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Decker Cemetery

Type: Cemetery

Rating: N/A

Cost: N/A

Years In Use: N/A

Open To The Public: Yes

Historical Marker: N/A

ADA Accessible: N/A

Bikes Allowed: N/A

Dogs Allowed: N/A

Interpretive Guide: N/A

Address: 8304 Decker Lane

City: Austin

County: Travis

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The Decker Lane area of east Austin was once a center of Swedish immigrants who farmed the rolling hills and congregated together for comfort in a land so far from their original homes. Like many immigrants these newly arrived Americans clung to their native tongue for generations. Evidence of this can be seen at Decker Cemtery in the many headstones that have been carved completely with Swedish phrases, not to mention the Swedish surnames.

Eventually the residents of the Decker Lane area dispersed and fully assimilated into the larger population. Cemeteries like this one and the nearby Decker Free Church Cemetery provide continuing evidence of the rich cultural heritage present in central Texas' past and present.

Photos

The spire of the Methodist Church towers over the plot, despite this photo's perspective. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Much of Decker Cemetery is divided into well marked family plots, complete with raised perimeters of stone or concrete and even bars. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

The Gustafson family plot is the largest contiguous plot in the cemetery. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

The Gustafson family headstone also includes this interesting photo of some of the family members buried here. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

This Lundell family headstone, like many others, advertises the resident's Swedish heritage. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

This young girl's headstone features a non-Americanized spelling of her last name. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

This Johnson family headstone demonstrates an interesting feature one does not see much these days, raised lettering, as opposed to the ubiquitous carved lettering. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

A mother and child buried next to each other is always a sad sight to see, particularly when the child died young. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

Note that Carolina passed away in 1932, yet her carved date of death does not appear to be finished. There are more examples of this for individuals who passed away during the depression. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

"Etched in stone" does not mean forever, as this slowly eroding headstone indicates. In time all records will be washed away. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

These graves near the rear of the cemetery include unusually wide footstones with the family name engraved. (Photo by Austin Explorer)

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