Bethany Cemetery Association

25/09/2026

BETHANY STORY HIGHLIGHT
RUTHIE TAYLOR (1868–1931)

Midwife. Practical Nurse. Healer. A Woman Whose Work Helped Bring Generations Into the World. Before most women gave birth in hospitals, there were women like Ruthie Taylor.

Born into slavery, Ruthie lived through an extraordinary period of change—from emancipation through the early decades of the 20th century. She became a midwife and practical nurse, carrying knowledge and skills that were essential to Black families at a time when access to medical care was limited by both race and poverty.
For generations, Black midwives were among the most important healthcare providers in Black communities. They did far more than attend births. They cared for mothers before and after delivery, tended newborns, shared knowledge with younger women, and often provided care when a physician was unavailable or inaccessible. And yet, their work mostly went unrecorded.
Census records sometimes listed Ruthie Taylor’s occupation simply as “none.”

But Ruthie was far from a woman who did “nothing.”
Research tells us that she became a practical nurse and midwife, worked under Dr. McCaleb, and assisted women in labor at Austin’s Brackenridge Hospital, including its segregated maternity facilities.
Her story also reflects a larger history. As medicine became increasingly professionalized during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, childbirth gradually moved from homes into hospitals. Traditional midwives—many of them Black women who had safely served their communities for generations—were increasingly regulated, restricted, and portrayed as untrained or outdated.
Their names disappeared.
Their occupations disappeared.
But the generations they helped bring into this world remained.
Ruthie Taylor reminds us that the historical record does not always tell us everything a person did, everything they knew, or everything they meant to their community.

Sometimes we have to look beyond what was written in a census column to understand the life that was lived.
Ruthie Taylor died in 1931 and rests at Bethany Cemetery, among the people and families whose lives helped build Austin.
Her story deserves to be remembered.

Every Stone Has a Story — Not Every Story Has a Stone.
Bethany Cemetery Association

Preserving the people. Recovering the stories. Teaching the history

15/09/2026

Uncle Dick George
A man whose life stretched from slavery into freedom and whose memories spanned the birth of Texas itself.

Born enslaved in 1814 in Franklin County, Tennessee, Dick George came to Texas in the early 1830s with his enslaver, Priestley George. Though he could not read or write, he carried history in his heart. He lived through the Texas War of Independence, followed General Sam Houston through battles and even served him when Houston became President of the Republic of Texas.

Uncle Dick knew many early Texas leaders — including John H. Reagan, who as a boy joined him and his young master on fox hunts. Later in Bastrop County, Uncle Dick managed the plantation entirely when his enslaver was away.

He often recalled hearing Sam Houston’s first presidential speech, and he proudly told how he helped cut and saw the stones for the first Texas State Capitol building. (*Helped build the capital)

When Uncle Dick George passed away in Austin at the age of 94, he left behind not just a remarkable story, but living testimony of a man who had seen Texas grow from revolution to statehood. His life reminds us how deeply African Americans helped shape the foundation of this state.

Uncle Dick George is another story without a stone. But his story is not lost. There are many more people buried at Bethany whose names and stories are still waiting to be uncovered. Some have weathered stones. Some have no markers at all. For some, the only clues may be found in an old newspaper, death certificate, census record, military record, family Bible, photograph, or the memories passed down through generations.

Finding these stories takes time, research, preservation, documentation—and resources.
When you contribute to the Bethany Cemetery Association,

You are not simply donating to a cemetery.
You are helping us give names and stories back to history.
If you believe this work matters, please consider making a contribution to the Bethany Cemetery Association.

Help us keep searching.
Help us keep documenting.
Help us keep telling their stories.

GIVE AT:

https://app.betterunite.com/bethanycemeteryassociation-alwayson

EVERY STONE HAS A STORY — NOT EVERY STORY HAS A STONE.

12/09/2026

NOT EVERY STORY AT BETHANY IS A COMFORTABLE ONE.
BUT EVERY STORY DESERVES TO BE TOLD.
MAY 2, 1904 | AUSTIN, TEXAS
More than 120 years ago, Henry Simmons, a Black man also identified in newspaper accounts as Henry Williams, was hanged at the Travis County Jail.
His story offers a disturbing window into Austin in the early 1900s—a time when race, fear, public outrage and the threat of mob violence could surround the administration of justice.
Simmons was accused of the murder of Lula Sandberg near Manor on April 21, 1904. After his capture, reports described hundreds of angry men gathering around the jail, creating such concern about a possible lynching that armed guards and state militia were used to protect him while he was in custody.
Then came justice with astonishing speed.
The killing occurred April 21.
Simmons was captured April 25.
His trial began April 29.
The trial reportedly lasted about TWO HOURS.
The jury deliberated approximately THREE MINUTES.
On May 2—only 11 days after the crime—Henry Simmons was hanged.
Even a Texas newspaper at the time raised a question that still deserves consideration today: Could a man receive justice without “passion or prejudice” when the community was inflamed and threats of mob violence surrounded the proceedings?
The racial attitudes of the period are also preserved in the newspaper coverage itself. Simmons was repeatedly identified first by his race, and some commentary used openly dehumanizing language that would be shocking today. Those words are difficult to read, but they are part of the historical record.
There is another haunting part of the story. The paper describes the hanging in grisly detail — the public spectacle, medical observations that he lived about 14 minutes after the drop, crowd behavior (people scrambling for pieces of rope),
Contemporary reporting stated that out of fear, Simmons's relatives refused to claim his body. After the ex*****on, the sheriff quickly removed his body, and the county paid for his burial.
Today, Henry Simmons rests at Bethany Cemetery without a known marker.
There is no stone telling visitors what happened.
But there is a story.
And that is why Bethany matters.
Not every person buried at Bethany was famous.
Not every death was peaceful.
Not every story is uplifting.
And not every story makes Austin comfortable.
But together, they tell us what this city was—and help us understand what it became.
Bethany Cemetery is more than a collection of graves. It is an archive written in stone, soil, newspaper pages, public records—and in the places where stones are missing.

Every Stone Has a Story — Not Every Story Has a Stone.
The Bethany Cemetery Association continues working to uncover and preserve these stories so that people like Henry Simmons are not simply lost to history.

28/08/2026

🎉 THE ANCESTORS ARE REJOICING — BETHANY MADE HISTORY TODAY! 🎉

Today is a day of celebration, gratitude, and remembrance.

Bethany Cemetery's Historic Landmark designation passed on the Austin City Council consent agenda!

After generations of advocacy and nearly 49 years since Eva Taylor Ross first sought historic recognition for Bethany, the City of Austin has formally acknowledged the historical and cultural significance of this sacred place. City records confirm that the original historic zoning effort was initiated in 1977 at the request of Eva Taylor Ross.

I cannot adequately thank everyone who helped bring us to this moment.

A special remembrance goes to the late Juan Raymon Rubio, who first encouraged me to reapply for Bethany's historic designation. He helped set this journey back into motion, and I wish he were here to see where it led. City records show Commissioner Rubio sponsored the 2024 effort to initiate historic zoning for Bethany.

Thank you to the City of Austin Historic Preservation Office, Preservation Austin, the Travis County Historical Commission, the Odd Fellows, and the many organizations, volunteers, researchers, descendants, donors and friends who have worked behind the scenes.

And thank you to my family, who has always understood that preserving Bethany is more than a project — it is a mission. A special thank you to my daughter, Jasmin Gardner-Girard, for always standing beside me.

One person never does this work alone.

Thank you also to CBS Austin for helping share Bethany's story with the community today.

Historic designation means that Bethany's history is now formally acknowledged by the City of Austin. But designation does not mean our work is finished.

We still need help caring for the grounds, preserving fragile headstones, researching those buried here, improving the site, educating future generations, and ensuring that Bethany remains protected long after all of us are gone.

So tonight, we celebrate.

Tomorrow, the preservation continues.

If Bethany's story has touched you, please continue to stand with us. Volunteer. Donate. Research. Advocate. Share our stories. Help us turn this historic recognition into lasting preservation.

I can only imagine Eva Ross and all those who fought before us looking down on Bethany today.

The ancestors are rejoicing.

We heard you.
We remembered you.
And we will continue the work.

❤️ Bethany Cemetery Association
Every Stone Has a Story — Not Every Story Has a Stone.

20/08/2026

49 YEARS LATER — WE ARE STILL WALKING IN HER FOOTSTEPS
Generations of Advocacy: The Story of Eva Taylor Ross & Bethany Cemetery
Nearly a century ago, one Austin woman made a promise that would help keep Bethany Cemetery alive.
Bethany Cemetery was established in 1893, and for its early decades, the Bethany Cemetery Association paid a caretaker to maintain the grounds. But by the late 1920s and 1930s, many of Bethany's original founders had grown older or passed away, leaving the cemetery's future uncertain. That's when Eva Taylor Ross stepped forward.
Eva was born in Austin around 1895 to Ruthie and John Taylor. When her mother died in 1931, Eva wanted her buried at Bethany alongside some of her siblings who had not survived to adulthood. Her father had concerns.
Would Bethany continue to be cared for? Would his wife's final resting place be respected and maintained? Evergreen Cemetery had opened in 1928 and offered city-sponsored maintenance. Eva made her father a promise.
If he would allow her mother to be buried at Bethany, Eva would dedicate herself to keeping Bethany a respected and honored burial ground. She kept that promise. For decades, Eva faithfully cared for and advocated for Bethany Cemetery. Records show that even as she approached 90 years old, she was still fighting for this sacred place.
And nearly 49 years ago, Eva Ross took that fight before the City of Austin, seeking historic recognition for Bethany Cemetery.
She did not live to see that recognition become a reality. Eva passed away in 1992. In a bittersweet ending to her story, the woman who devoted so much of her life to protecting Bethany was ultimately buried at Capital Memorial Gardens in Pflugerville — away from the mother and siblings whose graves helped inspire her lifelong commitment.
AND NOW, 49 YEARS LATER, WE ARE WALKING THE SAME PATH.
The Bethany Cemetery Association will once again go before the City of Austin — this time before the Austin City Council — seeking Historic Landmark designation for Bethany Cemetery.
We carry Eva's work with us. We carry the work of the original Bethany Cemetery Association. We carry the stories of the formerly enslaved, veterans, ministers, educators, laborers, mothers, fathers and children whose final resting place is Bethany. Eva kept her promise. Now it is our generation's turn to keep ours. Let's finish what Eva Ross started.
Please stand with us at the upcoming Austin City Council Public Hearing on August 27, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and help us demonstrate that Bethany Cemetery and the people buried there still matter to Austin. Attend in person or show your support virtually

Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street
Historic Zoning Case: C14H-2025-0117

16/08/2026

☀️🌿 SERVICE. LEADERSHIP. REMEMBRANCE. 🌿☀️

On one of the hottest days of the summer, an incredible group of volunteers showed up at Bethany Cemetery with a purpose — and what they left behind is something truly beautiful.

A very special THANK YOU to Eagle Scout Roman Winson, who chose Bethany Cemetery for his Eagle Scout service project and coordinated a wonderful team of volunteers to create a new Reflection Area at the cemetery. ❤️

This peaceful space will give descendants, visitors, volunteers, and members of our community a place to sit, reflect, remember, and connect with the history and the ancestors who rest at Bethany.

Working in the Texas summer heat was no small task, but Roman and his volunteers came prepared to serve. Their hard work, teamwork, and dedication transformed an area of the cemetery into a welcoming place of reflection that will be enjoyed for years to come.

For us, projects like this are about more than beautification. They are acts of remembrance. Every person who gives their time, talent, and energy to Bethany helps us say to those buried here:

You are remembered. Your lives mattered. Your stories still matter.

On behalf of the Bethany Cemetery Association — and the ancestors whose resting place we are honored to protect — THANK YOU, Roman, for choosing Bethany for your Eagle Scout project. And thank you to every volunteer who worked alongside him despite the heat to make his vision a reality.

You have left your own special footprint on this historic ground. 💚

“Every Stone Has a Story — Not Every Story Has a Stone.”

13/08/2026

49 YEARS LATER — NOW IS OUR MOMENT!

It has been 49 years since Austin was last asked to recognize Bethany Cemetery as a historic landmark. (October 17, 1977)

On August 27, 2026, we have another opportunity to make that vision a reality. Bethany is more than a cemetery. It is a sacred place holding the stories of formerly enslaved people, veterans, families, community leaders, and generations of Black Austinites who helped build this city.
At a time when so many historic sites are being erased, Bethany must be protected, honored, and remembered.

WE NEED OUR COMMUNITY TO SHOW UP AND MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD!

Thursday, August 27, 2026
2:00 PM
Austin City Hall, Council Chambers
301 W. 2nd Street
Case: C14H-2025-0117

Come stand with us as we ask the Austin City Council to approve Historic Landmark zoning for Bethany Cemetery. If you cannot attend in person, consider participating virtually and making your support known.

Honor the past. Protect the present. Preserve the future.
Please SHARE and help us fill the room! ❤️

28/07/2025