H.R. No. 245
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Harris County Historical Commission and Second
Chance Outreach are hosting the dedication of a county historical
marker at Rest Lawn Cemetery in Houston on March 16, 2019; and
WHEREAS, One of the oldest cemeteries in the African American
community of Acres Homes, Rest Lawn was established in 1932 by
Mrs. Robert E. Doty, who set aside two acres for burials in a
10-acre parcel she purchased on the corner of Wheatley Street and
Ferguson Way; and
WHEREAS, Several plots had been sold by 1942, when Elmer Hay
and Luther M. Inkley bought Rest Lawn and the adjacent lot; in 1970,
the cemetery was acquired by MJM Cemeteries, Inc., which added
several nearby lots, expanding the property to almost 3.2 acres;
and
WHEREAS, The earliest known burial came in 1943, and over the
years, the cemetery has served veterans of World War I, World War
II, and the Korean War, as well as the blues singer and musician
Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner and other notable residents; since 2012,
Rest Lawn has been cared for by Second Chance Outreach and the Iota
chapter of Omega Psi Phi; and
WHEREAS, For more than 75 years, Rest Lawn Cemetery has
served as a final resting place for members of the Acres Homes
community, and this marker is a fitting tribute to the cemetery's
long history and to the contributions of all those who are interred
there; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of a Harris County
Historical Marker at Rest Lawn Cemetery and extend to all those
involved in securing this recognition sincere appreciation for
their efforts to bring this project to fruition.
Johnson of Harris
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 245 was adopted by the House on March
6, 2019, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House