The Leal Cemetery

Our History, Our Legacy, Our Treasure

The Leal Cemetery is a family treasure. For over 150 years, we have taken solace in our times of grief knowing that the final resting place for our loved ones, and eventually maybe ourselves, is reserved amongst a community of people we love, trust, and admire. There is a sense of awe walking through the field and reading the tombstones of our ancestors. It’s like time travel, conjuring up memories and reminding us that we are all connected. It is our history and our legacy.

Over the years, our treasure has fallen further into disrepair. Even though the frequency of burials has gradually been increasing over the decades, general maintenance has been decreasing. The once-maintained grounds are often overgrown with weeds and the tombstones are weathered and crumbling. The neglected site has become a haven for cruelly malicious people seeking a hiding place or a dumping ground to deposit their crimes.

Moreover, the lack of clear ownership and responsibility has created a logistical challenge for managing the plots. We are not sure how many burial spaces are available and where they are located, but we are aware of the big demand that keeps getting bigger. Individual families are staking claims and assertively protecting their turf. We have already started implementing processes and we will be enforcing rules. Our goal is to ensure that every single burial plot is accounted for. We will build a sustainable framework so that future committees can manage and track cemetery growth.

A DEBT OF GRATITUDE

Thank you to many who have selflessly and valiantly tried to preserve our treasure. As a family, we are grateful for your service. We appreciate your amazing dedication and sacrifice.

Special thanks to our Angel Sponsors for their time, tools, and resources. The Arguijo, Benitez, Chapa, Garza, Guiterrez, Leal, Ortiz, Pacheco, Reyes, and Romero Families. They have made significant contributions by giving away their priceless time.

Special thanks to Gloria Castillo, Linda Leal, and the previous administration who led a small group of family members to incorporate the cemetery as a non-profit and have it listed as a Texas historical landmark.

TAKING BACK OUR TREASURE

There is a saying, “It takes a village…” to make a difference, and that is true for the situation of our treasured cemetery. A new council of trustees has been elected to run the non-profit and they are in the process of building four pillars of strength. Each pillar supports and enables the other three, so working on all four at once is important.

PILLARS OF STRENGTH:

PROFIT / INCOME MANAGEMENT: Up to now, we’ve depended solely on volunteers to run everything, but the growing complexities of the system along with our expanding family makes it necessary to hire services that keep the place running. This takes money, which means we need ways to make money. Volunteerism, donations, and charity still play an important role in keeping costs low, so we need to continue building that, too.
PROCESS, RULES, and ACCOUNTABILITY: Who gets to be buried here and how do we determine eligibility? How do you reserve a space? How do you find a space? Does a space cost money? These are examples of important questions that need easy-to-understand answers. The answers should apply universally across members. We need a way of organizing a plan to solve these questions and soliciting as many opinions as possible on the best way forward.
TRUST and TRANSPARENCY: We need our community to believe that this organization represents our best interests. This means regularly reporting and communicating the operations and financial position of the organization. Rules and by-laws for governance, decision-making, and oversight must be spelled out to maintain integrity and protect us individually from fraud and mismanagement.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION: This dream works if we are in it together working as one. We need to build multiple ways to get involved so that each of us finds a way to contribute easily. The payoff for getting this right is huge. Of course, we protect our ancestral resting place and optimize the space for future plots. We also strengthen our family bonds in our living years as we work together to maintain the treasure.

The trustees have started individual initiatives to support building these pillars of strength. A few examples of projects underway include:

Auditing the plots and installing grave markers on unreserved spaces.
Identify family members who previously had signed up as Cementerio Family Leal Organization members. Verify whether they still wish to remain on the member list.
Identify family members who had received Cementerio Family Leal Organization and Interment Right documents from previous administrations.
Identify plot owners of reserved plots who lack proper documents.
Recording and storing documents in electronic format with immutable back-ups to ensure administrative continuity.
Planning some level of cemetery maintenance during spring and holiday weekends. Implement pasture improvements to minimize weeds and tall grass. Employing professional ground crews to augment volunteer work when necessary.
Exploring expansion plans to acquire new land, manage elevation requirements of such land, and mitigate flood risk.
Considering ideas for a cemetery makeover. Would be led by a special committee.

GET INVOLVED

Sign-up for Information: We need your support and collaboration. An easy step to take is reaching out and registering as an interested community member to learn about upcoming events, news stories, and progress on building out the pillars. Send an email to contactus@lealcemetery.org and request a membership form. Membership includes Facebook group access and email notifications announcing news and events.

Volunteer at Events: We are organizing events like week-end clean-ups. We imagine including time for socializing, sharing food, and working together to maintain the beauty of the cemetery. This could be a way that we see each other more often and stay connected.

Donate to the Cause: We have established a Foundation Program to donate money. We need dollars to support immediate requirements like repairs, maintenance, and improvements.

Peace be with you,

Cementerio Leal Board of Directors

Cementerio Leal Sponsorship Opportunities

Please reach out to contactus@lealcemetery.org and let us know if you prefer to sponsor by pledging or making other payment arrangements.

Essential Donor: Donation or Pledge of any amount is greatly appreciated!

Bronze Donor: $250 One-time Donation | 3-Year Pledge ($84 per year)

* Be recognized by the Cementerio Leal family through social media and email

Silver Donor $500 Donation | 3-Year Pledge ($167 per year)

* Be recognized by the Cementerio Leal family through social media and email

** Recognition on the www.lealcemetery.org website

Gold Donor $1,000 Donation | 3-Year Pledge ($334 per year)

* Be recognized by the Cementerio Leal family through social media, text messages, and email

** Recognition on the www.lealcemetery.org website

*** Recognition on the cemetery map

Platinum Donor $2,500 Donation | 3-Year Pledge ($834 per year)

* Be recognized by the Cementerio Leal family through social media, text messages, and email

** Recognition on the www.lealcemetery.org website

*** Recognition on the cemetery map

**** Option to reserve a seat with the committee overseeing the cemetery remodel

Diamond Donor $5,000 Donation | 3-Year Pledge ($1,667 per year)

* Be recognized by the Cementerio Leal family through social media, text messages, and email

** Recognition on the www.lealcemetery.org website

*** Recognition on the cemetery map

**** Option to reserve a seat with the committee overseeing the cemetery remodel

***** Induction into the “Cementerio Leal Circle of Giving Founders”. Includes engraved name on stone or brick at the entrance to the cemetery grounds

Cementerio Leal Circle of Giving

Our Family Treasure