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.