Mestas Cemetery, Las Animas County, Colorado
http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/lasanimas/cemeteries/mestas.txt
Donated by:  Orlando Mestas <orglomes_610@what-wire.com>

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(SEC 13, T32S, R63W)
The Mestas Cemetery was the original cemetery for the Mestas family located on the 1877 Homestead Land Grant
of Salvador Mestas who brought his family from the Chama Valley in New Mexico to live in Las Animas County,
Colorado at Chililicito near Hoehne, Colorado on April 15, 1866.
The cemetery, located on private property, is approximately 2.5 miles north of the junction of US Highway 350
and US Highway 160. Then approximately 1 mile west to the Purgatory "Las Animas" River which is a 
prominent landmark just west of the cemetery.

The cemetery is covered by sagebrush, cactus and yucca plants.  There are no discernible grave markers only 
artifact remnants of some wood and stone markers and multiple standard metal memorial markers.  Any form of
personal identification markings have been destroyed by vandalism and weathered away. 
Since there is no evidence or information that can be used from the remaining markers to identify the graves, I
have used genealogical research and documents to verify and authenticate the actual burials that have taken place
in the Mestas Cemetery.  Over time, as I research more family history, I will continue to update and make new 
additions to the cemetery log as they are found.


Alex Elkins			B: 1865			D: December 5, 1937

J.T.B.							Unknown Person
*Small white stone (marble) marker

Maria Dorotea(Mestas) Watson    B: March 29, 1849	D: August 16, 1919 
*Wife of John Watson and daughter of Salvador Mestas and Maria Antonia 
Rosa Viterba de Valdes

Mestas, Elloy			B: August 18, 1918	D: June 26, 1924
* Son of Jose Mariano Mestas and Aurelia Hernandez

Mestas, Juan Maria		B: September 15, 1854	D: June 8, 1927
* Son of Salvador Mestas and Antonia Rosa Viterba De Valdes

Montoya, Crespin		B: 1908			D: February 18, 1928
* Son of Leonardo Montoya and Altagracia Mestas
* Grandson of Juan Maria Mestas

Montoya, Jose N.		B. 1906			D: February 2, 1931
* Son of Leonardo Montoya and Altagracia Mestas
* Grandson of Juan Maria Mestas

Musselwhite, William S.		B: March 19, 1941	D: February 12, 2004
* PO2 US Navy, Vietnam

Teofila Pacheco (Mestas) Blanch	B: 1851			D: September 1, 1928
* Wife of Felipe Nerio Mestas (son of Salvador Mestas) and Albino Blanch