Sara Lemmon

More California history found at Mt. View Cemetery.  Linked to Taphophile Tragics.

I am well, Mother

Louisa Kohler was only 5 years old when she died in 1854.  Her parents erected this monument on her grave showing her sleeping on a bed with her faithful dog at her side.  The side of her grave marker is engraved with the above line.  Linked to Taphophile Tragics.

Woodmen of the World

Woodmen of the World was a fraternal organization begun in Nebraska in 1890.  It sought to give financial help to its members primarily through insurance plans.

One of the perks of membership was a free grave marker in the form of a tree stump.  Several can be found in both Mountain View and St. Mary's cemeteries.

 

They typically include branch knots, ferns, a hatchet, and a dove of peace. 

The practice was discontinued sometime in the 1920s due to the expense involved.  The company continues to exist today as an insurance company in Omaha.

Linked to Taphophile Tragics hosted by Sydney Eye.

Ghirardelli at Mt. View Cemetery

Domingo Ghirardelli, the famed chocolatier, came to San Francisco during the Gold Rush years and made his fortune not from panning for gold, but by provisioning miners with cocoa and fruit brought from South America.  Years after his success he built this mausoleum in Mt. View Cemetery.  Angered that a priest did not give his granddaughter last rites, he and his sons stole into St. Mary's Cemetery next door and moved the bodies of family members to the mausoleum.  His final snub of the Church was to put a masonic symbol on the entry.  It is placed between the two wreaths on the lintel.  Read the delightful website Lives of the Dead by Michael Colbruno for a fuller biography of Ghirardelli.

Linking to Taphophile Tragics.

Fred Korematsu's final resting place

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland in 1919.  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was instituted which orchestrated the removal of all Japanese (including American citizens) to relocation camps in the Southwest deserts.  No due process hearings were held, no trials were held, and no distinction was made between loyal citizens and possible supporters of the Japanese Empire.  The property they left behind was either guarded by faithful friends or often stolen by unscrupulous neighbors.  Fred protested these actions and went into hiding as an act of resistance.  He eventually was caught and sent to Topaz, Utah.  The legality of the internment order was upheld by the United States Supreme Court.  He ultimately returned to Oakland to raise his family.

Korematsu's conviction was overturned in the 1980s after the disclosure of new evidence, challenging the necessity of the Japanese internment, which had been withheld from the courts by the U.S. government during the war.  These documents revealed that the military had lied to the Supreme Court, and that government lawyers had willingly made false arguments.  His adult children were shocked to learn of their father's activism and early legal battles as he never talked about it after the courts upheld his conviction of resisting the internment orders.

In 1998 Korematsu was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.  Later in life Korematsu reinvigorated his social activism and advocated for rule of law and the protection of immigrant rights, especially for Muslim citizens post 9/11.  Recently the Smithsonian announced the inclusion of Korematsu's portrait in the museum's collection.

Korematsu died in 2005 and is now buried in Mt. View Cemetery with a large granite rock marking his grave.  To me the granite represents the strength and endurance of his principles.  The flowers laid at the right side of his tombstone include a note of thanks from an admirer who was inspired by the history of Korematsu's civil rights struggles.  His life work is admired by area progressives, but he remains largely unknown to local citizens.

Linking to Taphophile Tragics.

Taphophile Tragics: humble grave marker

Across the road from Lucrezia, is another child's grave with a much humbler marker.  This child lived only 8 months.  It looks as if his parents could not afford a stone marker so made their own.  The punched metal plate gives his name and date.  It is set in a wooden frame that forms a cross and is attached to a metal pipe that is driven into the ground.  The whole thing, almost 100 years old, is fragile and falling apart.   This one is so sad on so many levels that I can barely look at it.  For other cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics.

I'll be away for a week, and will do my best to leave a comment here and there.

Taphophile Tragics: Lucrezia

So many graves at St. Mary's Cemetery are of Italian and Portuguese immigrants.  This one is by Our Darling, posted two weeks ago.  Little Lucrezia died shortly after her 1st birthday.  To my surprise, there is a portrait plaque on her headstone.  I've never seen one for a child this young.

One glance and you can tell she was a much loved and pampered child.  Those little pom poms on her cap are too darling for words.  Seeing her face, and knowing the love her parents must have felt for her, intensified my sense of sadness at her early death. She looks so healthy; what could happen to have death claim her so early?

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Taphophile Tragics: Hells Angels

I was visiting Evergreen Cemetery in East Oakland hoping to find the graves of the Jonestown victims.  Instead I found all these headstones dedicated to Oakland Hells Angels who have died.  I felt like the girl in the Exorcist, with my head whipping around when I saw these markers on my drive by.  These definitely were not here last Fall.  Their website also mentions these men but not the new grave stones.   I think they are memorial stones rather than actual grave markers.  All that black granite with the skull logos makes an impressive display.

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Taphophile Tragics: our darling

St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery has a section with lots of children's graves.  It is hard to fathom the overwhelming grief a parent must feel at the loss of a child.  This funeral statue is so individual looking, I'm assuming it is based on a photo.  No signature was found.  There's something out of proportion about this figure and her face looks more like an adult than a child.  Although a vintage piece, someone remembers her and has placed a toy at her feet.

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Taphophile Tragics: shh!

Walking around Mt. View the other day, I spotted this grave marker.  I was attracted by the hearts and musical notes which I haven't seen anywhere else.  Then I noticed Eleanor's heart.  She must have made it very clear that she did NOT want her birth year made public.  The way it was handled is like a wink and a laugh from the grave.  I bet she was a lot of fun at a party.  I found no information on either her or her husband.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics.

Taphophile Tragics: Qingming

This weekend Mt. View Cemetery hosted Qingming, a traditional Chinese festival where families honor their dead and tend their graves.  Many families were at the cemetery cleaning the grave sites and leaving offerings to the ancestors.

I saw family groups lay out food, light incense, and perform ritual bows and prayers.  While I would have liked to photograph these ceremonies, it would have been too intrusive.  Instead, I offer these as witness to the families' devotions.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics, hosted by Julie at Sydney Eye.

Taphophile Tragics: Spring has sprung

As I've mentioned before, Mt. View Cemetery is treated like a public piazza by the local community.  Every day you'll find people jogging, walking their dogs, having picnics, practicing their instruments, and wandering about with their cameras.  The cemetery itself hosts several events across the year.  The Spring event is the Tulip Festival.  Visitors come to admire the thousands of tulips planted each year by the cemetery.  One of the local chapel buildings also hosts floral displays presented by various florists and garden groups.  This event always signals that finer weather is on its way.

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics.

Taphophile Tragics: poetry, death and living

Last week I wandered upon a monument in Mt. View Cemetery I had not seen before.  A husband and wife are memorialized with each having written a poem for the other.  Both are quite touching and express such love for each other.  If you enlarge the photos you can read the poems.

 

When I went home, I googled them, and much to my surprise, they are both still alive and quite active in the local poetry community.  This is an example of what the industry calls a "pre-need" monument.  While initially striking me as eccentric, I see the complete practicality of it all.  If you've got the money, why not do it now?  After all, it only will be more expensive later.  And you get to pick the spot yourself.  Not to mention, you express your love and wishes while living.  Something to think about.

Submitted to Taphophile Tragics, where you'll find more cemetery musings.

I'll be out of town for several days, and may not be able to leave comments.  Post provided through auto-posting.

Taphophile Tragics: Cathedral of Christ the Light

Christ the Light, dedicated in 2008, is situated along the western shore of Lake Merritt.  It is the new seat of the local archdiocese.  Previous church homes to the diocese were damaged in the 1989 earthquake and were eventually demolished.

 

This new church is a very modern design.  Both inside and out it reminds me of a boat which I think is a reference to Christ the fisher of men.

In the tradition of old European cathedrals, however, parishioners can be buried in the mausoleum below the main floor.  There is room for 1300 niches for cremated remains and 1800 crypts for burials.  I'm unaware of any other church in California, except the old missions, doing this.  I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.  So far only a small number of these spaces are in use.  While the crypt walls look like marble, they are actually thin metal which have been treated to look like marble.  There are wall sections that look like onyx but may be glass, and are beautifully backlit. 

Many niches seem reserved for future use, which is probably a smart idea.  Those in use at eye level tend toward simple decorations with favorite personal items and informal photos sitting along side the ashes urn.

 

The curving paths lead you to the crucifix seen in the third photo.  There you find a previous Bishop of Oakland who was re-interred here in 2008.  Several crypts in this section are reserved for future bishops of the diocese.

Although a beautiful space, I couldn't help but be reminded that "end of life services" are, above all, a business.  Submitted to Julie's Taphophile Tragics where you'll find more musings on cities of the dead.

Lux mausoleum

Here's another mausoleum among the many that dot Mt. View Cemetery.  Mr. Lux emigrated from Alsace to New York in 1838.  By 1853 he had migrated to San Francisco where he worked as a butcher.  Within a few years he joined in a partnership and ultimately became a cattle and land baron, said to own 1/7 of California.  Quite a story.  This mausoleum seems modest for someone who was fabulously wealthy.  For a more detailed biography, visit the above link.

And for more cemetery wanderings be sure and visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Neo-Romanesque tombs

More shots from Mt. View Cemetery.  This is a series of family tombs designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson.  He included elements of Romanesque architecture in his structures.  For some reason, I think of beehives when I see them.  Although they look identical, there are subtle differences between the buildings.  These mausoleums house prominent San Francisco families beginning with scions who died near the turn of the 19th century.  Even for San Franciscans, Oakland's Mt. View Cemetery was THE place to be buried.  More detailed information can be found at Lives of the Dead, which tells the tales behind the tombs.  Linking today to Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

the Edson Adams mausoleum

Edson Adams was one of the founding fathers of Oakland, which was incorporated in 1852.  He came out to California during the Gold Rush and eventually made a fortune in real estate.  The title of "founder" suggests an illustrious career that actually had a seamier side.  He and his partners essentially stole the land from the Peralta family, which owned much of the East Bay through a land grant from the Spanish king.  Of course, the Peraltas (and the king for that matter) had themselves taken the land from the native peoples who lived in the area millennia before the Europeans arrived.  As befitting a prominent citizen, Adams' family mausoleum is built into a hillside at Mt. View Cemetery where succeeding generations of the Adams family are also interred.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's meme Taphophile Tragics.

Chapel of Memories

Inspired by last week's post by Gene of Our Oakland, I decided to visit The Chapel of Memories for the first time.  Not exactly difficult, since I live in the neighborhood.  This facility is now owned by the Chapel of the Chimes which is a couple of blocks away.  The columbarium appears to be from the same period and is of a similar style.  This is the first urn you see when you enter these doors:

The various rooms have names like Prayer, Remembrance, Psalm, and Rest and are lined in glass fronted niches.

The stained glass ceilings are a lovely touch and allow in natural light.  My favorite room had Della Robbia type faience rondelles.

 Like the Chapel of Chimes, the Chapel of Memories has multiple levels and usually a place to sit and think a while.

For more cemetery wanderings visit Julie's fascinating meme Taphophile Tragics.

chapel of the chimes

The Chapel of the Chimes is situated directly outside the gates of Mt. View Cemetery.  It was designed by Julia Morgan who is most well-known as the architect of Hearst Castle in San Simeon.  Later Aaron Green, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, made sympathetic additions to the Morgan building.  This building is primarily a columbarium but also offers other modes of "end of life services."  The building is kind of a warren filled with stairwells, interior gardens, fountains, and stained glass ceilings.  Besides funeral services, monthly Jazz concerts and various literary events also occur here.

Did you know that in the funeral business the most expensive niches are those at eye level?  And the least expensive are those near the floor and ceiling?  Here's a tip I was given:  Never buy the cremation urn before you buy the niche, otherwise it may not fit.  Good to know.  For more cemetery musings from around the world, visit Taphophile Tragics, a new meme from Sydney Eye.

end of the trail

This tombstone was spotted at Evergreen Cemetery in East Oakland.  While I was not able to find information about this family, the image on the gravestone is the iconic End of the Trail by James Fraser.  Evergreen Cemetery is best known as the final resting place for many of the victims of the Jonestown tragedy.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's new meme Taphophile Tragics.