Bagdad Cemetery

As some of you are aware the past few days have been full of comments concerning the cemetery and the Texas Chainsaw movie and its following. The young ladies that took the photos sent them as a check in with the page. I have had others that have been posted directly on the page with out check in.
To manage a cemetery you have to be aware that you are often meeting people at a very low point in their life, the death of a loved one. You soon find out that people have different ways of dealing with their grief and you have to work with them in the best way you can. I feel very much that this is a public cemetery open to all with no rules about race, belief system, religion, no religion or whatever.
I have had complaints about other photos of people having a birthday cake at the cemetery for their child that passed way to early. This is the way they dealt with their grief and I am sorry that you did not like the photo. Other people have said they wanted to ban all plastic flowers because they were not pretty. Remember some people may not have the funds to buy other flowers and it is their space.
I have had complaints about the cactus planted on some spaces. Now this are is pretty covered by cactus plants and if it gets on your space I will take care of it but if not I am sorry but your choice is not the rule for someone else.
I have had complaints about some spaces having a beer bottle on the grave. Now if I find a beer bottle in the common areas it will be removed. I met a man one later afternoon that was drinking a beer sitting on a camp stool. He told me that this was his best friend and when out hunting they would sit on their stool and have a beer. He knew that his friend was gone but it helped him to just have a beer and talk to his friend. He keep the bottles picked up but he sometimes shared with his friend.
We all have different reasons for loving the cemetery, some of them because of our family, some of them because of the history and some because of a movie that you loved. We all need to accept other views than our own and remember that it is not an easy task trying to understand everyone's reasons.
I will try to give information about a photograph if I know but sometimes we just have to go to the next page.

I hope everyone has read the posts from the Chainsaw fans on the Bagdad Cemetery page. They are very sorry if they offended anyone and I also am sorry that some people were offended.

But I tell you what is really offensive is the "people" that use the back area the site of the annual meeting for their parties. We find many beer cans and bottles, wine bottles and hard stuff also. We have found all of your drug material and your left over sexual items which we do not want nor do we want to have to clean up. Now that is disrespect to all the people in the cemetery. The person making donuts in the fields next to the graves that came close to hitting some of the graves.
The people that have removed headstones only to feel bad and return them to the edge of the front gates that is disrespect. To the people that have removed flowers and other keepsakes from graves you are showing that you have no class to the people buried and their family. To the people that several months ago broke one tombstone in half, the family was really hurt by your action.

The Leander Police Department has helped by more trips into the cemetery and we thank them. But none of us can be around all the time so help us take care of your cemetery by keeping your eyes open. Let us know of issues via this page or call at 512-259-4855 or 512-6193173. We will call you back.

Good News. We are getting some base for the roads and hope to fill up those potholes in the road to the back area. Sorry it has taken so long but we have had many funerals and some new board members that are learning the system. These new board members have been a real help and we all seem to be working to get some of the needs of Bagdad Cemetery done. We will be working on tree trimming and trimming of some of the native plants that have taken over some of the headstones. We all love the native plants but they have to be trimmed and in some places they have gone wild.

Please be careful around the headstones in the cemetery. Many in the older sections are very delicate and leaning and we don't want anyone to get hurt. Please do not lean or stand on any of the tombs as they are also breaking. Remember these are the loved ones of people and treat them as you would one of your loved ones. We love that you are bringing your children to the cemetery to show them our history. Please be sure they understand the frail nature of the graves for their own safety.

Thank you to all of our supporters that have sent donations or came to the annual meeting and donated. You are the backbone that keeps our cemetery going and truly a community cemetery since the 1850's. Thank you to the Board that are giving of their time and talents to keep the cemetery in such nice shape.