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Cemetery Marker Added for Children of Rio Grande City Founders

Cemetery Marker Added for Children of Rio Grande City Founders
7 years 6 months 3 weeks ago Tuesday, May 16 2017 May 16, 2017 May 16, 2017 2:13 PM May 16, 2017 in Community - Con Mi Gente

RIO GRANDE CITY – While the graves of the Rio Grande City founders are clearly marked in the city’s historic cemetery, the tombstones of their children were lost.

Henry Clay Davis and Hilaria de la Garza had seven children. Michael Davis, the couple’s great-great-grandson, said he thought the children were buried in Camargo with De La Garza’s family.

He later learned they were buried in the same area as their parents, who had donated the land for the cemetery. “But they don't have a marker,” he explained.

The children’s descendants gathered to add a marker, pay tribute and celebrate. Event coordinator Diana Uribe said, "1933 was the last year that a funeral was held here. And today we are bringing honor back to the Henry Clay Davis family."

"Henry Clay and Hilaria had the vision of starting a new Christian community,” said Michael Davis, “so, therefore, I look at them as the godparents of Rio Grande City."

Henry Clay Davis, a Kentucky native, settled in the area with his wife, whose family were recipients of a Spanish land grant. In those early day, the area was known as Davis Landing or Rancho Davis.

"Even though Henry Clay and Hilaria were prominent members of this community, to these children, they're only mommy and daddy or ama y apa,” said Michael Davis.

Along with the addition of burial marker, relatives released balloons for each of the couple’s children. The event also served as a family reunion.

“Glad we all got together. We haven't done this in ages,” said Henry Davis.

Of course, not everyone could make it to the event. The family estimates the couple now has more than 300,000 descendants.

You can catch Con Mi Gente segments Tuesdays and Thursdays on CHANNEL 5 NEWS THIS MORNING and CHANNEL 5 NEWS at 5.

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