George West Cemetery

George West Cemetery. . The George West Cemetery was originally part of the George West Ranch. The ranch dates to the 1880s, when George Washington West (1851-1926) and his wife, Kitty Searcy West (1858-1939), purchased 140,000 acres in Live Oak County. On March 4, 1916, George set aside six acres of his vast ranch for use as a community and cemetery. Management remained with George West and family until his death in 1926. The estate gifted the cemetery to the citizens of the county as a free burial ground. It was administered through a committee appointed by the Live Oak County Commissioners Court. Acreage added by West heirs and W. Hale Canfield expanded the cemetery to more than 20 acres. , The first legible headstone is for Espetasion Garza (1900-1916) and is inscribed in Spanish. Many early headstones are illegible. Notable burials include civic leader William Hale Canfield (1907-1991) and his wife, Mable Frances (Lamm) Canfield (1913-2004). Judge William “Bill” Scott Kendall (1913-1990) was a World War II veteran. Ramiro Garcia (1912-2000) was a lifelong George West citizen and owner of the successful T&T Café, along with his wife, Lena (Chapa) Garcia (1912-2004). Burials also include veterans, medical personnel, ranchers, business owners, educators, laborers and others from the area. All helped shape the landscape of George West and Live Oak County. , Improvements to the cemetery were made over the years, including a water well, electricity, caliche roads, and a stone gate. Since 1926, the George West Cemetery Association has maintained the cemetery, preserving this chronicle of early George West and Live Oak County heritage. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2018.