Exploring the history of Montopolis Cemetery aka San Jose Cemetery No. 2 explored. One of Austin’s most forgotten cemeteries.

Not much history can be found or discovered about Montopolis Cemetery aka San Jose Cemetery No. 2. Montopolis Cemetery aka San Jose Cemetery No. 2 is one of Austin’s most forgotten cemeteries that has long been forgotten.


Montopolis Cemetery aka San Jose Cemetery No. 2 was established on 4½ acres of land (4.5 acres) on Poston Road off Hoeke Lane in Austin, Texas sometime in 1843. Ada Seeling Poston purchased the 4½ acres of property in 1844 and a cemetery was later established. The cemetery was open to the public in 1844. The burials had no markers. (Ref: https://abc.austintexas.gov/attachment/attachmentDownload.jsp?p=rhL9yeJHMmUCynYV0gpaHYQlUeakbjOS5oWueW5EJIq7inE%2BsPiJJR3CO38Fn9WPo5kPrLtpNNTfu4oi7c8Zhe37WOk3LE7o%2FRWzi%2BAT%2BCJKnpLxpJv%2FDh0xManC8tpF)

A widow named Louise Seeling purchased the land from Ada Seeling Poston according to a deed from September 21, 1943. Louise Seeling appears to have been related to Ada Seeling Poston. She was a member of her family. (Ref: Travis County Public Records - Real Estate, Volume 722, Pages 623-625)

Louise Seeling approached the men's society at San José Church for help with groundskeeping maintenance in the 1940s. She had intended to create a community cemetery. The men's society at San José Church was already maintaining María De La Luz. So they refused her offer and turned her down. She still plotted and created this cemetery.

There are 21 graves. Most of the burials in this cemetery date from between 1947 and 1952. This is because priests from San José Church buried 12 people in this cemetery between 1949 and 1952. (Ref: http://sanjose.philmullins.com/environment/)

Sometime during the 20th century is when Louise Seeling sold the land to Joe M. Ruedos. His daughter, Gilberta R. Pena, was the only surviving heir and successor trustee to the Montopolis Cemetery. Gilberta R. Pena sold the cemetery to Refugio Herrera, Melecio Salazar, Joe Cisneros, and Ricardo Flores, Jr. in 1983. Refugio Herrera, Melecio Salazar, and Ricardo Flores, Jr. were the trustees for the Montopolis Cemetery. (Ref: Travis County Public Records - Real Estate, Volume 8179, Page 185)


Joe Cisneros sold this land to Gabriela Martinez in 2002. She was then made successor trustee of the San Jose Cemetery No. 2/Montopolis Cemetery. Gabriela Martinez would be the owner and groundskeeper of this cemetery for a number of years. (Ref: Travis County Public Records, 2002011749)

Esmeralda Muniz was named as successor trustee of the San Jose Cemetery No. 2/Montopolis Cemetery in 2010 according to a right of entry deed. Now Esmeralda Muniz is the current owner and groundskeeper of San Jose Cemetery No. 2. (Ref: Travis County Public Records, 2010047631)

In 2012, talks with City of Austin Code Compliance Department and Travis County were conducted about how to how to best clean up and document Montopolis Cemetery because the site has become an illegal dumpsite for trash. Business owners and volunteer groups have offered to help clean up the cemetery. Dale Flatt of Save Austin’s Cemeteries said, “The site will soon be cleared.” (Ref: https://www.sachome.org/e-newsletters/2012%20Winter%20enewsletter.pdf)

Today this cemetery is abandoned. Most of the head stones are hard to see as the cemetery is overgrown with brush and high grass. Trees have grown all over the cemetery property. San Jose Cemetery No. 2/Montopolis Cemetery has never really been properly excavated or surveyed by any archaeologists. (Ref: http://www.austintxgensoc.org/cemeteries/san-jose-ii-cemetery/)


If you enter this cemetery, you might not find all of the graves. Most of the graves are located on the east side of the cemetery. Entry to this cemetery is on the west side. The cemetery is not maintained and some graves are not marked. The earliest marker dates back to 1893 and the most recent marker dates back to 1988. There are earlier burials that predate 1893.

The address for Montopolis Cemetery is 8101 Posten Lane, Austin, Texas, US 78744. The other address for Montopolis Cemetery is 8101 Poston Lane, Austin, Texas, US 78744.