Bagdad Cemetery

We are now working on two projects at Bagdad Cemetery. We are checking with different companies about repair of some of the headstones at the cemetery. We are looking at ones that might cause problems for visitors to the cemetery.

The other project is the condition of the trees in the cemetery. The oak trees in the old parts of the cemetery are from 150 to over 200 years old. They have not had professional care in many years if ever and we want them to last for many more years. We have many trash trees such as hackberry and china berry trees that are causing problems for graves and curbing. They also have a weak root system and are prone to falling and would damage headstones.

We are looking at removing the trash trees and trimming the other trees. Remember that your tree in the old section can not hang over into the pathways or the spaces next to you. Many of the evergreen trees, pines and firs have grown so much they are blocking headstones and other spaces. We will have to make decisions about some of these trees. If you have planted a tree and it has spread over any area than your own it will be trimmed.

We are trying to be fair to all involved but if you are blocking someone else or the paths in the cemetery you will have to fix the problem. If their are trees that you are concerned about let us know and we will check it out.

Members of the board met yesterday with a gentleman about how to repair the above the ground crypts at Bagdad. He also looked at the tilting headstones and others that are broken. We are going to find out the cost and make some decisions on the ones that are causing a danger for visitors and ones that have an easier fix. You will encounter signs letting you know that the headstone or crypt is under repair and please do not disturb this space.

Jimmie Hampton and I have been working on the old deeds for Bagdad and it is now with the title company. It has been a great history lesson about the cemetery and the history of Bagdad. We are very close to knowing exactly the site of the old schoolhouse and the Methodist church before it was moved by mules and logs to the present site in Leander.

We are also working with a tree specialist on how to trim and take care of the trees in Bagdad. These old oak trees that you see in the cemetery have been around since early Bagdad days. Think about the early settlers under these old trees for a funeral with their buggy or just a wagon. Since many military men traveled on what is now Bagdad Road and stopped at the rest stop at Bagdad, how many of them rested under these trees before going to fight in our many wars.

We hope to bring you the information on early Bagdad in the near future. I hope we will be able to show you a map of what we believe it looked like in the 1859's.

As some of you are aware the past few days have been full of comments concerning the cemetery and the Texas Chainsaw movie and its following. The young ladies that took the photos sent them as a check in with the page. I have had others that have been posted directly on the page with out check in.
To manage a cemetery you have to be aware that you are often meeting people at a very low point in their life, the death of a loved one. You soon find out that people have different ways of dealing with their grief and you have to work with them in the best way you can. I feel very much that this is a public cemetery open to all with no rules about race, belief system, religion, no religion or whatever.
I have had complaints about other photos of people having a birthday cake at the cemetery for their child that passed way to early. This is the way they dealt with their grief and I am sorry that you did not like the photo. Other people have said they wanted to ban all plastic flowers because they were not pretty. Remember some people may not have the funds to buy other flowers and it is their space.
I have had complaints about the cactus planted on some spaces. Now this are is pretty covered by cactus plants and if it gets on your space I will take care of it but if not I am sorry but your choice is not the rule for someone else.
I have had complaints about some spaces having a beer bottle on the grave. Now if I find a beer bottle in the common areas it will be removed. I met a man one later afternoon that was drinking a beer sitting on a camp stool. He told me that this was his best friend and when out hunting they would sit on their stool and have a beer. He knew that his friend was gone but it helped him to just have a beer and talk to his friend. He keep the bottles picked up but he sometimes shared with his friend.
We all have different reasons for loving the cemetery, some of them because of our family, some of them because of the history and some because of a movie that you loved. We all need to accept other views than our own and remember that it is not an easy task trying to understand everyone's reasons.
I will try to give information about a photograph if I know but sometimes we just have to go to the next page.

I hope everyone has read the posts from the Chainsaw fans on the Bagdad Cemetery page. They are very sorry if they offended anyone and I also am sorry that some people were offended.

But I tell you what is really offensive is the "people" that use the back area the site of the annual meeting for their parties. We find many beer cans and bottles, wine bottles and hard stuff also. We have found all of your drug material and your left over sexual items which we do not want nor do we want to have to clean up. Now that is disrespect to all the people in the cemetery. The person making donuts in the fields next to the graves that came close to hitting some of the graves.
The people that have removed headstones only to feel bad and return them to the edge of the front gates that is disrespect. To the people that have removed flowers and other keepsakes from graves you are showing that you have no class to the people buried and their family. To the people that several months ago broke one tombstone in half, the family was really hurt by your action.

The Leander Police Department has helped by more trips into the cemetery and we thank them. But none of us can be around all the time so help us take care of your cemetery by keeping your eyes open. Let us know of issues via this page or call at 512-259-4855 or 512-6193173. We will call you back.

I have received some complaints about the photos of the Texas Chainsaw visitors. I am sorry that they have bothered some people and will be talking to the board about how to handle these situations.

We do have to remember that it is a public cemetery that is open to the public. People grieve in different ways and people have different views on how a cemetery should look and people should behave. In the case of this item it happens to be my grandfather several times removed that is the monument in question.

I will check with the board on this issue.

I was out at the cemetery on Monday about 9 in the morning after the rain let up. We had large amount of flooding in many areas and today some parts still have standing water.

But the big problem is the number of graves that have sunk since the heavy rains. The soil at Bagdad is strange and it does move and sink but with a large rain it is very difficult. To the families that go to visit their loved ones and find the grave has sunk I am so sorry. We have tried many different methods of packing the soil and it still seems to happen. I know it is a shock to see your loved ones space in this state but please know that we are aware and working on the problem. All of our dirt piles are wet from the rain but I have talked several times with the grave digger and we will fill each one back to its original shape. It may not happen as quick as we want because the people that supply our dirt also keep it outdoors and so any new dirt is also wet.

Please understand we are aware of the problem and are working on how to solve the issue. I am so sorry for the pain of seeing your loved ones space in this condition. We will correct it for you and continue to work on a long-term solution.

Good News. We are getting some base for the roads and hope to fill up those potholes in the road to the back area. Sorry it has taken so long but we have had many funerals and some new board members that are learning the system. These new board members have been a real help and we all seem to be working to get some of the needs of Bagdad Cemetery done. We will be working on tree trimming and trimming of some of the native plants that have taken over some of the headstones. We all love the native plants but they have to be trimmed and in some places they have gone wild.

Please be careful around the headstones in the cemetery. Many in the older sections are very delicate and leaning and we don't want anyone to get hurt. Please do not lean or stand on any of the tombs as they are also breaking. Remember these are the loved ones of people and treat them as you would one of your loved ones. We love that you are bringing your children to the cemetery to show them our history. Please be sure they understand the frail nature of the graves for their own safety.

Thank you to all of our supporters that have sent donations or came to the annual meeting and donated. You are the backbone that keeps our cemetery going and truly a community cemetery since the 1850's. Thank you to the Board that are giving of their time and talents to keep the cemetery in such nice shape.

I really appreciate all the people who have contacted us about their spaces. We are having some legal issues with the forms to send out for the transfer of the right of burial. Our attorney is working on a legal document that will protect you and the cemetery association. It is the result of lawsuits that have been filed across the State of Texas and the willingness of people to file in the courts.

Some of you have indicated that you feel it is none of our business who uses the spaces. Some have not been happy about being contacted but we will not allow anyone to be buried without permission from the person who paid for the spaces. So if the spaces are still in your parents name and they are deceased than the spaces are owned by all of your parents children unless indicated otherwise in their will. Even that evil brother or sister that is not accepted must be contacted for permission.

I had one man whose parents had spaces and they moved to a new town and are buried in the new town. One of the children paid the other children for the spaces but do not plan on using the spaces. They may donate them to another family member that needs them. None of this was reported to us, so if it came to me from a funeral home it would not be accepted until the parents were contacted. Since they are deceased I would have to try to find that record, than find what their children's names and contact them. In this case some of the children have passed so would need permission from their children.

Another case the parents have passed with six children, two children felt they had a certain number of spaces but receipts showed less. Some burials had happened without indication it was a family member and in one case no headstone or record of burial. The family felt they had 15 spaces but the receipts only show 9 spaces and 11 people buried. We are trying to work out the problems.

So that is why we are contacting people and will have to confirm most of the spaces in the cemetery. I would say at this time 60% or more of the spaces are still in the name of the person who bought the spaces and they are deceased. We can not get permission from them for burial if they are not alive.

Last list of people with spaces and no contact.

WADE, Clarence -E. & Pauline 1977 3 spaces
WALLACE, Christine 1995, deceased.
WALENTA, Avis Evelyn Keithly, 1970's, 5 spaces
WASHINGTON, Howard & Connie, Austin, 1994, 2 spaces Dustin buried.
WHITE, Patsy & Jack, 1993, 6 spaces, Jack buried.
WHITT, David, 1967, 4 spaces
WILDER, James & Estelle, 1964, 2 spaces, both buried
WILLIAMS, Herman Henry, 1974, 3 spaces
WILLIAMS, Richard 1978, Honor's son, 4 spaces.
WILLIAMS, David, 2 spaces, 2 spaces, Wendy Hart, Reagan buried
WILLIS, Claud, 3 spaces, 1940's
WINNINGHAM, Al, 1993, 3 spaces
WOOSTER, Melanie, 2000, 3 spaces, Dennis & Peggy Roberts buried.
WRIGHT, Bobbie 1991, 5 spaces.

Kenneth Craven - 512-259-4855 512-619-3173

New list of people with spaces but no contact.

TAYLOR, Rick: Latesa Taylor buried, Freedom Marie buried, 2003 paid by Cook Walden, 1984 paid by Rick Taylor
THOMAS, Everett & Val, 6 spaces, 1980, Val buried 2012, in the Conroe area.
THOMAS, George & Pauline, 2 spaces 1999.
THOMAS, Richard James and Shirley, 2 spaces 1986.
THORNBURY, James Frank and Elizabeth, two spaces, 1940's both buried.
UNGER, Leo & Fay, 2 spaces left, 1980, both buried.
UPCHURCH, Robert, 3 spaces, 1940's, buried with family.
VAZQUEZ, Andrea, 2 spaces no information.

Kenneth Craven 512-259-4855 or 512-619-3173

Exciting news for Bagdad Cemetery. We are opening an office in the Walking Stick Plaza which is across from the cemetery. We will be in the small one level building, suite B, between CVS Pharmacy and Smokey Mo's. This will give us a place to have all of our maps and records in one place. It will allow us to met with you and show you what spaces are available and get you a new deed for your spaces. We will have a place to have our board meeting without moving files everywhere.

We can put up our maps and also file all the forms in one place to better keep our records up to date. We will continue to work on a building but the process and the cost was a problem. We hope to have the office by July 1st if we can get all the permits we need from the city. I am real excited to get many boxes out of my house into an office with file cabinets (when we get some). This space is so close to the cemetery it will allow us to meet with people when they have questions.

This is the second list of people who are buried at Bagdad but we have no location.

CAMPBELL, Charles 1840-1858, shown on the 1975 cemetery list, Parents Walter and Elizabeth Jane, She married Joseph Hyland.
CANCANLOS, Maria Aquide, ND, show on the 1975 cemetery update list.
CANTRELL, Oscar Raymond, 1907-1913 , Find a grave, Joshua and Sarah Ann parents.
CARLYLE, Margeret nd-2007, Cemetery Records.
CASTILLO, Manuella 7/4/1900-4/14/1959, Death Certificate lists Bagdad Cemetery, Theodore Reyes witness
CATES, Infants, two, nd, Find a Grave
CIRNERAS, Juana, 3/30/1890-2/25/1931, Texas Death Certificate lists Bagdad Cemetery, Juan Villeral witness.
CLUCK, Doddle, 1920-1981, 1983 update of Cemetery list, Pess Cluck's son.
CLUCK, LaFayette Napolean 1883-1943, Texas Death Certificate lists Bagdad, married to Myrtle Cluck
CLUCK, Mary Jane, 1925-1972, 1975 cemetery update list, dau. of LaFayette and Myrtle, life in wheelchair.
CLUCK, Myrtle, 7/4/1898- Found in Social Security Index for Leander, wife of LaFayette.
CLUCK, 3/21/1920-4/27/1981 Death Certificate lists Bagdad, Parents, LaFayette & Myrtle, Brother Morris
CONTRERAY, Manuelo 4/9/1908-9/19/1928, Texas Death Certificate lists Bagdad Cemetery, married
CROW, James T. 7/16/1939-8/12/2004 Cemetery records
CUERO, Frank, 1909-6/15/1928 Texas Death Certificate lists Bagdad Cemetery, Father is Joe, W. E. Faubion witness

Kenneth D. Craven 512-259-4855 or 512-619-3173