tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8546765297676419812024-03-12T18:34:28.235-07:00Campo Santo-holy groundThe Graveyard Rabbit of Alta Californiadustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-47064613080836055522010-05-24T14:53:00.000-07:002010-05-24T14:54:44.866-07:00The Interesting,Odd, and Beautiful<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>This title could be applied to most cemeteries.It seems like there are a few of each in most of the older burial grounds.This one I think of as odd and interesting.</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rsfl04AKI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/lio-SifuXdQ/s1600/P1010667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rsfl04AKI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/lio-SifuXdQ/s320/P1010667.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I really want to know the story behind this one and you know there has to be one</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">.How many people have a full sized bell as a grave marker?I had hoped to ask a lady from the local historical society in S.J.B. but she was not at the event I attended.I will find out though!J.R. Hodcdon is buried in the Protestant section.</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here is another one from San Juan Bautista, this one startled me so much I forgot to take a picture of the outside of the mausoleum!</span></b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rvf_X83ZI/AAAAAAAAAQg/fxRWPps35oE/s1600/P1010751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rvf_X83ZI/AAAAAAAAAQg/fxRWPps35oE/s320/P1010751.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There are only a few mausoleum's in this cemetery,not real fancy.But I was not expecting someone to be looking back when I peered through the door!</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Madame Blanche Taix is a formidable looking woman! I wonder why her bust bears the title Madam while Antoine is just his name?My best guess for nationality is Italian or Swiss(that part of Switzerland that gets traded back and forth with Italy according to who won the last war.)Most of the above ground tombs are for those 2 groups.These busts have amazing detail.I wanted to go in and clean of all that dust.It was hard to see in at the dates and names though I think Antoine died in 1899.It is a pity about the glass behind them,though it adds to the startle factor! Many of the very old graves here are still tended by local family but somehow I got the feeling this one maybe not.</span></b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rypK--p9I/AAAAAAAAAQo/8w29qmP9GxE/s1600/P1010753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rypK--p9I/AAAAAAAAAQo/8w29qmP9GxE/s320/P1010753.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How come I can see the figures through the wire in this shot? Shouldn't the metal wire appear solid? Strange shot but I like it.</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To me these are somehow the most beautiful. </span></b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rzqKBgQlI/AAAAAAAAAQw/BiuUbd_UXtQ/s1600/P1010745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_rzqKBgQlI/AAAAAAAAAQw/BiuUbd_UXtQ/s320/P1010745.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b> Following Dead Man Taklings advice I took pictures of every wooden marker I could find in the cemetery.He's right even unmarked they have value and they won't last forever.</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>I posted this one before but did not show the back.</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_r0Y-5TFjI/AAAAAAAAARA/8MdYm9557v8/s1600/P1010711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_r0Y-5TFjI/AAAAAAAAARA/8MdYm9557v8/s320/P1010711.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_r0U01Gy4I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/QNVnnMmhtW0/s1600/P1010710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S_r0U01Gy4I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/QNVnnMmhtW0/s320/P1010710.JPG" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>The Nyland family have a tomb next to Harvey's burial site and they appear to be old timers in San Benito Countey.</b></i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Thank you all for a another little tour through San Juan Bautista CA.cemetery with me.I am linking this to the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival.</b></i></div>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-33844629450317842832010-05-09T18:39:00.000-07:002010-05-09T18:39:14.745-07:00Thank You and Awards<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>In looking back on blogging I think I owe a thank you to a number of people.For kind comments on things I have written and photos by everyone who has read my posts.For encouragement to keep doing something that my family does not always understand even though they have been supportive. And for all the wonderful things I have learned by reading others blogs.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>I only wish I had more time to spend doing this,picture taking and research.But thank you all for your patience.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>I would like to extend a special thank you to these people.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Deez-aka-Joe Dallman over at </b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><a href="http://cemeteryexplorers.blogspot.com/">http://cemeteryexplorers.blogspot.com</a>/. My first internet "graveyard friend"!Watching the growth of his wonderful blog with all the guest authors and seeing his own photos just get better and more creative every week is something to look forward to when I log on.Thanks Deez!</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Lori E. over at <a href="http://storiesofmyancestors.blogspot.com/">http://storiesofmyancestors.blogspot.com/</a> has been supportive from the beginning with her kind comments.She gave me the Ancestor Approved Award some time ago and I apologize for my tardy thank you! </b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Thank you as well Dr. Bill Smith of <a href="http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/">http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/</a> for the Happy 101 Award.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>I like the emphasis on story's in Dr. Bill's blog.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Even if it's only a tombstone photo we show and not a ancestor of ours they were real people.Who lived and loved and felt all the things we feel today no matter how long ago they lived.It's good to remember the stories not just the dates.Thank you for helping us learn how and the award.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>I am supposed to list some of the things that have surprised me in learning about my ancestors,I will include my general cemetery hunting in there to!</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>1. I am amazed at how many people still find cemetery's strange,scary,and refuse to set foot in them.I blame it on a combination of Hollywood movies and our cultures separation from the elderly and end of life issues.I have reached a point I just tell people "My momma said don't worry about dead people,it's the live ones you got to worry about!".</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>2. Some of my early California ancestors lived long enough to live under the flags of three different countries.What did it feel like to change governments and cultures without really having a choice?To suddenly have a huge influx of people that did not speak your language?</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>3. Dysfunctional families are not a 20th century invention.It was easier and more acceptable to keep things on the down-low is all.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>4.People where a lot more mobile than I had imagined. Particularly in early California were visiting family seemed to be a regular thing.The first Americanos commented that the Californiano woman often rode horses as good as the men.If you have ever seen the wooden wheeled Carta used in California you would understand why.I would have been on a horse in a hot minute.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>I hope to have some new posts and pictures in the next few days.I made a trip to the Monterey and Santa Cruz area and to San Juan Bustista.</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Thank you all fellow Rabbits and bloggers!</b></i></span></div>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-62731956777038791032010-03-23T15:45:00.000-07:002010-03-23T15:51:07.536-07:00Tombstone Tuesday-guardians<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S6lFTatB-bI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/wIgL7LOLA6M/s1600-h/P1010402.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S6lFTatB-bI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/wIgL7LOLA6M/s320/P1010402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451965023796722098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S6lFSuWbjMI/AAAAAAAAAPI/g-_tE99aUcU/s1600-h/P1020826.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S6lFSuWbjMI/AAAAAAAAAPI/g-_tE99aUcU/s320/P1020826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451965011890769090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S6lFSKrbkMI/AAAAAAAAAPA/60UeHYjxJMw/s1600-h/P1020825.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S6lFSKrbkMI/AAAAAAAAAPA/60UeHYjxJMw/s320/P1020825.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451965002315174082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">These tomb guardians are at work in San Juan Bautista Cemetery</span></span></span>,<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">CA</span></span></span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-70991086852598429902010-03-09T15:55:00.000-08:002010-03-09T19:27:42.123-08:00Tombstone Tuesday-Womans History Month<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">March is Woman's History month.A aspect of woman's history and cemetery's is early burials of woman who had died in childbirth or shortly thereafter.Sometimes the headstones make it apparent what happened and other times it is only a educated guess.<br />Some of the statistics I have seen state 1 in 100 live births ended in death of the mother in the early</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">1900's in the U.S. In the 1800's the numbers were sometimes as high as 40% in some places.In contrast the numbers today in the United States is 11 in 100,00, but sadly, on the rise.Mostly from lack of prenatal care and pre-existing medical conditions.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Interestingly,while doing research on my early Californiano ancestors I have read quotes by white </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">American newcomers marveling at the fecundity of Californiano family's.It is not unusual to find </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">family's while doing research with 15 or more living children from one woman.I have one with 22 in my own family tree! A mild climate and ample food supply no doubt helped with this. Certainly woman died in childbirth here as well(one of my 5 great grandmothers was one) in the early days and Native American woman especially.The recent discovery of book written by a padre at one of the </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">California missions highlights their high rate of maternal deaths. The book gives instructions on performing a crude C-section in a attempt to save the baby's of doomed native mothers.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Californiano woman sometimes looked down on the newcomers having so much trouble w</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">ith </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">pregnancy and childbirth and blamed it on their wearing of corsets! Probably some truth there!</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Remember that till well into the last century most woman spent their entire adult lives,pregnant, or</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">about to be pregnant.<br />Here are some headstones I have come across in my cemetery travels that have touched me especialy</span></span></span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5bq_ihQ0zI/AAAAAAAAANw/hUcrRwXteB8/s1600-h/P1010051.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5bq_ihQ0zI/AAAAAAAAANw/hUcrRwXteB8/s320/P1010051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446799176670171954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This simple,concrete marker in St. Joseph's Ce</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">metery in Sacramento is wearing away with time.</span></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cJWBdQexI/AAAAAAAAAN4/UwClKzw3FYw/s1600-h/P1010086+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cJWBdQexI/AAAAAAAAAN4/UwClKzw3FYw/s320/P1010086+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446832548280826642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cJrNZtIkI/AAAAAAAAAOA/BPo33Zf_0yI/s1600-h/P1010087+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cJrNZtIkI/AAAAAAAAAOA/BPo33Zf_0yI/s320/P1010087+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446832912264405570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">These two headstones are side by side in the historic old Sacramento city</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> cemetery,I have often wondered if they are sisters.If </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">a woman survived the initial birth of her child complications and weakness from birth left them vulnerable.Even if a child survived birth, if the mother perished the baby had slim chances if there was no wet nurse.Animal milk and water supply's were usually </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">contaminated.</span></span></span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cObwbUEgI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/znLF1_2KBUU/s1600-h/P1010203+copy.jpg"> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cPPF2xR9I/AAAAAAAAAOY/cKi255VZ-UM/s1600-h/P1010203+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cPPF2xR9I/AAAAAAAAAOY/cKi255VZ-UM/s320/P1010203+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446839026272258002" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cNkGPQq8I/AAAAAAAAAOI/eYirh-YVyUw/s1600-h/P1010202+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S5cNkGPQq8I/AAAAAAAAAOI/eYirh-YVyUw/s320/P1010202+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446837188128975810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Mary Tubbs and her son lie in the Sloughhouse Pioneer cemetery.Mary would bury her baby at 18 and follow him 2 years later.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Life was often harsh in the "good old days" but it was especially hard for the so called "weaker sex".<br />Anyone who has ever walked a old cemetery would have to disagree about the weaker part I think.Sometimes I have to marvel that so many woman managed to live and brought forth decendents.We owe them no doubt.And I have no desire to live like the "good old days",thank you very much!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/hist_stats.html">http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/hist_stats.htm</a><a href="http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/hist_stats.html">l</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death</a></span><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-57318562340142416742010-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:002010-02-24T15:49:04.142-08:00Forgotten Cemetery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WtF7DarjI/AAAAAAAAAMk/qpzN8RIc07Q/s1600-h/P1010510.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WtF7DarjI/AAAAAAAAAMk/qpzN8RIc07Q/s320/P1010510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441946042010086962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WtEezurUI/AAAAAAAAAMc/djiYpCS3Luc/s1600-h/P1010500.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WtEezurUI/AAAAAAAAAMc/djiYpCS3Luc/s320/P1010500.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441946017248226626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I think most of the time we picture a forgotten cemetery in our minds as a desolate place with broken headstones and no one for miles around,not a visitor for years. And there are a lot of them like that.Sometimes when I visit the new "improved" mega sized burial grounds with all the flat markers,most not having had a visitor in ages they feel as "abandoned"as any thing a century or more old.A friend and I had this conversation about the difference in the feel of a "living cemetery" versus a abandoned or "dead"one recently while taking these pictures.It might sound funny talking about a" living cemetery" but it's true.To me a living cemetery is one that is truly part of the community it is in,no matter the age or even the degree of upkeep.I have seen cemetery's</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > in poor community's that won't pass the immaculate groomed lawn test but where graves were </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >tended,people came to visit the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >dead or even just walk their dogs and jog.The dead are accepted </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >neighbors.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >The Pioneer cemetery in Nevada City CA. is pretty much a abandoned cemetery.Even though it sits within a neighborhood and above a Catholic cemetery that is very much alive.There is one or two more recent headstones within this cemetery that seem oddly out of place.All others are quite old and the vast majority of graves here are unmarked.Depressions in the soil covered with a thick and treacherous to the footing layer of pine needles and leaves.Some are marked with wooden slates or crosses put there no doubt by the historical society at some point to mark a spot.But many have not even that.There are a few quite attractive markers left here and no signs of recent vandalism unless you counted a stray beer can left no</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > doubt by a local high school kid.I have it on good authority that this is a favored place to get scared by</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > local teenagers.But the feeling here is of </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >emptiness.You get the feeling no one leaves flowers,few find a long lost gggrandparent.There is no expectation in the air.It is silent.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Many of these burials were from the Gold Rush era.People came from all over the world to try their hand in the gold fields.Usually alone</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > and often knowing full well they would never see home or family members again.For those that did have family local when they died, most would have moved on in the westward journey,to places more hospitable and with more opportunity than tiny mountain towns that were mostly forgotten after the gold played out.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >It's dark under the pine trees making a challenge to photograph,and I would not be surprised if this was one of those cemetery's that did not really</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > end at the fence line but had burials under housing and roads.Time would have </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >erased much.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >There is one famous resident here.At least I think he's here,there is some dispute if he was moved here from San Francisco. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Arron Augustus Sargent was a California senator,politician, lawyer and diplomat.He was called "the senator for the Southern Pacific Railroad'.And if you know anything about the history of California you know what a powerful man that made him.His grave bears a </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >plaque explaining how he wound up back in Nevada </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >City.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WwITHHVyI/AAAAAAAAAM8/kYmaYZDs_Us/s1600-h/P1010503.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WwITHHVyI/AAAAAAAAAM8/kYmaYZDs_Us/s320/P1010503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441949381362669346" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WvpQsT5YI/AAAAAAAAAM0/BG95pWrxcLM/s1600-h/P1010509.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WvpQsT5YI/AAAAAAAAAM0/BG95pWrxcLM/s320/P1010509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441948848137430402" border="0" /> </a><br />I have shown a picture of little Wilson Burnett Heads grave in another post.The ironwork around this headstone is truly beautiful.<br />.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WxOXOKzlI/AAAAAAAAANE/JK0xgbpUTgg/s1600-h/P1010504.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S4WxOXOKzlI/AAAAAAAAANE/JK0xgbpUTgg/s320/P1010504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441950585056841298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Neighborhoods all have different characteristics to them.Some rich,some poor,old and new, ethnic and ordinary.Some pulse with life,youth and change.Some grow old with grace.Others become battle grounds filled with violence and neglect.And some disappear,forgotten by most, at best a line in a local history book.<br />Why should it be that our cities of the dead would have no differences?They say that death is the great equalizer,but even our final resting places reflect our lives in some way and I think the still living can feel that.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-4268415012776076852010-01-09T13:35:00.000-08:002010-01-09T13:43:58.366-08:00Sac. Bee story<span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Thursdays Sacramento Bee featured a story by Mike Dunne about a former TB sanatorium in Weimar,Placer Co. CA </span><br /><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.sacbee.com/384/story/2442723.html">http://www.sacbee.com/384/story/2442723.html </a><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The author himself was a childhood inmate there and his story is haunting, as is his description of the cemetery on the grounds were a estimated 1400 former patients are buried. graves nameless for the most part except, for incomplete record book listings.It is a beautiful area for hiking and open to the public.I will have to plan a visit.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-30416959180362133072010-01-06T07:15:00.000-08:002010-01-06T07:39:03.469-08:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S0St4RDbf2I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/gQYJvMazpTg/s1600-h/twocross484+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S0St4RDbf2I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/gQYJvMazpTg/s320/twocross484+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423651033422987106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S0St3_jJZSI/AAAAAAAAAMI/M9OaR9PTgjo/s1600-h/484hand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/S0St3_jJZSI/AAAAAAAAAMI/M9OaR9PTgjo/s320/484hand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423651028724180258" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Old St. Patrick's Cemetery,Grass Valley CA.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"> 1853-1908</span></span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-49680681901663506482009-12-28T08:24:00.000-08:002009-12-28T08:32:20.692-08:00Selling what the dead leave behind<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >A interesting and somewhat sad story in the L.A. Times about what happens when you die without a will or heirs in L.A. county.Here is the link </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-warehouse28-2009dec28,0,757874,full.story">http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-warehouse28-2009dec28,0,757874,full.story</a> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I was surprised at some of the names cited, especially Danny Federici,memeber of Springsteens E Street Band.You would have thought that someone that famous and who knew he had melanoma would have had a will.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-71476042420830301112009-12-16T14:17:00.000-08:002009-12-16T14:20:52.887-08:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SyldLiXhLeI/AAAAAAAAAMA/GojfurVjxCs/s1600-h/P1010342.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SyldLiXhLeI/AAAAAAAAAMA/GojfurVjxCs/s320/P1010342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415962479675125218" border="0" /></a>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-37234465435615088652009-12-15T16:23:00.000-08:002009-12-15T16:33:04.156-08:00Tombstone Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Sygpq_kP0-I/AAAAAAAAAL4/QrabFENdXg4/s1600-h/P1010338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Sygpq_kP0-I/AAAAAAAAAL4/QrabFENdXg4/s320/P1010338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415624370507731938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Family health issues have kept me away of late.I hope to begin posting again regularly after new-years.Dead man Talking had asked for a close-up of the sheriffs headstone at San Juan.I apologize for the quality of the photo and wish I had taken a picture of the back as well as it had more info. on it.Next time.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Deez over at Cemetery Explorers,thank you for the award and I will post up soon!I am jonesing for cemetery time!</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-85906596930746947122009-11-04T09:29:00.000-08:002009-11-04T09:36:05.912-08:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvG6PWbXOCI/AAAAAAAAALw/TTVG9kvJOG4/s1600-h/P1010347.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvG6PWbXOCI/AAAAAAAAALw/TTVG9kvJOG4/s400/P1010347.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400302201075087394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I like the contrast of the timeless hills, aged grave markers and new asphalt.One of the oldest parts of the San Juan Bautista Cemetery.There may be upwards of several hundred unmarked burials in this cemetery.</span><br /></span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-14891194255195863472009-11-03T14:34:00.000-08:002009-11-03T14:57:43.332-08:00Tombstone Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCzw1n23_I/AAAAAAAAALg/wGaQNcz2PMI/s1600-h/P1010353.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCzw1n23_I/AAAAAAAAALg/wGaQNcz2PMI/s320/P1010353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400013604826570738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >If you have preconceived notions of lush lawns and orderly rows in a cemetery then the San Juan Bautista cemetery is going to disappoint you.California gets no rain for 6 months or more of the year and even though all around the hill this cemetery rests on are irrigated fields and some of the best farmland in the world there are no sprinklers here.I think it makes perfect sense.And if you are offended by gaudy,unconventional displays of affection and love in a cemetery-prepare to be offended.What you will also see here is some of Californians rich,early history and family's that still care for the graves of relatives dead a hundred years.The dead do have the best view in town.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCyUPFR8CI/AAAAAAAAALI/suPuDfQqwsE/s1600-h/P1010336.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCyUPFR8CI/AAAAAAAAALI/suPuDfQqwsE/s320/P1010336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400012013933031458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCyzCF89eI/AAAAAAAAALQ/8aM98Qp4UKo/s1600-h/P1010352.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCyzCF89eI/AAAAAAAAALQ/8aM98Qp4UKo/s320/P1010352.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400012543022134754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCzVRYDPKI/AAAAAAAAALY/6-FGc-1Q4YU/s1600-h/P1010386.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvCzVRYDPKI/AAAAAAAAALY/6-FGc-1Q4YU/s320/P1010386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400013131240127650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvC1H8aRhtI/AAAAAAAAALo/nuEokfWZ0l0/s1600-h/P1010356.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SvC1H8aRhtI/AAAAAAAAALo/nuEokfWZ0l0/s320/P1010356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400015101297264338" border="0" /></a>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-83393558375474851862009-10-13T15:30:00.000-07:002009-11-01T14:37:46.202-08:00Maria Priscilianna Arroyo 1846-1935<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Last time I talked about going to the cemetery at San Juan to see the grave of my GG-Grandmother Prisilliana(or Presalina) Arroyo Ruiz de la Mota after a night of work and a three hour drive.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I had directions to find the grave"there are trees dividing the catholic part of the cemetery from the Protestant,she is buried in the Vacca-Rosa family plot,they just redid the concrete work there".</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >That is what I HEARD on the phone.A hour and a half later after stumbling around every tree in the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >cemetery(thank god there are not that many!),hiking up and down the hill(it's steeper than you think!) in Tevas,(don't recommend them for soil that has not seen water in 6 months on a steep hillside-this is California and a Ag area-we don't waste water on grass.) I was nearly in tears and for sure could say there was no one named Vacca-Rosa buried in the Catholic cemetery at San Juan.Exhausted,I gave up after nearly sliding down the hill on the only pine cone in the cemetery.I went to my motel in Hollister and hoped my new cousins could help me out tomorrow at the historical society meeting.I would beg if I had to.I had to see her grave.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >The next </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >day I was rewarded.I met my cousin Linda and her dad Ken.Ken is 85,works 2 days a week for 5 hours as a gardener to "keep busy".Ken met Prisilliana Arroyo,his Great-grandmother,my GG Grandmother as a boy.All he remembers is she was very old,blind and spoke nothing but Spanish!He was 10 when she died .I was honored that he took me to show me her grave.And I learned several things I would not</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > have known without his guidance.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >She is buried in the Vaccarezza family plot(so much for Vacca-Rosa!)that he himself recently recovered with concrete.Well,she sort of is,while we were there he </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >explained.The row of cypress trees that originally were the dividing line between the Catholic and Protestant sections of the cemetery are long gone.Not even there stumps remain.Prisilliana's grave was on the Catholic side of the trees,her daughters family on the Protestant side.As no remaining traces of her grave or marker remained when the concrete was poured a new marker was laid in it with her daughters family.She is actually buried above the head of the plot.And the marker has the incorrect death date!It is off by ten years,confirmed by her death certificate.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I finely have a grave site and marker though for a family member.What a life she lived.I can only imagine what she thought of all the changes in her lifetime.Born when the state still belonged to Mexico,she lived through some of the most tumultuous times our state has </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >know.Outlived my Great Grandmother,her daughter by over 20 years.Did my father ever meet her?My 86 year old cousin Emma confirmed for me that the family in Hanford did know about her so I know my father was aware of her.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Presilliana was married three times in her life,she is buried under her maiden name of Arroyo,something I am finding rather common with early California women.I have to thank all my new-found cousins for their help and warm greetings.They have made this picture in a cemetery possible for me.It is one I treasure.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I also treasure meeting Kenny and Linda and Kenny showing me his Great Grandmother,Grandmother, and parents grave-sites.And were he will be buried when the time comes.Truly,a family of California and Old San Juan.It was a blessed day for me.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Su4Lifmp3gI/AAAAAAAAALA/I_XRdt_J1F0/s1600-h/P1010447.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Su4Lifmp3gI/AAAAAAAAALA/I_XRdt_J1F0/s320/P1010447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399265690490887682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Presilliana's marker is first on the left.She is buried above the plot.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Su4LiMBdVsI/AAAAAAAAAK4/SH5g00GgUZs/s1600-h/P1010446.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Su4LiMBdVsI/AAAAAAAAAK4/SH5g00GgUZs/s320/P1010446.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399265685234603714" border="0" /></a>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-32634314100759150722009-10-04T15:05:00.000-07:002009-10-04T16:45:20.601-07:00Society for The Unendowed<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I was recently contacted by a Seana Miracle.She asked me to forward information about this organization and website on to anyone I thought might be interested </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.societyfortheunendowed.com/">http://www.societyfortheunendowed.com</a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >.After looking at it I am very pleased to offer it for your pleasure.If you have any interest it grave decoration,preservation of cemetery's , and the rich cultural history of the Indigenous and Hispanic peoples of the American southwest I think you will enjoy the photos and information therein.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I hope Seana becomes a Graveyard Rabbit as I feel this site belongs with the Rabbits.It is my personal belief,and I know it has been expressed by others,that some of the decline in respect for and involvement by the community in our cemetery's is linked to the "cookie cutter" commercialization of the modern American cemetery. In cemetery's were people are encouraged to honor the lives of their loved one's in personal ways, not just "mark" their deaths, people respect,care and remain involved in their cemetery's.Please make sure you check out the story of Horace MCafee in the East section of the website,Chilili, San Juan Nepomoceno Cemetery NM. it is good reading for anyone who cares about our cemetery's.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-39160839948272226042009-09-15T18:05:00.001-07:002009-09-15T18:11:56.618-07:00Tombstone Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SrA6NbrFsDI/AAAAAAAAAKc/gKfrV7XWRqk/s1600-h/lograve.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SrA6NbrFsDI/AAAAAAAAAKc/gKfrV7XWRqk/s400/lograve.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381865557148938290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">This is one of the neatest "tree style" gravestones I have seen yet.I really like the way they made the hole in the tree for flowers!Unfortunately,the concrete had flaked off were the name and dates were,though I thought I could see died in January?It's very possible the historical society has a record of who is buried here.I just found it very cool.This one was in the Protestant part of San Juan Bautista Cemetery.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-67363081781142671212009-09-12T18:36:00.000-07:002009-09-13T06:38:16.542-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxKt8OuG0I/AAAAAAAAAKM/_7xZ0OYwtlI/s1600-h/mission+cemeteryP1010248+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxKt8OuG0I/AAAAAAAAAKM/_7xZ0OYwtlI/s320/mission+cemeteryP1010248+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380757807923338050" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxKuYBLitI/AAAAAAAAAKU/q4-R_7OzDAI/s1600-h/mission+cemeteryP1010249+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxKuYBLitI/AAAAAAAAAKU/q4-R_7OzDAI/s320/mission+cemeteryP1010249+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380757815382739666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >My road trip started Friday 9/4.I was going to drive down from the Sacramento area(about 3 hours) to San Juan to visit the cemetery's and attend a meeting of the historical society on Saturday.The president of the historical society,Shelia</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" > Prader,who is a professional genealogist also, had told me about my Great-Great Grandmother,Presiliana de Jesus Arroyo being buried in a MARKED grave at San Juan.She also informed me that some of Prisiliana's other decendents would be attending and they would like to meet me!Are sweeter words ever heard by someone doing genealogy?I think not.</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >I have visited the cemetery at San Juan several times both knowing and not knowing I have family there.It is a wonderful place.but this would be the first time I would get to go there and the Mission on my own and spend my time as I </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >liked.My limits this time would be myself.I started driving Friday after</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" > working my 8 hour graveyard shift so I arrived about one.It was warm but not the over 100 of the day</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Since this is my cemetery Blogg I will try to keep to the subject on here.I will </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >have more about the Mission and my genealogy on my other Blogg </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://ca-highway99.blogspot.com/">http://ca-highway99.blogspot.com/ </a> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >The cemetery is at the right side of the church facing the front.You can only enter through the side door from the inside of the church.And you are only allowed to view the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >cemetery not walk around in it.</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Sql27rbEnnI/AAAAAAAAAJc/BNHgagnMDBM/s1600-h/mission+cemetery+doorP1010244+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/Sql27rbEnnI/AAAAAAAAAJc/BNHgagnMDBM/s320/mission+cemetery+doorP1010244+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379961997511401074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >The wavy lines </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >carved </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >in the </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >door are found throughout the Mission and represent The River Of Life.The plaster has been removed around the door some so you can see the adobe bricks beneath.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > The Mission was founded in 1797 and the cornerstone for the present church was set in 1803 with work continuing till 1817.There were over 4000 burials in this tiny cemetery.Indians,Spanish colonists and a few early white settlers.Ascencion Solorzano de Cervantes,the last full blooded Mutsune Indian is buried here.There are no other marked graves visible.The cemetery rests in the deep shade of ancient Olive trees and looks out over the valley.Running under the back wall of the cemetery is the San Andres Fault.Below that runs remnants of the El Camino Real,the kings road, that tied the missions together and was the first main</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > highway in California,this is one of the few places you can see the original road.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >The next day at the historical society meeting the speaker was</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > Dr. Ruben Mendoza,a archaeologist who has been working </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >at Mission San Juan for 14 years.He was a great speaker,a man truly doing what he was born to do.During his talk he brought up a very interesting tidbit about the mission cemetery.He had interviewed a lady a few years ago who is a lifelong resident of San Juan and was in her 90's.She remembered going to the Mission in the 1920'30's when it was pretty much in ruins.How spooky it was with the sidewalls collapsed.The Mission is the only 3 aisle church of the 21 California Mission churches.The side walls collapsed during the 1906 earthquake.She remembered the ruble and piles of human bones next to the church!</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Dr. Mendoza</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > belives this may explain how so many burials could take place in such a small space.Old graves may have had the bones removed and place in Ossuarys.There are examples of this practice in Mexico,Latin America and I believe the American southwest.It is a idea I have never heard put forth before and I think bears some investigation.So many of the customs of the Californianos have been lost or glossed over it was exciting to hear something new.Dr. Mendoza also said he would like to know what</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > happened to those bones!If anyone knows he </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >would like to </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >be contacted and so would I!</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxI0EJIwyI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/Z1PAmZsjcFA/s1600-h/cemetery+missionP1010241+copy.jpg"> </a><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxI0SBC97I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/YbLR8K6rIWQ/s1600-h/mission+cemeteryP1010243+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxI0SBC97I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/YbLR8K6rIWQ/s320/mission+cemeteryP1010243+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380755717827524530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > </span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxJvlTqB4I/AAAAAAAAAKE/z42cLZzNYog/s1600-h/cemetery+missionP1010241+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SqxJvlTqB4I/AAAAAAAAAKE/z42cLZzNYog/s320/cemetery+missionP1010241+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380756736618137474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >B</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >y this time it was around 3 and I w</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >as getting tired so I thought I would head over to the cemetery on the hill,snap a few photos of my GreatGrandmothers grave and maybe some others before I went to eat and drove to my motel in Hollister about 10 miles away.I mean, I had a description of where her grave was,that she was buried in the Vaca-Rosa family plot and the cemetery's not that big so no problem,right?</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-29249840016854926372009-08-31T13:11:00.000-07:002009-08-31T13:38:13.134-07:00Normal ReturnsY<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >ou don't know how good boring can be till life gets complicated for awhile.I have really missed writing in my Bloggs but just could not find the time or energy.My hubby is on the road to recovery and back to work,Yah! My job is not really calmed down yet but I think I can handle that if people will stop getting sick,it has been a bad year for illness it seems among those I know and love.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >On the cemetery-genealogy front I have some news.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I have stolen a Saturday off on a holiday weekend-rare for my job-and I am going to a meeting of the San Juan Bautista Historical Society this coming Sat..The best part?I will of course go to the cemetery were I have recently learned one of my ancestors is buried.In a grave with a headstone!A real grave,not under the road,not under the parking lot,not in the neighbors back yards,but a real grave with a headstone and name and everything!When the lady sent me the email and told me that you would have thought I won the lottery!This grave is even maintained by other decendents of this woman!And I will get to meet them at this meeting and BBQ.Road Trip!</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >San Juan and the mission are very special places,I loved them even before I knew how much of my family history was tied to them and the cemetery is a treasure.I look forward to posting pictures from it.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-74892611077067457452009-08-18T14:11:00.000-07:002009-08-18T14:20:44.905-07:00Tombstone Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SosZbGu3I_I/AAAAAAAAAJU/FMq5oydf90Q/s1600-h/P1010128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SosZbGu3I_I/AAAAAAAAAJU/FMq5oydf90Q/s400/P1010128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371414934023775218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The detail work on this headstone is amazing.I need to go back for better pictures.Many of the earliest graves in this small cemetery in Rocklin Ca. are of natives of Finland.It is interesting the variety and number of immigrants in the early burials in foothill cemetery's. </span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-2020736703139666202009-08-14T18:18:00.000-07:002009-08-26T13:03:28.121-07:00The Living and the Dead<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italicfont-family:lucida grande;" >I write about cemetery's,the dead and death,I enjoy what I do.But life,and the living, come first.Today was my day off.A rare one in that I am getting two days in row off.And the weather was cool enough that being outside for the day in the heat was not likely to cause me to join my photo subjects unexpectedly.I should go south I thought,down valley to visit family and family graves but I could not bring myself to take the 3 hour plus drive,leave early,stay overnight.I'm tired from work and duties at home and just could not work up the energy to go.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italicfont-family:lucida grande;" >That's one reason I was looking forward to this day I planned.I was going to spend the day driving around the gold country,visiting old graveyards,taking pictures..Get out of the city,away from responsibilities,get something new to share on here.No deadlines,no company that did not want to be doing what I was doing.</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italicfont-family:lucida grande;" >But sometimes life and the living that we love change our plans.Instead I spent the day helping my helpmate through the Kaiser hospital system.A leg pain that was at first ignored turned out to be something you don't want to ignore-a blood clot.He is home with meds and under my watchful eye.I'm glad I was here and not up in the hills or down valley,maybe the ancestors whispered in my ear,"stay home,we will be here,waiting".The living first,the dead will wait for me.</span></span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-75705989790447360702009-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:17:27.699-07:00Wordless Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SoNNcdtJ8hI/AAAAAAAAAIw/YrTx07HbhXc/s1600-h/P1010109+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SoNNcdtJ8hI/AAAAAAAAAIw/YrTx07HbhXc/s400/P1010109+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369220332161462802" border="0" /></a>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-65328956241364717002009-08-12T08:55:00.000-07:002009-08-12T09:04:39.471-07:00Local cemetery's suffer theft,vandalism<style></style><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >Here is a link for a local(Sacramento CA area) news story and video on theft and vandalism at two local cemeteries.I have to agree with lady in the video,these people can not have ever had to bury someone they loved to do these things to the dead and their loved ones.Most likely it involves supporting a drug habit as most small time theft seems to these days.I feel horrible for the family's and caretakers who have to deal with being violated like this and hope they can catch the people doing it. </span> </span><a href="http://cbs13.com/local/cemetary.theft.vandalism.2.1124378.html">http://cbs13.com/local/cemetary.theft.vandalism.2.1124378.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbs13.com/video/?id=58542@kovr.dayport.com">http://www.cbs13.com/video/?id=58542@kovr.dayport.com</a>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-65772335643862421972009-08-11T15:57:00.001-07:002009-08-11T16:28:33.474-07:00Tombstone Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SoH-O_WamFI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Ifk_heGc6UM/s1600-h/P1010126+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SoH-O_WamFI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Ifk_heGc6UM/s320/P1010126+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368851764279416914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SoH36cRvnNI/AAAAAAAAAIg/TqN22db5zJI/s1600-h/P1010125+copy+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SoH36cRvnNI/AAAAAAAAAIg/TqN22db5zJI/s320/P1010125+copy+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368844814197431506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Assistant state fire Marshall,Loving mother of seven.<br />"Forever in rolling hills and daffodils."<br />Rocklin Cemetery,Rocklin,CAdustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-47282864291241859822009-08-07T07:39:00.000-07:002009-08-07T07:50:55.867-07:00TIME article on unclaimed bodies<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >I caught a blurb on our local news the other day about how the number of unclaimed dead had gone up at the local coroners office.This article in Time says it is happening everywhere.</span><a style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1914780,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-nation-related">http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1914780,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-nation-related</a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > Family's just can't afford to bury their dead.It's very sad but I can understand completely.I know we are supposed to plan ahead and save for this inevitable day but you have to wonder a bit these days how do we do it all?We are supposed to save for your retirement,pay for your own medical,pre-pay for your funeral,save for the kids education,save some more for your retirement and medical costs as you get older because it's not enough.So what are you supposed to live on now?</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-12402962067126495712009-08-04T16:11:00.000-07:002009-08-04T16:31:10.335-07:00Tombstone Tuesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SnjAb60mXBI/AAAAAAAAAHw/DmQHh1WiX2U/s1600-h/SheldonP1010206+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SnjAb60mXBI/AAAAAAAAAHw/DmQHh1WiX2U/s320/SheldonP1010206+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366250541890821138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >J<span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >ared Sheldon was granted the Mexican land grant for Rancho Omochumney inJanuary1844.The land grant </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >was surveyed for the Mexican government by a young surveyor living in Monterey,William Tecumseh Sherman.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >He split the grant with his friend William Daylor and together they build successful Ranches on the Consumnes river.Before Sheldon could </span><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">apply</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" > for a land grand he had to convert to </span><span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Catholicism</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >,take a Mexican name,become a Mexican citizen and find the land.Then improvements had to be made on the land within a year.Jared Dixon Sheldon,a native of Vermont,was killed by miners in a dispute over the flooding of mining claims.He rests in the historic Sloughhouse cemetery in Sloughhouse California.</span>I<span style="font-family: lucida grande; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">t is hard to believe these huge millstones were brought all the way from Mexico but they were.</span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-854676529767641981.post-43744650693455012962009-08-03T12:57:00.000-07:002009-08-03T13:33:03.332-07:00The Peculiar and Promiscuous Methods of Burial in Early Mission Days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SndFZnZIsBI/AAAAAAAAAHo/2VG3as4Lwak/s1600-h/P1010732.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rRtUB0UGtPY/SndFZnZIsBI/AAAAAAAAAHo/2VG3as4Lwak/s320/P1010732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365833787408691218" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">That is the title of the this article in the Sept.28 1885 edition of the Santa Cruz Daily Surf.I don't know that I have heard the word "promiscuous" used in relation to a cemetery before!<br />The article further says that the excavation for the walls of the new church "revel a subsoil composed of about equal parts of adobe,decayed coffins, and dead Indians"."A promiscuous lot of "remains" of Spanish and Indian origin,buried in the most heterogeneous manner possible to imagine".Big words for the time and place wouldn't you say?That there were over 3 thousand documented burials in a area of less than a quarter of acre.It was a crowed place no doubt!<br />The article further states"some of the redwood coffins are in a astonishingly good state of preservation,but the mortality contained therein has resolved itself to brown mold and a few detached bones."I have to wonder why would you open a coffin that is in a good state of preservation?And why would the church allow such a disturbance of the dead?<br />"Some of the coffins are of very creditable workmanship and adorned with crosses formed of silver headed nails."<br />It talks of a mass grave of 15 buried without coffins that was supposed to be from a smallpox epidemic.Then goes on to mention several Indian burials;"Two stalwart skeletons in possession of aborigines of some dignity and importance in their day.Their skulls are of capacity sufficient to protect a liberal supply of brain matter, and they carried to the grave with them long strings of beads and shells and there are indications that pipes and other articles now impossible to identify were also deposited with them."<br />A very different time and place.All of them,native Indian,Spanish settlers,Mexican immigrants,Irish loggers and those first white men who "jumped ship" and stayed, were scooped up and hauled to the new cemetery,six wagon loads.Reburied together in what is now the Old Holy Cross cemetery<br />There they rest in a little open meadow.Unmarked and mostly forgotten by everyone.I was glad I found out about this place and I really enjoyed visiting a learning about it.I can't wait to go back.Maybe I will take some flowers,and say the names I know out loud,to remember.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span>dustbunny8http://www.blogger.com/profile/16661219671052355475noreply@blogger.com1