The 2017–2022
Beautification Project

Background

The cemetery has been in continuous use since 1903, with different generations adding, then doing upkeep on, the fencing and pathways. After a family funeral in early 2017, some of the primos got to talking about how the cemetery had begun looking a little worse for wear. Realizing that they’d individually been mulling over ideas for sprucing it up, they decided it was time to make it happen. An informal “committee” sprang up to get the ball rolling: Eladio “Llallo” Barrera, Armando “Mando” López (rest in peace), Rodolfo “Fito” Bazán, and Gilberto “Beto” Peña.

Ultimately, well over 100 members of the López clan and their families would come together and pitch in whatever they could—money, materials, expertise, equipment, labor—to cooperatively improve and beautify the family cemetery, not only as a tribute to those ancestors and loved ones laid to rest here, but as a legacy to their children, and to preserve the family’s name in the historical record.

Project accomplishments

The project turned into a six-year journey.

YEAR 1: 2017

A lot of money, time, and sweat was poured into this stage.

• First, heavy equipment was brought in to clean up the fenceline.
• Then, installation was begun of net-wire fencing to provide an upgraded defense against wildlife and cattle.
• A century’s worth of trash was also cleared away from around the fence and from the grave of young Leonila Lopez. Dating back to around 1921, Leonila’s gravesite used to have a little wrought-iron fence around it, but as trash blew in and then the fence began to corrode and fall apart, people sadly mistook this grave for a trash pit and dumped even more trash inside, until the grave was completely hidden and nearly lost to history.  Now, people can see and honor her again.
• For the road, 8 truckloads of caliche were hauled in to resurface it.
• This website and a Facebook group were launched to share news about the cemetery.
• Finally, the most noticeable improvement was completed: a new decorative entryway was designed and installed, with brick columns and a custom, metalwork arch proclaiming the cemetery’s name.

YEAR 2: 2018

• By January, the primos had completed the perimeter fencing.
• Behind the scenes, work was underway to apply for a historical marker—a very long and competitive process that involved gathering public records and other research to document the cemetery and its historical significance, as well as creating a list and map of the over 200 known burials here.
• In August, Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) status was secured. As the Texas Historical Commission notes, “The HTC designation is an official recognition of family and community graveyards…. Cemeteries are important keys to Texas’ past. They are reminders of settlement patterns and reveal information about historic events, religion, lifestyles, and genealogy…. The HTC designation was developed in 1998 to help protect historic cemeteries by recording cemetery boundaries in county deed records to alert present and future owners of land adjacent to the cemetery of its existence.” With HTC designation, the door was opened to submitting an application for an official Texas historical marker, which meant making the case that the cemetery had historical significance beyond just being an HTC.
• As part of the research, it was discovered that there was no official easement guaranteeing public access from the county road to the cemetery, so the family worked to get one on file with the county. Special thanks go to Gracie Lopez Gruber and her daughter Ariana Munoz for granting the easement through their property, and to María Teresa Canales Garza, who did the title research and paperwork.

YEAR 3: 2019

• The new year brought great news: the Texas Historical Commission had awarded the cemetery historical status. In fact, the cemetery beat out 51 other applicants to become one of only 185 historical markers selected that year.
• The family rallied to quickly raise the nearly $2,000 required to buy the actual marker.

YEAR 4: 2020

• The entire year would pass with no sign of the marker. Not only was the Covid pandemic causing all kinds of delays, but the Texas Historical Commission was having to find a new company to make the markers after the last one was sold.
• Ongoing cemetery maintenance continued, with the primos setting up a volunteer rotation system for regular mowing.

YEAR 5: 2021

• The historical marker finally arrived in September and was installed the very same day by the primos—enough time had already been lost.

• Work was underway on a keepsake book about the cemetery’s history—another lengthy process.
• In December 2021—118 years after Antonio Lopez’s death—the primos installed a small granite plaque by his tombstone that’s engraved with one of his original poems. The plaque was meant to replace the wooden case that used to display the poem there before it fell apart, with the poem rewritten by hand whenever it faded. Antonio’s poem reads as follows, with a translation by López descendant Andrés Sáenz (rest in peace):

Aqui yace una existencia,
El que siete décadas tuvo,
Que la que a su lado estuvo,
Adolorida por su ausencia,
Recoja el polvo y la esencia,
Que su espíritu contuvo.

Here lies an existence
That lasted seven decades
May the one whom he had by his side,
Grieved by his absence,
Pick up the dust and the essence,
That his spirit contained.

YEAR 6: 2022

• In May, a second small granite plaque was installed by Antonio’s grave in memory of his first wife and the original López matriarch, María de los Santos González López. She’s believed to be buried in Las Latas Cemetery, located in Alice; a small sample of soil from Las Latas was buried under the plaque.

• The keepsake book about the cemetery’s history was finally completed and printed in October. (If you didn’t pre-order a copy, you can use this form to inquire about getting one.)

• With the worst risks of the Covid pandemic hopefully over, an official dedication ceremony and celebration was finally scheduled for November 19, with roughly 250 López clan members indicating they planned to attend. The event marked the conclusion of the beautification and improvement project, though ongoing maintenance remains a necessity.

We need YOU to help keep the cemetery looking good!

With no formal cemetery association and no trash service, it’s up to every family to do their part. Here are some things you can do:

• Carry out with you any old flowers or other trash.
• Make sure flowers or other decorations are properly secured so that they can’t blow around and litter the cemetery.
• Keep your family plots tidy.
• If you have access to a tractor and are able to help with regular mowing of the big open area, please contact Eladio Barrera (or use this form) to add your name to the rotation.

Project donor list

Many thanks to those who helped fund the project and/or implement the improvements noted above! Their names appear below in alphabetical order, as of 6/24/19. (If you spot a misspelling, omission, or other error, please accept our sincere apologies and use this form to let us know so it can be corrected.)

• Ester Lopez Alaníz
• Yolanda Barfoot
• Audelia “Lela” Barrera
• Eladio and Juanita Barrera
• Tara Moser and Sonia Barrera
• Sebero and Ana Maria Barrientes
• William, Renee, and Rosann Barton
• Mario and Jill Bazan
• Rodolfo and Diana Bazan
• Bobby Benavides
• Tomas and Elvira Benavides
• Elena and James Boleware
• Patricia Barrera Cano
• Tomas and Nelda Cardenas, Jr.
• Rosaura (Lopez) Copeland
• Thelma Bazan Cuellar
• Antonio and Lucinda Flores
• Annabelle Garcia
• Elias and Lilia Garcia
• Enrique and Donna Garcia
• Gracie Garcia
• Josefa Garcia
• Leonel and Aida Garcia
• Lucilla Garcia
• Rene and Elma Garcia
• Rudy and Elda Garcia
• Edna Garza
• Esmeralda Garza
• Maria Teresa Canales Garza
• Adalberto Gonzalez
• Romeo and Diana Gonzales
• Gracie Lopez Gruber
• Sandra and Steve Haire
• Elmar Hernandez
• Esperanza “Pola” Lopez Hernandez
• Lionel Lichtenberger
• Adriana Lopez
• Alejandro Lopez, Jr.
• Ariel Lopez
• Armando and Alma Lopez
• Armando and Elena Lopez
• Armin and Norma Lopez
• Chico and Yolanda Lopez
• David Lopez
• Florentino and Kimberly Lopez
• Jose Lopez
• Juan de Dios and Cynthia Lopez
• Lesbia Lopez
• Mario Lopez
• Minerva Lopez
• Ruben and Estela Lopez
• Carlos Maldonado
• Ludivina Maldonado
• Guadalupe and Gumecinda Martinez
• Adolfo and Maria Antonia Montemayor
• Albesa Montemayor
• Alejandro and Herminia Irma Montemayor
• Carlos and Herminia Montemayor
• Thelma Montemayor
• Eleazar Moreno
• Genoveva Moreno
• Rosendo Moreno
• Yolanda Morgan
• Ariana Elise Muñoz
• Esther Moreno Muñoz
• Balde and Sylvia Navejar
• Gilberto and Belia Peña
• Pedro and Becky Peña, III
• Esmeralda Rocha
• Linda Reynolds
• Amado and Diane Saenz
• Eleuterio and Enedelia Saenz
• Elma Saenz
• Felix Saenz
• Francisco and Gloria Saenz
• Jose Rolando and Ernestina Saenz
• Jose Saenz
• Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Saenz
• Roberto Saenz
• Roel Saenz
• Estela Lopez Salinas
• Jose O. and Thelma Salinas
• Estela Salazar
• Thelma Salazar
• Paulita Vela Serrato
• Ernesto and Maria Esmeralda Valadez, Jr.
• Teresa Valadez
• Martin and Librada Vela
• Enedina Moreno Villarreal
• Elizabeth and Steve Whitehurst