Laurel Hill Cemetery
Mission, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This burial ground has served the Mission community since 1913, when graves were moved here from the first city cemetery because of unsuitable land conditions. Those buried here include John J. Conway (d. 1931), city of Mission founder; Dr. Cleo Dawson (d. 1991), author and television personality; and Floyd H. "Slats" Rodgers (d. 1956), noted aviator and stuntman. Also interred are community leaders, area pioneers and veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War. The cemetery, which is cared for by the City of Mission, features false crypts, fraternal markers, vertical stones, mausoleums, religious statuary and curbing. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2007
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Laurel Hill Cemetery has served Mission, in the lower Rio Grande Valley, since 1913, when graves were relocated from the town's first, unsuitable burial ground. Among those interred are city founder John J. Conway, author and television personality Dr. Cleo Dawson, and the aviator and stuntman Floyd "Slats" Rodgers, along with pioneers and veterans of conflicts reaching back to the Civil War. Its false crypts, mausoleums, and statuary reflect the region's blended traditions.
Why it matters
The cemetery gathers in one place the founders, characters, and everyday settlers whose lives built a Rio Grande Valley border town.
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Related people
- · John J. Conway
- · Cleo Dawson
- · Floyd "Slats" Rodgers
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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