A Challenge?!

Yes, a challenge to say the least.  This is another of the Atrisco Land Grant cemeteries that we have been asked to record.  This is the Santa Clara Cemetery to the west of Foothill in southwest Albuquerque.  The three land grant cemeteries are:
San Jose de Armijo
Santa Clara Cemetery
El Evangelico Cemetery

This one will take some strong legs!!  Most of the graves are at the TOP of the hill.

San Jose de Armijo, Albuquerque

Sweet success!  We have finished this interesting cemetery.  The Atrisco Land Grant cemetery has burials from the early 1920's all the way to this week.  Relatives are very dedicated in caring for graves and there are almost always visitors at grave sites.  And this cemetery is unique, different from all the other ones we have recorded through the years.

This cemetery has a heart and soul, not just burials or graves.  So many of the graves are cared for.  Not by groundkeepers, gardeners, office staff or burial personnel.  Many of these graves are cared for almost daily by FAMILY.  Yes - the family of the person who died cares.  They come and visit, keep the weeds and tumbleweeds off the headstones, sweep and clean the headstones and if necessary, re-write the inscription on the headstone as it fades in our harsh sun.  So many graves here tell stories, and many are decorated for every holiday or celebration day.

On the other hand, many graves are also abandoned.  I wonder when we see graves of small children, just where their parents are.  There are three different sets of twins in this cemetery.  Each set died between age 1 and 5.  Their last names are unique.  Each set died around 1950-1955.  There is not another soul in this cemetery with their last names.  Where are their relatives?  In a few cases, there is a grave of a child and right next to it is one (or both) parents.  I think it is the graves of children that grieve me the most.  I always briefly stop and say a prayer for the child as well as the parents who cried over this child, wherever they are.

There is a beautiful fenced area in this cemetery that has 13 graves of members of one family!  How blessed they are to be together.  The fenced area has been cared for and kept clear of debris.  You can tell someone respects their ancestors because they honor them in death.  We all can learn a lesson from this.

And then are the many graves that have no identification other than a cross, a brick, a metal plate, a piece of wood with part of a name.  God knows who each of these people are thankfully.

This lady has.......glue?

This 'stick-to-it' lady is Gloria Henderson and she has been with the Tombstone group since February of 2007.  To date, she has volunteered over 250 hours to this group.  But wait - she also volunteers for lots of other groups too!  Like feeding the homeless at St. Martin's, working the Telephone Museum, Balloon Fiesta and goes wherever she is needed.  I am so lucky that she gives me so  much of her time.  I don't know how she has ANY time!  Regardless of the time of day we meet, or day of the week, I can always count on seeing her smiling face.

Gloria worked for the telephone company for 21 years, left there and then worked at Kirtland AFB for 5 years.  Then nine LONG months at the IRS.  Finally she worked at ATF and loved it for 16 years.  She assisted the agents in criminal investigations and interfaced with other city, state and federal agencies during investigations. 

She was born in San Francisco, California but has lived most of her life in New Mexico.  Her parents are Fernando and Olivama Maestas from Espanola and her mother now lives in Albuquerque.  She has three brothers and two sisters as well as three step-children (Dan, Vicki and Jim).  She has always wanted to visit Italy and her favorite city is Boston.  An avid reader of James Patterson, she would love to see some of his books made into movies.  Her favorite movie now is Terms of Endearment.

When asked why she has stayed with Tombstone, she attributes some of it to her dear friend (and co-vounteer with Tombstone) Betty Lamberti.  She wasn't sure this work would suit her, but decided to try it with Betty.  She got hooked!  HOORAY!  She says, "I feel I am contributing something to the community and for the people who go there to find their loved ones." 

Betty and Gloria, working together, are an awesome force.  I don't have to think twice when they work a section together - it gets done quickly.  Thank you for sticking 'like glue' to Tombstone Transcription.