TITLE: Recognizing May 3, 2023, as Unmarked Cemetery Day.

SUMMARY: Recognizing May 3, 2023, as Unmarked Cemetery Day.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has a rich cultural heritage, and its cemeteries serve as a tangible link to its history; and WHEREAS, As Texas has grown and become urbanized, some of the state's cemeteries have been lost or forgotten, and their accompanying grave markers, if they were ever placed, have decayed or have gone missing; remembering and identifying these sites is vital to understanding the lives and legacies of those interred in them; and WHEREAS, Across the state, there are a number of well-known unmarked cemeteries, including the Freedmen's Cemetery in Dallas, which served as a burial place for formerly enslaved people; there are numerous other cemeteries that were used for the burial of African Americans and Black Americans who lived under segregation, including Horst Plantation Cemetery in Austin and Oakwood Cemetery in Tyler; and WHEREAS, Many cemeteries remain unknown and unmarked, making it difficult to preserve them, and the observance of Unmarked Cemetery Day on May 3, 2023, serves to raise awareness of the need to identify and protect these important historical sites and to honor the memories of those Texans whose final resting places have been forgotten; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 3, 2023, as Unmarked Cemetery Day and commend all those who are dedicated to the documentation and preservation of Texas's historic cemeteries. Bowers Phelan Guerra Murr Allen Guillen Neave Criado Allison Harless Noble Anch a Harris of Anderson Oliverson Anderson Harris of Williamson Ordaz Ashby Harrison Orr Bailes Hayes Ortega Bell of Kaufman Hefner Patterson Bell of Montgomery Hernandez Paul Bernal Herrero Perez Bhojani Hinojosa Plesa Bonnen Holland Price Bowers Howard Ramos Bryant Hull Raney Buckley Hunter Raymond Bucy Isaac Reynolds Bumgarner Jetton Rogers Burns Johnson of Dallas Romero, Jr. Burrows A. Johnson of Harris Rose Button J. Johnson of Harris Rosenthal Cain Jones of Dallas Schaefer Campos Jones of Harris Schatzline Canales Kacal Schofield Capriglione King of Hemphill Shaheen Clardy King of Uvalde Sherman, Sr. Cole Kitzman Shine Collier Klick Slaton Cook Kuempel Slawson Cortez Lalani Smith Craddick Lambert Smithee Cunningham Landgraf Spiller Darby Leach Stucky Davis Leo-Wilson Swanson Dean Longoria Talarico DeAyala Lopez of Bexar Tepper Dorazio Lopez of Cameron Thierry Dutton Lozano Thimesch Flores Lujan Thompson of Brazoria Frank Manuel Thompson of Harris Frazier Martinez Tinderholt Gamez Martinez Fischer Toth Garcia Metcalf Troxclair Gates Meyer Turner Gerdes Meza VanDeaver Geren Moody Vasut Gervin-Hawkins Morales of Harris Vo Goldman Morales of Maverick Walle Gonz lez of Dallas Morales Shaw Wilson Gonz lez of El Paso Morrison Wu Goodwin Mu oz, Jr. Zwiener Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1311 was adopted by the House on May 3, 2023, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House