88R25523 BK-D
By: Bowers H.R. No. 1311
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has a rich cultural heritage, and
its cemeteries serve as a tangible link to its history; and
WHEREAS, As Texas has grown and become urbanized, some of the
state's cemeteries have been lost or forgotten, and their
accompanying grave markers, if they were ever placed, have decayed
or have gone missing; remembering and identifying these sites is
vital to understanding the lives and legacies of those interred in
them; and
WHEREAS, Across the state, there are a number of well-known
unmarked cemeteries, including the Freedmen's Cemetery in Dallas,
which served as a burial place for formerly enslaved people; there
are numerous other cemeteries that were used for the burial of
African Americans and Black Americans who lived under segregation,
including Horst Plantation Cemetery in Austin and Oakwood Cemetery
in Tyler; and
WHEREAS, Many cemeteries remain unknown and unmarked, making
it difficult to preserve them, and the observance of Unmarked
Cemetery Day on May 3, 2023, serves to raise awareness of the need
to identify and protect these important historical sites and to
honor the memories of those Texans whose final resting places have
been forgotten; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize May 3, 2023, as Unmarked Cemetery Day
and commend all those who are dedicated to the documentation and
preservation of Texas's historic cemeteries.