Small towns in Texas have their fair share of strange histories, and this tale of a grave in the middle of the road is one of family and determination.

The lone grave is all that remains of what was once, Hearne's Colored Graveyard. Hollie Tatnell's remains lie where they were originally placed in 1911. When real estate developers moved into the area in 1947, they asked the remains of slaves be removed by their families and reburied elsewhere. Tatnell's children refused.

As developers were hurried to continue their work, they conceded to Tatnell's childern, Georgia and Andrew, and built around their mother's grave. Hollie Tatnell continues to rest under an oak tree, in the middle of a street in Hearne, TX.

Her lone grave is designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery. In 2007, a sign was placed over the grave by the Texas Historical Commission. The sign reads:

"This single grave serves as a reminder of the area’s early African-American community and of the sanctity of burial grounds."

 

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