SAVE Marti/Colon Cemetery AGAIN

05/31/2026

Leslie / Lesley Avant

Remember his name.

His name was recorded as Leslie / Lesley Avant.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated June 13, 1901, he was listed as a saloon owner.

That detail places him in the living world of early West Tampa, where small businesses, immigrant labor, cigar workers, families, and neighborhood gathering places helped shape the community.

His name appears in the records we are working to preserve and understand.

The people connected to this cemetery landscape were not statistics. They were workers, neighbors, children, elders, parents, and community members.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, Leslie / Lesley Avant may be connected to the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery history we are fighting to protect.

He should not be erased.

Remember his name.

Leslie / Lesley Avant.

05/31/2026

Francisco Rodriguez

Remember his name.

His name was Francisco Rodriguez.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated November 14, 1901, Francisco was 56 years old.

He died at home. The record lists his residence as 176 Green Street, and his stated place of burial as West Tampa Cemetery on November 14, 1901, with J.L. Reed listed as undertaker.

Francisco’s life was part of West Tampa’s early story, a story shaped by families, laborers, immigrants, Cuban, Hispanic, Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, working-class, and African diaspora communities.

His grave may not be visible today, but his name remains.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, Francisco Rodriguez may rest somewhere within the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery ground.

He deserves to be remembered.

Remember his name.

Francisco Rodriguez.

05/30/2026

Infant of J.M. Huff

Remember this child.

The record identifies this child as the infant of J.M. Huff.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated November 14, 1901, this infant died at home. The record lists the family residence as 280 Main Street, West Tampa.

The stated place of burial was West Tampa Cemetery on November 13, 1901, with J.L. Reed listed as undertaker.

This child’s life may have been brief, but that does not make the loss small.

Infant burials are some of the most painful reminders that cemeteries hold whole family histories, including grief that was often never marked in stone.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, the infant of J.M. Huff may rest somewhere within the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery ground.

This child should not be erased.

Remember this child.

Infant of J.M. Huff.

05/30/2026

Carman Fables

Remember her name.

Her name was recorded as Carman Fables.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated November 21, 1901, Carman was only 5 months old.

She died at home. The record lists her residence as 1513 Central Avenue, and her stated place of burial as West Tampa Cemetery on November 20, 1901, with J.L. Reed listed as undertaker.

The record also lists Duan Fables as her father.

Carman was just a baby. A tiny life, a real family, a real loss.

Her story is part of the cemetery landscape we are fighting to protect.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, Carman Fables may rest somewhere within the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery ground.

She should not be forgotten.

Remember her name.

Carman Fables.

05/30/2026

Eduardo Celya

Remember his name.

His name was Eduardo Celya.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated November 22, 1901, Eduardo was 71 years old.

The record lists his residence as 362 Green Street. His stated place of burial was West Tampa Cemetery on November 22, 1901, with J.L. Reed listed as undertaker.

Eduardo’s name carries us back into early West Tampa, into a community built by working families, immigrants, cigar workers, neighbors, and families whose histories are too often left out of the official story.

He was part of that story.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, Eduardo Celya may rest somewhere within the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery ground.

He should not be erased.

Remember his name.

Eduardo Celya.

05/30/2026

Infant of Wilford Thomas

Remember this child.

The record identifies this child as the infant of Wilford Thomas.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated November 23, 1901, this infant died at home.

The stated place of burial was West Tampa Cemetery on November 22, 1901, with J.L. Reed listed as undertaker.

This is why unmarked burial records matter.

Even when a child’s first name was not recorded, that child still lived. That child still belonged to someone. That child still deserves dignity.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, the infant of Wilford Thomas may rest somewhere within the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery ground.

This child should not be erased.

Remember this child.

Infant of Wilford Thomas.

05/30/2026

Roblea Romara

Remember her name.

Her name was Roblea Romara.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated December 6, 1901, Roblea was only 7 months old.

She died at home. The record lists her residence as 338 Spruce Street, and her stated place of burial as West Tampa Cemetery on December 6, 1901, with J.L. Reed listed as undertaker.

Roblea was a baby. Her story is a reminder that cemetery preservation is not abstract.

These are real people. Real families. Real grief.

Because many graves connected to this cemetery were unmarked, lost, or never properly preserved, Roblea Romara may rest somewhere within the broader Martí-Colón / Colón / West Tampa cemetery ground.

She should not be erased.

Remember her name.

Roblea Romara.

05/30/2026

UPDATED FRIDAY MAY 29, 2026
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KEEP FIGHTING!

05/23/2026

Antonio Norona

Remember his name.

His name was Antonio Norona.

According to the Tampa Tribune, dated May 19, 1898, Antonio was only 22 years old. His occupation was listed as volunteer soldier, and his cause of death was recorded as heat stroke.

His place of death was listed as West Tampa, and the record states his residence was near the corner of Florida Avenue and Cass Street.

The burial record lists his place of burial as Martí on May 17, 1898.

Antonio’s name matters because this cemetery landscape holds the lives of real people, not just records on a spreadsheet. West Tampa was built by working families, immigrants, veterans, children, and communities whose stories shaped Tampa’s history.

Because Martí and Colón were part of one connected cemetery landscape, and because many graves were never marked or no longer have visible markers, Antonio Norona may rest somewhere within this historic cemetery ground.

This is why the land must be protected.

Remember his name.
Antonio Norona.

04/17/2024

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/is-cemetery-vandalism-connected-to-religious-ceremonies

“These structures are old and as much as we’d like to keep them looking like they did when they were built. We don’t need anyone adding any issues to those problems," said Martin.

“I think the constant stories and issues that come up at the cemetery of just the lack of respect for what this place is, is probably what gets to everybody," said Martin.

Is cemetery vandalism connected to religious ceremonies?

This isn't the first time vandals have caused damage to the cemetery. And now the city says there’s a new problem: Someone is trespassing here.