Tanquesitos Cemetery
near Santa Monica, TexasGPS Coords: 26.349195, -97.599565
by John and Maria Montalvo Graham
From Raymondville, Texas take US 77 south through Lyford and before reaching Sebastian turn left (east) on FM 1018. Continue on the paved FM 1018 until it ends at a _T_ intersection with another paved FM road (number not noted) [FM 1420] in the hamlet of Santa Monica. Take a right onto this paved FM road, go south up across the International Boundary Commission north levee, across the canal and to the south levee. Turn right (west) onto the single lane gravel road atop the south levee and proceed until you are in sight of a locked, pole gate across the levee, which will bar your further travel west on the levee. Locate a gravel vehicle ramp down from the levee on the north (canal) side, back a few yards from the gate. Go down this ramp and travel alongside the levee on the dirt track between the cultivated fields and the levee. Proceed in this manner until you sight another locked pole gate atop the levee. Proceed a few more yards alongside the levee until you come to another vehicle ramp leading to the top of the levee. Once again on the top of the levee, turn left (east) back along the gravel road atop the levee, until you reach the gate. From the gate you can see the cemetery on the right (south) side of the levee. It appears to be partially on Boundary Commission right-of-way and part on private land. You'll have to walk the rest of the way _ about 50 to 75 yards. We would not recommend trying this route when the roads are soft. It should be possible to walk from the State Farm road down the levee at any time _ probably no more than a mile or so. Please note that vehicular travel on the levee when not on official business is prohibited. There is a warden who keeps the gate keys, living in Santa Monica from whom you can ask permission for entry. Recommend inquiry at any of the houses near the _T_ intersection for directions to his home.
The cemetery is fenced and, when we transcribed it (May 10, 2002), was neat and clean. It is the burial place for a couple of generations of the Cavazos family, descendants of Jose Narsico Cavazos, impresario and Grantee of the San Juan de Carrisitos Land Grant in the late 1700s, and families associated by marriage to them. It was the family cemetery of the Montalvo family who lived at the nearby Rancho Tanquecitos (literally _little tanks_) which no longer exists.
Our transcription is listed in the order we encountered the monuments. We did not attempt to copy various inscriptions on the stones. Dates were mostly in Spanish, but have been translated here into English. Where the monuments were double stones, or were otherwise known by Maria to be associated, we listed them together or noted the relationship.
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes/Inscriptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montalvo, Jose Rudolfo | 23 Nov 1951 | 23 Jun 1954 | Grandson of Antonio & Dolores Montalvo |
| Montalvo, Dolores Cavazos | 16 Apr 1870 | 9 Feb 1959 | |
| Montalvo, Antonio | 16 Apr 1870 | 11 Jul 1913 | Husband & Wife |
| Cavazos, Maria Candida | 2 Dec 1888 | 14 Sep 1954 | Sister to Dolores Cavazos |
| Cavazos, Romano | 1849 | 14 Sep 1926 | |
| Cavazos, Pedro | 13 Jan 1846 | 21 Jul 1929 | Father of Dolores and Maria |
| Montalvo, Salvador Antonio | 29 Jul 1952 | 30 Oct 1981 | s/o Dolores and Antonio |
| Montalvo, Antonio Jr. | 1 Oct 1901 | 19 Oct 1976 | s/o Dolores and Antonio |
| Solis, Gumesindo | 3 Apr 1899 | 31 Jan 1977 | |
| McKinney, Helen | 13 May 1939 | 1 Oct 1978 | |
| Gutierrez, Enrique | 9 Nov 1970 | 8 Mar 1983 | |
| Solis, Ester | 15 Feb 1904 | 4 May 1947 | |
| Solis, Jose C. | 27 Jun 1913 | 19 Jun 1990 | |
| McKinney, Francisca Solis | 27 Jun 1901 | 2 Jan 1988 | |
| Garcia, Uvaldo | 12 Aug 1931 | 25 Apr 1962 | s/o Francisca McKinney |
| Garcia, Juaquin | 17 Aug 1888 | 15 Jan 1988 | |
| Garcia, Tomasita | 29 Feb 1899 | 4 Apr 1988 | Husband & Wife |
| Valdez, M. | 7 Jun 1984 | only date | A very small cross stone, set apart from the others; probably a baby |