Soon after Motorola purchased the Oak Hill site in 1981, we became aware of a very old, small cemetery on the property. Information obtained from archeological studies on the adjacent Lantana Development identified the site as the Roberts' Family Cemetery. Two descendants of the family, Eugene Roberts III (now 82) and his brother, L.V. Roberts, still live in Austin today, and Eugene Roberts' step-son, Rev. Fred Blackman, has worked in Motorola's Facilities Department at Ed Bluestein for over 15 years!

While expanding the roadways to serve MOS11, an area adjacent to the cemetery was made accessible, which made restoration possible. In January 1990, the Broussard Group, a local landscape architect and Lone Star Archeological Services were retained to develop a restoration plan and research the cemetery's history. Now, the restoration is nearing completion and the research has proved fascinating.

Eugene Roberts III's grandparents came to Johnson City prior to the Civil War. After the war, they settled in Oak Hill where his grandfather made a living cutting wood, and selling it to Austin for $1 a cord.

Eugene Roberts III was born July 7, 1908 in Travis County. He remembers at age 16, watching his grandfather being buried in the family cemetery. "Grandpa Eugene died at age 80 but was remembered for his love of music and lust for life. He had often played the fiddle at celebrations throughout the Oak Hill community."

The last time Eugene III visited the cemetery, where his grandfather, grandmother and 17 other family members are buried, was in the early 1950s. Brush began to obscure the site and he and L.V. later lost track of the family cemetery though they made repeated attempts to relocate it.

In May, 1990, the Roberts brothers were able to visit the cemetery for the first time in 35 years!

Dan Chase has coordinated this interesting restoration project with the architect and contractor. The cemetery will be maintained as a landmark on the Oak Hill Site and will be accessible from the new walking/jogging trail scheduled to be complete in October.