Residents urge Lafayette to install physical plaque listing 200 burials at Lafayette Cemetery, oppose QR-code-only approach

Dozens of Lafayette residents urged the City Council on July 1 to place a physical memorial plaque at Lafayette Cemetery listing roughly 200 people whose burials the speakers said are not recorded in the city database, and several speakers said a QR code alone would be insufficient.

The plea came during public input from veterans, descendants and long-time residents who described documentary sources and family testimony they said support the list. “Everyone deserves recognition and closure,” said Andy Valenzuela, a retired Marine and former commander of VFW Post 1771. “A QR code is simply another way of keeping lost souls out of sight and out of mind.”

Supporters said the names have been verified through local newspapers, church and archdiocese records and library research. “These 200 burials have been verified by church records, archdiocese records and…local newspapers,” said Mary Avila, who said family members are among those buried without markers. Frank Archuleta told the council advisory boards including the Lafayette Human Rights Commission, the Cultural Arts Board and the Historical Museum Board back the request for a plaque and that a private donor, Tom Bridal, has offered to pay for a plaque.

Speakers pressed the council for a tangible, on-site memorial rather than relying on a QR code that would direct visitors to the library or museum. “Most of these visitors…would at this point give up in exasperation,” said Mary Avila. Pete Salas, who identified himself as indigenous, said a QR code would be “insulting from a personal spiritual perspective” and urged a physical memorial.

At least one caller, David Simano, urged the council to adopt a methodical verification process—newspaper notice, church records, funeral records or a living relative/witness—and suggested forming a committee to prioritize those criteria before adding names to a plaque. Simano also recommended using current ground-penetrating radar technology to better locate unmarked graves, saying earlier city statements that radar would not work merit reexamination.

Speakers repeatedly noted family members’ difficulty with QR codes and the risk that some relatives would not be able to access information behind a digital link. Frank Archuleta said the city already has a fact-checking process and cited “resolution number 2016-96” in his remarks, urging the council to act on the memorial request.

No council action or vote on the plaque was taken during the meeting. Public comment concluded and the council proceeded to the consent agenda and other business.

Residents who urged the plaque recommended a committee to confirm names and create a physical plaque; they asked the council to ensure the plaque includes space for additional names if further verification identifies more burials.

The speakers named documentary sources and local volunteers who have worked on verification; they requested that staff and elected officials coordinate with the Lafayette Library and local historians on next steps.