Laguna Seca Cemetery
Hidalgo Co. Cemeteries
of Tx
Submitted by Frances Isbell
With Permission of
Hidalgo Co. Historical Commission (2005)
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LOCATION: Twelve miles north of Edinburg on
US 281. Turn left (west) on Laguna Seca County road 3.4 miles, then
north 1.3 miles.
SURVEYED: Virginia G. Stinson and Debby
Dee Dail for McAllen Genealogical Society August 6, 1976. Request
permission of ranch owner, heir of late Reynaldo Vela.
Some burials dated prior to 1913 were moved
from El Desierto Cemetery when this cemetery was founded at the death
of Mercedes Chapa Vela 24 Sep1913. Gaps in numbers indicate vacant
spaces.
HISTORY: Laguna Seca Ranch was founded by
Macedonio Vela Sr. and his wife Mercedes Chapa Cantu in 1867. Around
1857, Macedonio Vela fled from Mexico to escape execution during the
War of Reform. In 1867 he purchased one square league (4428 acres) in
Santa Anita Land Grant from John and Salome Balli McAllen.
Between 1880-1890, he
expanded his holdings to over 75,000 acres, where he raised cattle, horses,
and mules, and sold donkeys to Cuba. Reputedly, the first citrus trees
in Hidalgo County were planted here. His grandson Reynaldo Vela discovered
an artesian well which feeds a 5-acre lake, belying the historic name
of "dry lake."
Family members manage three
separate Laguna Seca Ranches. Historical maker 1975.
01 CELESTINO RODRIGUEZ 7Jan1974 age 90 years
02 JAMES CUSTER MCALLEN Born at Santa Anita
6May1887 Died in Edinburg 17Sep1970 [unm.]
03 HORMECINDA V[EGA] DE VELA 26Feb1872-16May
1905 [married James B. McAllen
6May1886. Mother of James Custer McAllen 02]
04 JOAQUINA de la VEGA de VELA. Madre
[picture] 14Aug1861-21Aug1891. de
sus hijas [dau. of Jose Angel de la Vega, died c1880, buried at Santa
Anita, and Angela Balli; first wife of Ramon Vela]
05 RAMON VELA JR. 2Mar1888-4Jan1906 Sus
hermanos dedican este recuerdo
06 RUBEN GUSTAVO GARZA 22Oct1911-26Dec1914
Su madre Estela Vela de Garza le dedican...
07 TOMMIE C. VELA 30Nov1911-31Mar1938
08 JOSEFINA CHAPA DE VELA 9Mar1874-17Feb1914
Sus hijos... [Second wife of Ramon Vela]
09 RAMON VELA 19Sep1859-17Mar1926 Su esposa y
sus hijos....[his 3d wife was Silveria, Josefina's sister]
10 ALBERTO VELA 7May1877-29Jul1962
Recuerdo de su sobrino Reynaldo Vela
11 CARLOTA VELA 28Feb1866-12Jun1952
Sus hijos adoptivos...
12 DELFINA VELA 29Apr1867-13Jul1933
Sus hermanos... [picture]
13 MERCEDES CHAPA VELA 24Sep1833-26Sep1913
[wife of Macedonio Vela]
14 MACEDONIO VELA 12Sep1827-23Jan1916
[founder of Laguna Seca Ranch]
15 FILEMON B. VELA 1889-1935
16-17 MACEDONIO VELA JR
TERESA C.VELA
...sus hijos...dedican este...recuerdo 1926
18 FLAVIO VELA 31Jul1976 age 70 yrs
[flag. Mr. Vela said this man was a veteran of WWI]
19-20-21 GLORIA VELA - JOYCE
[and] AMY STERLING 31 May 1973 [Mr. Reynaldo Vela said this
was a mother and two daughters, who died on a plane wreck on their way home
from India. The father, Bruce Sterling, and two sons survived the
crash.]
22 TERESA S. Vda de GARCIA
25Feb1880-30Dec1960 de su hijo, sus hijas demas familiares
23 NEMESIO GARCIA 30Oct1880-20Oct1948
Su esposa e hijos...
24 SILVESTRE GARCIA 31Dec1914-20Dec1939
Sus padres y hermanos... [picture]
25 [wood cross]
26 JUANITA CHAVERO DE HINOJOSA
6Jun1877-17Jun1947 de su esposo y hijas y hijos
27 MELECIO HINOJOSA 6Dec1869-3Jan1952
de sus hijos y hijas
28 [funeral home marker]
29 LORENZA RIVERA 8-10-1889 - 5-28-1975
Recuerdo de Bucho y Reynaldo [ FHM Mrs. LORENZA RIVERA age 85 years 9 mo 18
days]
30 JOAQUINA VELA GENTRY 9Aug1891-19Mar1948
Recuerdo .de sus hijos Ricardo Virginia Reynaldo Laguna Seca, Texas
[picture]
[note: The Reynaldo listed on this
stone is the present owner of the ranch. He told us that his mother
died when he was born, and his half sister, the lady buried here, took care
of him. He called her "mother," and when she died, her
children Ricardo and Virginia, wanted the stone inscribed in this way.
Joaquina was the daughter of the first wife of Ramon Vela, and her mother
too died in childbirth. She is buried in this cemetery, #04 Joaquina
de la Vega de Vela. Reynaldo's mother was Josefina Chapa de Vela, #08.
Ramon's third wife was buried in San Antonio, Texas.]
32-32 PACIFICO OCHOA 10Aug1878-16Dec1964
ANASTACIA OCHOA 2May1880-9Jun1956 de sus hijas, hijo, y nietos
[double. Mr. Vela said that Pacifico Ochoa Jr. was killed overseas
during WWII and was buried there.]
33 RAFAEL C. GARCIA Jul1885-31Aug1965
de su esposa y sus hijos e hijas [picture]
34 [wrought iron fence around unmarked grave.
Vela on gate]
35 [Funeral home marker]
36 BRUNO RODRIGUEZ 25Aug1969 age 75 yrs
37 [funeral home marker]
38 JUAN A. TORRES
PFC U.S.Army WWI 22 Mar1894-3May1975 age 81 yrs
39 RAFAEL BETANCOURT Died 14Oct1973
age 76 yrs 3 mo 13 1/2 days
40 JOSE ANTONIO NUNEZ 6Aug1974 age 0 yrs 0
mos 0 days [baby]
41 FLARINDA C. NAVARRO 22Jun1896-15Mar1936 Un
recuerdo de sus hijos
42 JUAN M. CORONADO 24Nov1890-31Dec1970 Un
recuerdo para mis hijos [picture]
43 MA. del REFUGIO A. CORONADO
4Jul1898-23Apr1936 Su esposo, hijos e hijas dedican...
44 [concrete cross, funeral home marker]
45 [funeral home marker]
46 GILBERTO MENDIOLA 1894-1937
de su hermana Beatrice Mendiola Diaz
47 FELICIANO CANO 13Oct1973
age 61 yrs 7 mo 13 days
48 [unmarked grave]
49 GRISELDA GONZALEZ Died 11-l-1964
Age 1 day
50 [funeral home marker]
51 [funeral home marker]
52 M.L.G. Nacio 11-12-14 Fallecio 7-16-61
53 HECTOR MESA died Oct 12, 1975 age 10 yrs
54 ANASTACIO LUNA 5Mar1914-29May1952
de su esposa Esperanza F. e sus hijos Jose Sara Elia Gilberto
55 AMILIA A. LUNA 8Sep1896-28Nov1959
de sus hijos e hijas
56 JESUS LUNA 1891-14Apr1947 de sus hijos
57 [concrete cross]
58 ADOLFO LUNA 1884-1942
Un recuerdo de sus hijos e hijas
59 BLAS HASANOBA N[acio]2F13 F[allecio]
10-J-46 Recuerdo de sus hijos
61 FLORA CASANOBA ...OVE?...
8Oct1909-7Dec1947 su esposo Pedro Davila y sus hijos
62 OLIVIA M. CASANOVA 10Jun1946-2Dec1958
64 CLEOFAS HERNANDEZ 9Dec1911-5Feb1974
de su esposo e hijos Maria Hernandez [picture]
65 EMILIA H. GARZA 1Sep1914-1Jul1967
de sus hijos y hijas .......da Hernandez Recuerdos de Elena Hernandez
[picture]
66 FRANCISCO DIAZ 14June1888-5Mar1962
Sus sobrinos y sobrinas dedican este recuerdo
67 SIMON DIAZ VELA 7Feb1865-30Nov1938
de su esposa Susana Ramirez e hijos
68 REMIGIO DIAZ 1Oct1915-25Dec1931
Un recuerdo de sus abuelos
69-70 HILARIA B. SAENZ 21Sep1900- [double]FRANCISCO
R. SAENZ 4Oct 1885-8Mar1966
71 [concretecross]
72 JORGE SAENZ 9May1959-9Aug1959
a la edad de 3 mezaz en Edinburg, Texas
73 FLORA B. HERNANDEZ Died
21Jan1957 age 44 yrs 10 mo 6 days
74 FRANCISCO SANTANA SR
9Nov1884-6Dec1965 age 81 yrs 27 days
75 BARBARITA C. SANTANA
76 [wooden cross]
77 SEVERO GARZA SR
22Feb1896-9Sep1964
Un recuerdo de su esposa hijos e hijas
78 [wooden cross]
79-80 DAVID PEREZ 4Oct1971
[double] MARGARITA A. PEREZ 25Oct1953-1Dec1971
[FHM Margarita P. Alaniz 1Dec1971 age 18 yrs
81 JESUS MARIA LUNA 1891-1947 de su esposo
[sic] y hijos
82 CAYETANO LUNA 12Nov1881-25Dec1967
Recuerdo del Sr. y Sra. Manuel Luna
83 ERASMO LUNA 5May1895-5Aug1964 de su
esposa e hijos y sus nietos Laguna Seca TX
84 GUADALUPE S. LUNA 27Mar1905-10Oct1968 de
sus hijos, hijo politico y nietas Laguna Seca
85 ELIJIO VEGA 10-14-1915 - 7-3-1975 age 59
86 SEFERINO SALAZAR 26Aug1905-24Feb1975
age 69 yrs 5 mos 28 days
87 [wood marker, child]
88 Mrs. GUADALUPE GARCIA Died 6Jun1974
age 44 yrs
89 [concrete cross]
90 PABLO PRADO Texas Sgt U.S. Army Korea
4Feb1932-16Jul1955 [picture] [Mr. Vela said this was the first
local boy to die in the war]
91 FROILAN PRADO 1895-10Oct1960
Un reuerdo de su esposa y sus hijos [picture]
92 ELOY LIMON 7Oct1957-2Jun1958
De sus padres Simon y Susana Limon
93 MANUEL DIAZ 26Aug1917-24Apr1943 de
sus padres y hermanos y hermanas
PFC MANUEL DIAZ 1917-1943 [veteran of WWII]
94 BEATRIZ M. DIAZ madre 15May1883-19.......
95 Padre URBANO D. DIAZ 5May1884-24Nov1964
de su esposa sus hijos y hijas
96 ESTEBAN SANTANA
California Sp 4 U.S.Army 17Nov1945-1Jun1969
97 [wooden cross]
98 ELVIRA L. ALEMAN 1914-1953 Un recuerdo de
su esposo hijas y hijos [picture]
99 BLAS LOREDO 3Feb1884-21May1961
Un recuerdo de su esposa
100 SOFIA C. LOREDO 30Sep1884-26Jul1971
Un recuerdo de sus hijas
101 LINO RODRIGUEZ 23Sep1895-27Jul1969
Recuerdo de su esposa hijos y nietos [picture]
102 RAUL RODRIGUEZ Died 9Sep1972 age 46
yrs 0 mos 1 day
103 ARMANDO LUNA 13Sep1915-18Mar1965
Recuerdo de su esposa y sus hijo y hijas
104 DOLORES LUNA died 2Dec1963 age 83
105 NORMA LINDA VELA 19Sep1971-19Sep71
106 VELMA VELA died 30Nov1975 age 2 hours
107 RAMIRO LUNA Died 7Feb1976 age 29 yrs
108 [wooden cross]
109 GREGORIO LOREDO 16Apr1896-1Sep1960
Un recuerdo de su esposa y sus hijos [picture]
110 ESTER LOREDO 27Aug1931-20Oct1952 Un
recuerdo de sus padres y sus hermanos [picture]
111 DOMINGO DIAZ died 10-13-1972 Age 61
112-116 [wood crosses, one child's grave]
ALSO BURIED IN THIS CEMETERY
ARTURO VELA and ROBERTO VELA, reburied from
Hillcrest Cemetery in Edinburg. Per McAllen Monitor 4 April 1978.
RAMON REYNALDO VELA Born 21Jan1914 at
Chihuahua Ranch near Mission, died Feb 10 2002. [Unm. Son of Ramon Vela and
Josefina Chapa. Ranch owner.]
Susana Limon