Garza-Valadez Cemetery

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Garza-Valadez Cemetery in Wilson County. Now settle in, because some of the quietest places hold the loudest stories. Out in the Old Lodi Settlement, there are three burial grounds that served the community over the years.

This one, the Garza-Valadez Cemetery, is where we're stopping today. Most of the souls resting here were Texans of Mexican descent, and that detail matters, because this ground is a record of a pioneering Hispanic community that put down roots in Wilson County and never let go. The oldest known burial belongs to Polonio Garcia, who died in 1883.

Though the marker is careful to note there may be earlier interments still, names and dates the earth hasn't given up yet. Among those who followed Polonio into that ground is Juan de la Garza, a Civil War veteran, a man who carried the weight of that war in his bones and still made a life out here. And then came the next generation's sacrifice.

Vicente Garza and Jesus Valdez, both World War I veterans, are buried here too. Three wars represented in one quiet cemetery in Wilson County. You walk among the graves and you find crosses, grave slabs, inscriptions in Spanish, and something that'll stop you in your tracks: an enclosure built of red bricks, the same kind of red bricks used in constructing the Wilson County Courthouse.

The same hands, the same clay, the same county, holding two very different kinds of history together. And here's the thing that gives this story its landing. The Garza-Valadez Cemetery is still active today.

Still receiving. Still reminding anyone who'll listen that this community was here, was real, and isn't finished yet.

What the marker says

This burial ground is one of three that served the Old Lodi Settlement. Most of the individuals interred here were Texans of Mexican descent. The oldest known burial is of Polonio Garcia, who died in 1883, though there may be earlier interments. Others buried here include Civil War veteran Juan de la Garza, and World War I veterans Vicente Garza and Jesus Valdez. The cemetery features crosses, grave slabs, spanish language inscriptions and an enclosure made of red bricks similar to those used in building the Wilson County Courthouse. Today, the cemetery remains active and continues as a reminder of the area's pioneering Hispanic community.