Volunteer historians in Bandera are uncovering lost and forgotten graves across the county, documenting local history and sharing stories like that of “Big John” Hamilton, a former movie actor who chose a secluded final resting place.
The Bandera Cemetery Committee is a volunteer group dedicated to documenting and preserving the county’s lesser- known gravesites. It is led by co-chairpersons Kim Miles and Bill Pannebaker, with support from Annette Kalka-Schulte, Mike Skeen and Dennis Teitge, who assist with photography, research, and community outreach.
Miles also chairs the Bandera Historical Committee, while Pannebaker serves as its secretary.
The duo primarily focuses on graves and cemeteries that have been lost or forgotten over time. Their work often takes them into remote fields and over fences, sometimes leaving them with cuts and scratches during their searches.
“Sometimes we end up on fields that could belong to someone else. We’re lucky we’re not shot sometimes. It’s been a lot of fun, seen some beautiful, gorgeous spots,” Pannebaker said.
The committee works to contact property owners when they believe a grave may be on private land.
“We try to show them that we will respect their privacy, we won’t show the location of these graves, but we ask if we’re able to come photograph it,” Miles said.
Pannebaker said the committee has documented 51 cemeteries, ranging from single graves to medium-sized sites.
“We try to focus on the little ones that you have to find and try to maintain. We’re not doing restoration, but we are finding them and photographing them so they don’t get lost,” he said.
Miles organizes committee meetings and assigns projects, which include locating additional graves and cataloging them.
The group also relies on community input and online resources such as FindAGrave. com.
“We do this thing called ‘cemetery snippets.’ We put it out on Facebook, Instagram, and our quarterly historian publication. We put out a call asking people if they know of any cemetery. The public has been very helpful in our findings,” Miles said.
Among the committee’s notable discoveries is the story behind the “Big John” tombstone.
“It turns out he was a movie star as Big John Hamilton in the old John Wayne movies. He had a steakhouse in San Antonio and became friends with the landowner. He wanted to be buried somewhere secluded and quiet,” Miles said.
The Historical Commission shares these stories to generate interest in both the commission and the cemetery committee’s work.
“I joined the historical commission about six years ago. It felt like no one else was really stepping up, so I stepped up. If I’m going to do that, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. This group that we have now, they’re engaged, they have ideas, I love it,” Miles said.
“She’s been our chairman for two years, and the historical commission has never been as active and productive under anyone else, except for her. She’s done a fabulous job,” Pannebaker said.
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