the world are commemorating the 30 years that have passed since her tragic death as a rising star in the Pop and Tejano music industry. Among the many colorful public tributes [ [link removed] ] to Selena in her hometown of Corpus Christi, her black granite monument in Seaside Memorial Gardens [ [link removed] ] stands out as a quiet space for reflection. 


Color photo of the walkway and benches leading to Tejano and Pop star Selena Quintanilla's gravesite in Corpus Christi

Purple flower offerings are often left by visiting fans, brightening the black granite gravesite with the iconic colors of Selena’s music and fashion [ [link removed] ]. Selena’s faith as a Jehovah’s Witness is reflected in the bible passage inscribed below a bronze plaque with the image of her face:

“He will actually swallow up death forever, and the sovereign lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.”

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Save The Date! October 2025 Cemetery Preservation Workshops

Color photo of a crew of workers leveling a headstone in a historic Texas cemetery

 

Stay tuned! In mid-October the Texas Historical Commission will be hosting headstone repair workshops near Athens in Henderson County. 

Look for the registration details in our July issue of "Grave Concerns in Texas."



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HTCs in the News

Lone Star Baptist Church Cemetery Designated Historic Texas Cemetery [ [link removed] ]—The Kaufman Herald (Lone Star Baptist Church, Kaufman Co.)

Honoring Pioneers: Vollmer Cemetery Receives Historic Texas Cemetery Designation [ [link removed] ]—The Leader (Vollmer Cemetery, Harris Co.)

Preserving the Past: Experts Hold Local Historic Cemeteries Workshop [ [link removed] ]—Beaumont Enterprise (Pear Orchard and Blanchette cemeteries, Jefferson Co.)

Eagle Scout Transforms Historic Smeltertown Cemetery to Honor El Paso's Past [ [link removed] ]—KFOX (Smeltertown Cemetery, El Paso Co.)

Spring Branch 11-year-old Leads Charge to Restore Veterans' Graves in Community Cemeteries [ [link removed] ]—KENS

Community Members, Descendants Gather at Conroe Community Cemetery for Texas Historical Marker Unveiling [ [link removed] ]—Community Impact (Conroe Community Cemetery, Montgomery Co.)

TXST Class Documents San Pedro Cemetery History [ [link removed] ]—San Marcos Daily Record (San Pedro Cemetery, Hays Co.)

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Upcoming HTC Marker Dedications

April 26: Pear Orchard Cemetery [ [link removed] ] (Jefferson Co.)

April 26: Shiloh Cemetery [ [link removed] ] (Robertson Co.)

May 24: Akers Cemetery [ [link removed] ] (Cooke Co.)

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