John C. Franz -- Austin State Hospital Cemetery, Austin TX - Woodmen of the World Grave Markers/Monuments on Waymarking.com

The Austin State Hospital Cemetery is a place of solemnity, abandonment, and sadness. It's where the old stigmas of mental illness and addiction seem to seep out of the ground; where 3000+ people who died at the Austin State Hospital and whose remains were not claimed by families are buried under small numbered markers half-sunk into the Earth, out of sight and far far away from loved ones. It's haunting: a place that will stay with you if you visit.

The Austin State Hospital Cemetery, on 51st street and North Loop Boulevard in Austin, the final resting place for over 3000 anonymous and forgotten people. Only a few have headstones, erected by family members after the departed were buried under a small cement block marked only with a number.

John C. Franz's grave is marked with a tall-style WoW tombstone that reads as follows:

"[WoW Medallion]

JOHN CONRAD FRANZ
Born Jan 1 1863
Died Dec 9, 1917"

On Ancestry, we were able to find his death certificate as follows:

"John C. Franz, white male widower, died Dec 9, 1917 at Austin State Lunatic Asylum of Carbunculosis of a duration of 10 days, secondary to Manic Depressive Insanity of a duration of 7 years.

He had lived in bay City before being admitted to the hospital. He was a butcher by trade. No other family history was listed on the certificate.

He had lived in the State Lunatic Asylum (SLA) for 7 years and 7 months, and was buried at the SLA Cemetery on 10 Dec 1917.

No Rs is scrawled across the bottom of the certificate, which we interpret to mean No Relatives.

In 1900 we found him in the US Census living in a boarding house in Matagorda Texas. He was a single white male, born in Texas in 1863, father born in Germany, mother born in Texas, working as a butcher. He can read, write, and speak English.

In 1880 he was 17, living with his parents and grandfather. His father Conrad is a carpenter, born in Germany. His mother Dennie is keeping house. John and his older brother are working as cow drivers. There are 7 kids and 3 adults in the home.

Was the inscription legible?: Yes Location of Marker/Monument: Cemetery

Visit Instructions:
One photo is fine.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   08/29/2016 Benchmark Blasterz visited it