DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one passing it along. Out on the Texas Gulf Coast, in Matagorda County, there's a patch of ground that's been holding the memories of a community since before most folks around here were born. This is the story of the Collegeport Cemetery.
The town of Collegeport was founded in 1908, and right from those early days, this site was set aside for the people who lived and died in the area. Among the earliest burials are those of Elizabeth Palmer and Harry Sundstrom — names carved into the beginning of this place's long history. Now here's something that'll catch your eye if you ever walk those grounds: several of the burials are marked not by conventional headstones, but by Roman numerals set right into shell concrete.
Think about that for a moment. Roman numerals. Shell concrete.
Out there on the Texas coast. Somebody wanted those markers to last. For decades, the King's Daughters organization took it upon themselves to maintain the cemetery — and they did so from 1921 all the way to 1958, when the Collegeport Cemetery Association was formed to carry that responsibility forward.
Then came 1961. Hurricane Carla. And Carla didn't just bend the trees and flood the roads — she destroyed most of the cemetery records.
Just like that, a piece of the paper memory of this place was gone. But here's the thing about Collegeport. The community never let go of that ground.
From the early days, when men dug the graves by hand, to those today funding operation and maintenance projects — somebody has always been out there tendin' to it. Some places get remembered because of what was built there. This one gets remembered because of who keeps showing up.
What the marker says
Collegeport Cemetery The town of Collegeport was founded in 1908, and this site was used as a cemetery for area residents. Early burials include those of Elizabeth Palmer and Harry Sundstrom. Several burials are marked by Roman numerals set into shell concrete. The King's Daughters organization maintained the cemetery from 1921 to 1958, when the Collegeport Cemetery Association was formed. In 1961, hurricane Carla destroyed most of the cemetery records. Members of the community have always tended the burial ground, from men in the early days digging the graves to those funding operation and maintenance projects today. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2002