5801 Helmick Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas, 76107
Lake Como Historical Cemetery Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony
JOIN US FOR THIS RECOGNITION CEREMONY
November 11, 2024 Veterans Day recognition – Monday 10:00 am
5801Helmick Avenue (Corner of Helmick Avenue and Halloran)
Lake Como Cemetery - several graves mark the distinguished accomplishments of military servicemen who died for our country. In addition to military veterans, there are several members of the Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Free Masons. Lake Como Cemetery will honor those over thirty-two military veterans and free masons within the cemetery with flags and flowers. On Veterans Day, we honor our Nation’s veterans, who have given so much to protect our freedoms and the freedom of others around the globe. They represent the highest ideals of our country. While we can never fully repay the debt we owe these heroes, we will honor their service and provide them the care and support they deserve.
The Historical Lake Como Cemetery Historical Marker Ceremony
The Lake Como Cemetery is a significant historical site in Texas, recognized by the Texas Historical Commission. The cemetery was recently honored with an official Historic Texas Cemetery Marker, symbolizing the Lake Como Community's lasting legacy. A dedication ceremony took place on July 6, 2024, to celebrate its historical significance, attracting a large audience from the city, with speakers from the Lake Como Cemetery Association and the Tarrant County Historic and Genealogical Society addressing over a hundred attendees. Tarrant County Commissioner Roy C Brooks told the assembly, "We all stand on the shoulders of someone, and as a community, we stand on the shoulders of those interred here. U.S. Representative Marc Veasey, with roots in the Lake Como Community, eloquently remarked, "Each person laid to rest here has a story, a family, and has contributed to our community and city. The Lake Como Cemetery Association, LEGACY, and the Lake Como Cemetery Beautification Committee manage the ongoing preservation and restoration efforts. The Fort Worth community has shown tremendous support and volunteerism, with notable assistance from Citylights Volunteers, Home Depot, and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Special thanks are extended to city leaders, including District 6 Councilman Jared Williams, District 3 Councilman Michael Crain, Commissioner Roy C Brooks, Community Outreach Coordinator Leon Polk, and Jeff Harz, Veteran Service Coordinator for Pecan Valley Centers for Behavioral and Developmental Healthcare.
Lake Como Cemetery Care Teams
Our Cemetery is Maintained by the Community
All About Historic Lake Como Cemetery
What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose.
Lake Como Cemetery was established in 1925 by Rev. George Washington Burton II of Zion Missionary Baptist Church. The cemetery is on a three-acre tract at the corner of Helmick and Halloran in Como, the historically African-American Neighborhood on the west side of Fort Worth. There are no official burial records. However, historic reports estimate at least 300 to 500 interments, although the total number is unknown since most of the burials are unmarked.
The Como Alumni Club, Inc. donated the wrought iron arch over the entrance in 1987. There have been multiple efforts over the decades to maintain the cemetery. The Zion Missionary Baptist Church representative who conducted funerals at the cemetery passed away in the late 1990s, which reduced the frequency of burials. The Como Neighborhood Advisory Council reactivated the Lake Como Cemetery Association in 2016, and the first burial in 10 years at the cemetery occurred in 2020. The cemetery association is working to revitalize the cemetery and received through the Texas Historical Commission the Texas Cemetery Historical Designation in 2019 and was awarded a Historic Marker in spring of 2023. The marker will be mounted in Spring 2024.
