Houston, Outside the Johnson Space Center

We were in Houston for the Ballunar Liftoff Festival where I saw this metallic cross along NASA Parkway just a couple hundred yards or so from the front of the Johnson Space Center.

SH 123, south of Seguin, Texas #2

This iron cross is on the south side of SH-123.  And several miles south of Seguin.  Just a little bit down the road from another cross I listed before.

A beautiful piece of art.  There was no markings to determine why this cross was setup here.

Airport exit, SH 71, Texas

This little grouping of flowers was on the edge of State Highway 71 near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Tx.  It has disappeared since I took this photo back in July.

William Cannon and Westgate, Austin, Tx.

This cross and wreath is on the corner of Westgate and William Cannon in Austin Texas.  There is no identification markings that I could see.

Access Road along IH-35 and Southpark Meadows

This wreath is near the entrance ramp to south bound IH-35 on the access road along Southpark Meadows.  It simply says Josh and has the image of a red western style dragon.

S. IH-35, Austin, Tx.

This blue cross can be seen on the south bound side of IH-35, south of Austin, around the Creedmore exit.  The cross blends in pretty well with the tree it has been placed under.  The name "Fortino Cortes Cruz" is written on the cross piece

SH 71, Texas

This cross is between Bastrop and Austin.

RIP
Charley Daniel Bell
earned his wings
Nov 4, 1996

SH 71 and FM 20, Texas

This pair of crosses is on a small hill over looking the intersection of SH 71 and FM 20.

The one on the left reads:

In loving memory of
Nicholas Ryan Cody
Born December 17, 1979 & Killed
at this location March 10, 2002
by a drunk driver

The cross of the right reads:

In loving memory of
Emily Rose Conley
Born February 5, 1986 & Killed
at this location March 10, 2002
by a drunk driver.

SH 123, south of Seguin, Texas

We were travelling along SH 123 south of Seguin on our way to Stockdale one weekend when I spotted this cross with a lovely brass plaque.

Jose Roel (Jr) Amaya

The Angels Came on June 1, 2007

and Our Hearts Were Broken
A Day Does'nt Go By That You're
Not In Our Thoughts
We Love You and We Miss You So Much

SH 123 between San Marcos and Seguin, Texas

4-24-2002
Emilio Ramirez

This little cross is out in the countryside alone the state highway on the west hand side. Its a little before you get to the little town of Geronimo.

IH-35 and 2222, Austin, Tx

This memorial is on the access road after you exit IH-35 at Rt 2222/E. Koenig Ln. There is a large pile of stuffed animals surrounding the sign post. Along with some roses and a American flag. A church emblem and a long faded picture of a man labeled Dad is tapped to the post.

UPDATE: Feb 12, 2011 This memorial is no longer there. All that is left at the moment is what was taped to the post of the sign. All the stuffed animals are now gone.

Katy Lane and 1626, Austin, Tx.

There is no plaque or other markers to indicate who this memorial may be for. Quite a bit of effort has been put into making it a beautiful reminder. The car mirror and road reflector is an interesting counterpoint to the teddy bear, potted flowers and other plants. This is the first one that I have seen where they have planted flowers and a small tree.

3700 block of Steck Avenue news article

This story plus video from News Channel 8 on July 19, 2010 talks about a widower who put up a cross alongside the road in memory of his wife who was killed 2 years ago by a hit and run driver.

6920 Manchaca Road, Austin, Tx

This cross can be found at Newflower Market in the grassy area between the parking lot and Manchaca Rd.

The plaque reads:

In Loving Memory

of

Darel Brad Gonzalez

October 30, 1977 - June 3, 1995

We Love You

Dad, Anna, Brandon & Pee Wee

The File Cabinet Of Curiosities

I found The File Cabinet Of Curiosities blog which has a category for Roadside Memorials. There are several of Pre's Rock and a couple others from Texas.

Steve Roland Prefontaine, Eugene, Oregon

I saw a short blurb on the roadside memorial for Steve Prefontaine, the great runner from the '70s in ESPN Magazine. He died when he hit at brick wall with his sports car. Pre's Rock is a memorial created at the site of his accident and is visited by runners who leave medals and other memorabilia.

Another photo from flickr

FM 150 and FM 2770, Kyle, Tx.

This little cross is against the wire fence on the southwest corner of the intersection.

The slightly hidden plaque reads:

Sarah Lorraine Dahlstrom

July 9, 1980 - July 27, 1996

Mom and Dad

Love You Honey

Contact Notes

I try to leave notes at all of the memorials that I photograph so that the people who set them up and maintain them are aware of what I am doing and can contact me to either get or give more information.

I hope these notes create an opportunity to learn more about the who, what and why these memorials are here.

I have already learned much from the contacts that I have made and I say thank you for emailing me.

San Leanna Rd and 1626, San Leanna, Texas

The red plaque reads:

In Loving Memory of

Carolyn Hartsfield Bowles

Born September 21, 1951 & killed at

this location April 29, 2006 by a drunk driver.

I had the wonderful opportunity to communicate with Mrs. Bowles' sister about what happened. Ms. Bowles was instantly killed in a head-on collision by a drunk driver coming around the curve. Mrs. Bowles had recently retired and was on her way home from taking care of her grandson when the accident happened.

The cross was provided by M.A.D.D. Then permission had to be given by the POA of the nearby subdivision and by the Texas State of Transportation.

Last weekend was fruitful.

I had a fruitful weekend. I found a total of five crosses along Texas State Highway 123 including a beautiful one made of scrolled iron. I also found one on Rd 51 on the way to Wimberly. Unfortunately I was only able to take photographs of three of them. Being pressed for time, we were not able to stop at all of them.

Anyone with information about these memorials, please contact me.

Hopefully I can find some time soon to take photographs of the ones I missed.

South Lamar, Austin, Tx.

This memorial is painted on one of the pillars holding up a train bridge on South Lamar. You can see it when traveling north between Barton Springs and Ceaser Chavez.

Fair Sailing Tall Boy

Ivan Garth Johnson

Not Forgotten

1971-1989

Don't Drink

& Drive

You might kill

someone's kid.

Montropolis. Austin, Tx

This little pair of crosses can be found on the section of Montropolis that runs through McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Tx. There is no information on them to determine who or when.

UPDATE: Oct 8, 2010 - These two little crosses have been removed.

Brodie Lane, near 1626

Seen on Brodie Lane, Austin, Texas. In the grassy areas between the road and the brick walls of Bridges of Bear Creek subdivision.

A new beginning

I have been thinking and wondering for some time about the crosses and items that are left along side our roads and highways that document the passing (usually) of a loved one. Some come and then disappear or are neglected over time while others are maintained or even expanded.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those that have fallen in the service of our country. It also seems to be an excellent time to start a project to document and remember others that are important to us and have passed on.

I want to explore how we choose to remember and memorialize past people and events. And i want to document and share some of the ones that I have found in my personal travels.

You can email me at tashi.arts@yahoo.com

Please share with me special memorials from your area. Or if you have more information on one that I have seen, I would be happy to update the entry with further details.