Ancient, hidden cemetery discovered

BERNALILLO, N.M. (KRQE) - The town of Bernalillo uncovered 200 years of history. Neighbors discovered an old cemetery south of U.S. Highway 550 near the railroad just two months ago.

Weeds and shrubs grew over the tombstones. Some of the graves date back to the 1800s. Few people even knew the cemetery existed.

"A lot of people walk by this cemetery on [a] particular path and don't even realize it's there," said Roxanne Smyth.

She and her husband have strolled by the graves for years without knowing it existed. Then, one day, she wandered off the path and stumbled upon a headstone.

"There's so much history that's in here," said Smyth.

Vandals and sheer time destroyed some of the headstones over the years. Many tombstones are cracked, broken or missing. Other graves are simply marked with rocks.

About 100 people are buried there, but no one seems to know who they were. The state archives, the local Archdiocese and the neaby church all had only partial records of those who rest there. There is no complete data of who is buried in those graves.

In fact, few knew who even owned the land. The Father Stephen Imbarrato of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Bernalillo did not know his church owned the property until it was recently rediscovered. Fr. Imbarrato walked through the cemetery for the first time two months ago. He realized the headstones were hard to read, so he set out on a mission.

"What a shame," Fr. Imbarrato said in reference to the weed-covered graves. "We can clean this up pretty well."

So, they did. Volunteers with the 4-H club and the Knights of Columbus in Bernalillo helped clean up the cemetery and weeded the grounds. Soon, the Knights of Columbus will make 80 crosses to identify the unmarked graves. As for identifying the bodies, the Father is asking around the parish, hoping a conversation sparks someone's memory about a loved one who is buried there.

If you think your relative is buried there, call Our Lady of Sorrows in Bernalillo at (505) 867-5252.