All in a day's work: December 2012

We're off on another route around the state finding new (and old) cemeteries.

First stop was Magdalena and the Community Cemetery. Very old cemetery that is still used today, just north of town of Magdalena.

The town of Kelly New Mexico, which thrived here, was more than a mining boomtown.... it was home to it's thousands of citizens. The mining operations sent huge shipments of lead, zinc, and silver ores to smelters, which helped build America during the industrial westward expansion. These great shipments made Kelly the foremost mine in New Mexico's 19th century past. John S. Hutchason arrived here in 1866 after serving in the Civil War to prospect this area at the invitation of his partner Pete Kinisinger. The early town on this site as called "Middle Camp:, and formed a hub for the Graphic, Waldo, Juanita, and Kelly Mines. Today it is a ghost town with only a tiny church (St John the Baptist) surviving. But they had a cemetery and the gravesites are scattered on the hills. We found about 20 readable markers.

Kelly Cemetery

Cleveland Ranch Cemetery is actually a marker along US 60 as you get close to Pietown from the East.

Cleveland Ranch

In the small town of Quemado, there are actually 3 cemeteries. The first two are at the Sacred Heart Church. One is the Old Sacred Heart, the other is the newer section behind the church.

Sacred Heart Church, Quemado

Sacred Heart Old Cemetery

Sacred Heart New Cemetery

There is also a single grave site in Quemado for A.A.C. Baca who died in 1912. It is on private property behind locked gates.

Grave of A.A.C. Baca

There is one more memorial along US 60 just west of Quemado. It is the Curtis Family grave site who were pioneers in the area. It is two babies who died in 1918 and 1920.

Curtis Memorial

Down south to Deming we went. There are three cemeteries associated with Deming but only two are still being used. The first is Holy Cross Cemetery NW of downtown. There is nothing left of this one.

Holy Cross Deming

To the north of the city, just about 1 mile past the Hatch junction is the Desert View Cemetery. This cemetery is still used but is showing its age.

Desert View, Deming

And east of downtown is Mountain View Cemetery. A very large and pretty cemetery that has large upright headstones, so rare today.

Mountain View, Deming

In Las Cruces there are many cemeteries. In the city proper there is Masonic, IOOF, St. Joseph, and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

On the NW corner of Compress and Brown is the Masonic Cemetery, a very pretty tree-lined cemetery.

Masonic Cemetery, Las Cruces

Across the street, on the NE corner, is the IOOF cemetery and Barela Catholic Cemetery. Neither cemetery is being used. The Barela Catholic has a locked gate.