A little more than a year ago (March 2011), we posted a note on the condition of La Palma Cemtery out on Alton Gloor across the ditch from the new Su Clinica Familiar.
At the time, we noted that the cemtery where local folks have buried their dead for many deacades had fallen on some hard times and was littered with unsightly piles of trash (see second picture on the right below).
We had walked among the graves and read some of the names, surprised that we actually knew some of them.
We recall that we came upon one with a large cross decorated with teddy bears and flowers. A sign on the top said "El Guerrillero," the warrior. A black Farmworkers Union blocked eagle sat atop the cross. When I read the name – Odilon Garcia – I remembered that I met him once during a chicharroneada that the Cameron Park Colonia many years ago.
A small white stone, halfway submerged below the creeping grass, belongs to Victor La Chappelle, who served as a private in Vietnam. Whether this Hispanic warrior lies below the stone or under a large rectangular block of concrete is not clear. He did go on to survive the war and died years later. The small stone is his survivors' remembrance of this soldier.
On another head stone a little farther into the cemetery, an unopened bottle of beer and some loose change stand untouched where the donor left them. One can almost imagine him (Agustin) asking for "una bironga y una feriecita."
Well, we went back just recently (Thursday, to be exact) and were pleasantly surprised to see that the final resting place for many local (and obviously poor) local residents has had a good sprucing up and some of the graves of veterans even have flags adorning their final resting place. The road leading to the graveyard still needs paving and a good grading to fill the potholes, but the appearance has improved considerably.We remember that we said that illegal dumping at this holy place was above our culture and apparently, enough people took heed so that the dumping has apparently stopped. Today, if you maneuver past the potholes and high grass next to the drainage ditch between the new clinic and La Palma, you will come upon a clean, well-kept campo santo where the souls of our dearly departed rest in peace.
3 comments:
As I'm typing, I'm on the line contacting Sammy Hernandez. Cause that boy has got to see this.
Ren.
My family's descendants are buried there.
Ahhh pero eso si, buenos que son para cobrar tantas Taxes a la comunidad, asta por respirar te cobran!! Es una verdadera pena ver en estas condiciones este panteon donde se encuentran los cuerpos de muchisimas personas que formaron y que hicieron Historia en la Ciudad de Browns. Y mas pena deben de tener LOS ENCARGADOS DE ESTE PANTEON, un pedacito de tierra bien que se lo venden y con tanto sacrificio que la gente los compra para darles una digna sepultura a sus seres queridos y miren toda la basura que tienen. Gente bola de sinverguenzas y ladrones, estan como los de Mexico que prometen y no cumplen y nada mas roban.
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