I located Texas School Book Depository (TSBD) worker Billy Nolan Lovelady (1937-79) in the Van Alstyne Cemetery. Lovelady witnessed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy from the steps of the TSBD. He was photographed by several people who were filming the president as the motorcade proceeded down Elm Street.

In poor quality photographs (i.e. 8mm movies and Polaroids), Billy Lovelady looks strikingly similar to Lee Harvey Oswald. So much so that many conspiracy theories base Oswald’s innocents on the fact that he was photographed on the front steps and could not have been on the sixth floor.

Adding more fuel to the fire was the fact that Lovelady and Oswald were both wearing white t-shirts under striped, long-sleeve shirts. Similar looks and similar attire sure leads to a lot more questions about the true location of Oswald during the shooting.

Billy Lovelady is buried next to his wife Patricia (1938-96). They have a joint gravestone with a flower vase in the center above their family name.

Holga Shots

I took several shots using different films and cameras. The main issue was that Billy’s side of the gravestone was in the shadow of a large crepe myrtle. I took lots of shots with and without flash. If the shots don’t come out, then I might have to visit them again with last afternoon sun, when the shadow of the crepe myrtle has passed.

Van Alstyne Cemetery

The Van Alstyne Cemetery is located in Van Alstyne, Texas, which is about an hour drive north of Dallas. The Van Alstyne Cemetery is very large for a country cemetery (5,000+ internments). The cemetery is also the final resting place for Collin McKenney, a Texas revolutionary who helped draft the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The Van Alstyne Cemetery is typical of most country cemeteries in Texas. Due to drought and water restrictions, most of the grass is dried and brittle. This cemetery does have a good amount of trees and some effort was put into the landscaping. Just don’t expect a part-like atmosphere any time soon.