Established in 1931 on former farmland, Woodlawn Cemetery in Houston has a rich history. Originally called Woodlawn Cemetery, it started as a traditional burial ground with upright tombstones. The founders envisioned a peaceful, pastoral setting, a final resting place nestled among mature trees. The cemetery, situated along what was then a dirt-surfaced Katy Road, witnessed a transformation in 1940. Renamed Woodlawn Garden of Memories, it embraced the memorial park movement. This shift brought about the adoption of flat, bronze markers in newly created garden-themed sections like the Garden of Prayer and the Garden of the Rugged Cross. Around this time, Woodlawn Cemetery commissioned Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodríguez to create unique faux bois memorials. These textured, concrete sculptures, cleverly designed to resemble wood, are scattered throughout the grounds. You can admire his honeycomb rock fountain, benches shaped like fallen trees, a large planter basket, and a striking 25-foot-high cross surrounded by benches. Rodríguez also crafted the Annie Laurie Wishing Chair, a replica of a chair found in a Scottish church. Legend has it, if a couple sits in this chair on their wedding day, holds hands, and makes a wish, it will come true. Today, Woodlawn Cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, covers 60 acres. A wrought-iron fence with limestone columns partially encloses the grounds. Over 18,000 individuals have been interred here. The cemetery now includes an administrative building, a funeral home, three mausoleums, a dedicated section for veterans, and a cremation garden. Mature pine, oak, and hickory trees shade the grounds, interspersed with flowering crape myrtles, nandinas, and oleanders.
Greenwood Church
How about a story of faith spanning generations? This is the story of Greenwood Church. Greenwood Church has a rich