Tiny's Memorial Marker

A Story Unearthed at Phil Hardberger Park

• A small marker.

• A curious date.

• A story that waited to be found.

After a storm at Phil Hardberger Park's historic Voelcker Homestead, a fallen mesquite tree revealed an unexpected find: a small memorial marker hidden beneath its roots for decades.

The marker read simply:

TINY
2–11–65

That's it. No explanation. Just a name, a date, and a whole lot of questions.

What does a date remember?

Was it February 11, 1965—or could it reach back even further, into the early years of the farmstead?

Was Tiny a burro?
A loyal dog?
A beloved farm companion with a big personality and a small name?

We may never know for certain—and that uncertainty is part of what makes Tiny's story so meaningful.

This simple marker reminds us that history isn't only found in official records or preserved structures. It also lives in quiet gestures, personal memories, and small acts of care—sometimes tucked beneath tree roots, waiting patiently to be noticed.

A story held by the land

Tiny lived on the farm, and this memorial reflects the everyday lives and deep attachments that shaped the Voelcker Homestead long before it became the park we know today. Stories like this help us understand the land not just as a place, but as a lived landscape—shaped by people, animals, work, and care over generations. Even the land itself played a role in bringing this story back into view.

Caring for this history means stewarding both the physical places and the quieter stories that give them meaning.

Help support the care of this place

As caretakers of the Voelcker Homestead and Phil Hardberger Park, the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy works year-round to protect, steward, and interpret the park's natural and cultural history.

In recognition of the date marked on Tiny's memorial—February 11—we invite you to support the Conservancy's ongoing work with a gift in Tiny's honor.

Your donation helps the Conservancy:

• care for historic park spaces and landscapes

• support stewardship and preservation efforts across the park

• share the stories—both well-documented and quietly discovered—that shape this place

A gift in Tiny's memory is more than a gesture. It's a way of saying these stories still matter.

Ways to give

You're invited to give in whatever way feels meaningful to you:

• $11 — in recognition of the date on Tiny's marker

• $25 — to support care and stewardship of park history

• $65 — in honor of the year marked

• Any amount — because curiosity and care don't come with a price tag

Every gift helps ensure that Phil Hardberger Park remains a place where stories—both big and small—are protected, remembered, and shared.

A small marker. A lasting story.

Tiny's memorial waited quietly beneath the roots until the land revealed it. With your support, stories like this don't disappear again—they remain part of how this place is understood, cared for, and loved.

Thank you for supporting the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy and helping keep the park's history alive.