Santa Cruz "Saenz" Cemetery

The Settlement of the Santa Cruz Community Dates Back to 1859 When Jose Marta Martinez (1822-1885) and His Wife, Julia Gonzalez (1876-1903), Left Guardado De Arriba, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Settled on the North Bank of Los Olmos Creek. They Named Their Ranch Santa Cruz. The Couple Brought Their Six Children, Esteban Genovevo, Jose Maria, Maximo, Victoriana Agustina and Her Husband Agapito Saenz and Daughter Benita. Their Daughter Victoriana Married Saturnino Vera in the Nearby Village of Concepcion. Also Accompanying Them Was Julia’s Brother Benito Gonzalez, and His Wife, Viviana Elizondo. The Martinez, Gonzalez, Saenz, and Vera Families Would Amass Over 2,000 Acres, Raising 12,000 Head of Sheep, 100 Head of Cattle, and 988 Horses and Mules, in the Late 1800s. Acapito and Agustina Saenz Took Over the Santa Cruz Ranch, Their Daughter Benita (1855-1876) Is the First Burial in Santa Cruz Cemetery. Jose Marta, Julia, and All but One of Their Children Are Buried in the Santa Cruz Cemetery. Victoriana is Buried in the Nearby Vera Cemetery. In the Early Twentieth Century, The Name Was Changed to Santa Cruz Community Cemetery, However, the Cemetery Continued to Be Owned by the Saenz Family. The Cemetery is Still Active, Mostly for Descendants of Agapito and Agustina Saenz. However, Several Other Surnames Are Present on Headstones. At Least Three War Veterans Have Their Final Resting Place at Santa Cruz Cemetery. The Cemetery Features Four Bóvedas, or Above Ground Crypts. They Are for Agustina Saenz (1839-1913), Agapito Saenz (1833-1916), Anastacio Saenz Vela (1892-1926) and Dantel Saenz, Who Died at Age Nine. The Santa Cruz Cemetery, Still Owned by the Oscar Saenz Family, Provides a Final Resting Place for These Established and Intrepid Landowners and Their Descendants.