02/18/2022
My wife and I are the current owners of the property (well....the surrounding property anyway, as technically in Texas as I understand, we don't "own" the cemetery.)
One of the first things we decided when we learned about the cemetery was to try and improve the area out of respect for those interred there and especially for the Veterans that are buried there. I have a basic understanding of the history according to neighbors and those family members I have spoken to over the past couple years. Frankie Tucker told me that her late husband Tom Tucker had kept it maintained for years until his health declined. Since then, it was essentially untouched until we bought the place in 2019.
Beginning in the summer of 2019, we hired Delbert Finney to begin the process of clearing brush and trimming out dead trees. With his help and that of couple of his grandchildren, we were able to open up the entry and uncover many more graves (both marked and unmarked). Unfortunately, he passed away earlier this year, so I am looking for more help with the clearing process.
I have spoken to several people with the Texas Historical Commission in an attempt to learn more about how to map the existing grave sites with ground penetrating radar and fix the existing damaged grave stones. They have great ideas and am happy to share their recommendations with anyone interested. Several of the stones are in disrepair and I’m trying to locate experts in that field to fix them.
I spray for weeds/vines and mow the areas outside and around the gravesites. We are in the process of improving the entry with new fence and both a walk-through and drive through gate. Our goal is to have the entry such that you can park your car at the gate and walk up the drive. We want it to be inviting to family members and people interested in the history of the site. Once the gate is finished, we will plant some flowers (hopefully transplant some of the daffodils at the top of the hill) around the entrance and have a sign cut that says “Hart Family Cemetery” or something nice to identify it. I’d also have a small sign near the walk-through gate with information/flyers on the history for anyone interested. Eventually we will repair the chain link fence around the Hart section. Several trees had fallen (since removed) and damaged it in some places. We also trimmed up the Crepe Myrtles and they are stunning when they bloom.
We made a Google business page to track visitors online and most months that will garner 20-30 site visits. I can see now that we might need to put together a FB page too. This way we could organize events, fundraisers, work parties etc. and have one place for information. Eventually I’d like to have flags up for Veterans day etc. and flowers for memorial day.
This time of year is a great time to visit. As the weather warms up, please watch out for snakes and Poison Ivy. I’ve had several close calls in the clearing process. Looking forward to meeting anyone who is interested in helping out!
Feel free to message me for contact info.
Mike and Erica Bramer
(Six Pines)
