Benavides, Duval County
Begun in 1894, the La Mota de Olmos Cemetery sits on land originally part of the Rancho La Mota de Olmos (The Cluster of Elms). The ranch, settled by the Bazan family, was founded by Francisco Bazan Villarreal, a native of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on land granted to him in the 1870s. Several of those buried here were also born on the ranch with one of the earliest burials being the oldest child of Juan Bazan, son of Francisco Bazan. The first person to be buried, however, was a ranch hand. Other burials include Francisco Bazan (d. 1909) and Don Pedro Bazan (d. 1934), a well known curandero, or healer. The cemetery, approximately 250 feet by 250 feet, contains more than 100 graves and remains active. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2009