On Saturday, November 11, two events will be held at Historic Fairview Cemetery, located at 700 Yale Blvd. SE, to honor U.S. veterans. Approximately 550 veterans are buried in Historic Fairview Cemetery, established in 1881. These veterans served in the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam.
Flag Ceremony and Wreath Placement
Starting at 10:30 a.m. there will be observances at the new flagpole in the American Legion #2 burial area, currently being renovated thanks to the support of Bernalillo County. At the 11th hour, there will be a moment of silence. Then attendees will move to American Legion #1, where a wreath will be placed at the restored Monument to the Unknown Dead. Free event.
Cemetery Stories Focused on Veterans, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cemetery Stories offrenda
The New Mexico Humanities Council and Historic Fairview Cemetery present their third Cemetery Stories event. This community story slam event highlights personal reflections on grief, memorial, life, and death. This year’s Cemetery Stories honors the memory of our veterans. The first hour of the story slam will be graveside presentations starting at 3:00:
- David Ottaviano, Cultural & Historic Resources Specialist with the Gutierrez-Hubbell House, on the life of James/Santiago Hubbell, a veteran of the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.
- Melanie LaBorwit, former director of the City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection, on the Spanish-American War and Rough Riders from New Mexico.
- Demetrius Brandon and Dale Bowles with the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club, speaking about the service of the African-American soldiers who served on the Western frontier following the Civil War.
At 4:00 p.m. story tellers will start speaking on the main stage. The Cemetery Stories event costs $10 through EventBrite.
Where: Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale Blvd. SE – Enter through the gates of Fairview Memorial Park, near the intersection with Avenida Cesar Chavez. Proceed east and turn left at the event banner sign, continue north into the historic cemetery area.
About Historic Fairview Cemetery
Historic Fairview Cemetery (HFC) was established in Albuquerque in 1881. There are approximately 12,000 burials in 17.5 acres at 700 Yale Blvd. SE. The historic cemetery is owned by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is dedicated to restoring and maintaining the grounds and sharing the history of Albuquerque and New Mexico through the lives of the people buried there.
Veterans buried in HFC include:
- 14 Buffalo Soldiers.
- 42 Spanish American War Veterans, of which 17 are Rough Riders who served with Theodore Roosevelt in the 1stS. Volunteer Cavalry.
- 2 Confederate States of America veterans (one whose son served in the U.S. armed forces in WWI).
- Governor Edmund G. Ross, who fought for the Union from Kansas in the Civil War and is featured in Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy.
- Chaplain Ted Howden Jr., who survived the Bataan Death March and died in the Davao Penal Colony in the Philippines. His body was transferred to the Howden family plot in HFC after the war ended.
For more information about notable veterans buried in Historic Fairview Cemetery, visit this page.