BENAVIDES RANCH CEMETERY, Hidalgo Co. Cemeteries of TX

BENAVIDES RANCH CEMETERY

Submitted by cshaffer@houston.rr.com (typed from records provided by surveyors)

Surveyed by Goldsby Goza and Fran Isbel on January 19 and 26, 1980.
COPYRIGHT HIDALGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

LOCATION: In the southwestern corner of Hidalgo County, on US 83 in Sullivan City. Proceed .2 miles west of FM 688 (road to Los Ebanos ferry) just pass JR's Minimart, then drive south on Ceniso Street another .2 miles past post office. Cemetery is on east side of street..

SURVEYED: Wilma C. Kosar, October 1976..

PERSPECTIVE: Headstones face east. Cemetery is 150 x 150 feet with a 50 x 150 foot caliches-covered parking lot beside the road. Hurricane fence has double gate on west side. Large mesquite, cedar and oak trees shade cemetery. There are over half a dozen large modern bovedas with glass-covered niches holding almost life-sized religious figures, one crypt resembling a small
house, and one grave with a marble canopy. In August, 1990, thee were over a hundred graves. Family members of decedents maintain the cemetery. See Mrs. Rosendo Benavides, next door to JR's Minimart on Business 83 for allocation of burial space.

HISTORY: Realizing that cemeteries in their hometowns were rapidly filling up, Mr. and Mrs. Rosendo Benavides donated a tract of land for that purpose out of Benavides Subdivision Number 1 in 1968. The late Mr. Benavides was from Los Ebanos; his wife, Mrs. Maria Longoria de Benavides, is from her father's El Perdido Ranch in Starr County. They came to live in Sullivan
City, an unincorporated community, in 1951, and moved to their present home in 1968. Mr. Benavides owned JR's Minimart, which is now owned and operated by his daughter, Nidia. Heir four children are sons Rosel and Josel, and daughters Noemi and Nidia.

Sullivan City was named for its location on the former Ed W. (Cap) Sullivan Ranch located on Porcion 40 allocated to Jose Antonio Castaneda, an old settler of Reynosa, in 1767 (not to Nicholas Zamoraas shown on early General Land Office maps). Cap Sullivan struck oil on his ranch in 1932. It was the first oil well in the Valley, named the Otto Woods #1, after the driller who brought it in. The accommodate boomers who flocked to the area, Sullivan established a town in 934. In the mid-40s, Cap and Eleanor Sullivan sold the ir interests and moved to Port Isabel, where they operated a motor launch service to South Padre Island.

Sources: Interview with Mrs. Rosendo Benavides, August 18, 1990.

Gilbert, Minnie. Place-Names. "Gift to the Rio," by Valley By-Liners,
p. 23.

Texas Historical Association. Handbook of Texas. 1952.

Villalon, Porfirio. Letter. Sullivan City, Texas, July 30, 1990.

*************************************

Row A

A01. LUIS MARTINEZ
* Marzo 5, 1911 + Enero 8, 1972
Un recuerdo de su esposa e hijos e hijas
Q.E.P.D.
(photograph)

A02. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ
Oct. 31, 1911 Oct. 26, 1975

A03. HORTENCIA O. RODRIGUEZ
July 13, 1919
Our Father Which Art in Heaven

A04. CLAUD H. SHEPHERD
May 22, 1921

A05. EVA C. SHEPHERD
April 8, 1913
Our Father Which Art in Heaven

A06. LAZARO CAMPOS
December 14, 1909 November 28, 1975
Jehova es me Pastor y con el nada me faltara, Salmo 23

A07. FRANCISCA V. CAMPOS
July 14, 1916

A08. DORA BENAVIDEZ
May 17, 1975
(Funeral home marker also, 0 months, 0 days)

A09. ROSENDO BENAVIDES
August 12, 1921 August 19, 1974
(With photograph)

A10. ROSENDO BENAVIDES
PFC US Army Aug 12, 1921 - Aug 19, 1974
(Marker at foot)

A11. MARIA L. BENAVIDES
August 13, 1919

A12. JOSE SOLIS
Died 1975
(More than 65 years old)
(Funeral home marker, illegible.)

A13. MIGUEL SAUDEDA
Nació 12-28-1892 Murió 10-15-1975
Un recuerdo de su esposa, hijos y nietos

Row B (?)

Row C

C01. JESUS V. GARZA
Dic. 19, 1939 - Feb. 2 1974
Recuerdo de su esposa, hijas y hijo
(photograph)

C02. SANDOVAL INFANT
(Funeral home marker, illegible; 1 day old, Father Oscar Sandoval)

Row D

D01. JOSE ARNOLDO GUTIERREZ
Died June 30, 1972 (?)
2 mos. 15 days
(Funeral home marker)

D02. JAIME ALBERTO GUTIERREZ
Died 10 March 1975 (?) 4 years
(Funeral home marker)
(Wood cross, brother of Number D01)

Row E

E01. INFANT
Died 1975 1 day old; Girl
(Father's name is Sylverio)
(Funeral home marker, illegible)

E02. YOLANDA SOLIS
Nació June 4, 1964 Falleció October 26, 1968
Recuerdo de sus padrinos
(Oldest grave in the cemetery)

E03. REGINALDO SALINAS
S
Rey
G

(Wood and wire fence on cement slab with wood cross. Nothing else
legible; 6 month old child)

E04. SANTOS GUTIERREZ
(Blue cross)
(Premature infant, died about 1973).
(Funeral home marker, illegible)

Row F

F01. TOMAS MARES
Dic 23, 1926 Dic 23, 1972
Un recuerdo de su esposa y hijos y hijas

F02. BRAULIA G. MONTELONGO
Aug 25, 1900 - Feb 22, 1975
Recuerdo de sus hijos e hjas

F03. JOSE MONTELONGO
Mar 19, 1886 Mar 27, 1970
Recuerdo de sus esposa e hijos y hijas

End of Benavides Ranch Cemetery.