They Thew Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top

Not a trench so much, as two graves at Bayview with a shared stone.  The top of the stone says "Those listed below were originally buried at Mt. Calvary Cemeterey between 1895 and 1916.  Their remains have been reinterred at this site on March 29, 1977./Church of the Assumption". They say the soil was too rocky at Mount Calvary Cemetry, but the last of the bodies were dug out in 1977, and by 1978 the area was beginning to be developed.  The homes there are beautiful and expensive.  You can see the bay.  I drove around but did not take any pictures because I could not figure out how to take one without just taking a picture of someone's house.  Here is a map that shows where Mt. Calvery Cemetery is.  It is in the area between the Xs.

Emma Newell

I went to Bayview Cemetery today to photograph the grave of Emma Newell.  She is in section 3.

 This is what section 3 looks like from the road.  

It was overcast today, and I don't know if it was that, or that many of the stones are worn down and covered with lichen, but it was hard to read the names on the stones.  I was glad to find it.  I wish I had brought my brush to clean it off with.  

Hesper Newell's ashes are there as well, but she does not have a marker.  I think Emma is my great grandmother.  I wonder who Hesper is.  All I know is that she died 2/6/1953 and her middle name is Julia.

While I was there I asked about preneed plans.  It seems like it makes sense to get to enjoy your grave before you die.  Of course they are expensive.  It costs $1,500 for a grave plot at Bayview and a really awesome grave marker could run you as much as $20,000.

Pleasant Ridge Cemetery

Yesterday M, and I, and my brother made the trip to Pleasant Ridge Cemetery outside LaConner.  It is the oldest Cemetery in Skagit County, a bit out of the way, but so worth the drive.  Two of my favorite things about cemeteries are art, and history.  This one was rich in both.  There are cool old grave markers mixed with cool new ones.

Though there is no office, the website makes it easy to find the graves you are looking for.  My grandma's brother and my step-grandma are both buried there.  I did not have any way to access the internet, so I will have to make a return trip to visit their graves.  If you are a Skagit county resident, you can buy a grave site for only $300.00, which is a great deal.  It is beautiful and peaceful and well kept.

41 Cemeteries

According to this map of Whatcom County cemeteries there are 41.  The Whatcom Genealogical Society lists 47 cemeteries in Whatcom County,  I have been to some (Bayview, Greenaceres) a lot.  I started a project of visiting and taking pictures of all my relatives buried in Whatcom County which took me to Woodlawn and Saxon.  I have some buried in Blaine though, and I never get out there.

This blog is to capture my process of  is to visiting all 41 cemeteries in 41 days. I am still in the planning phase of this project but my goal is to start September 22nd and end November 1st 2013.  I plan to record my journey and add historical tidbits along the way.  

This picture was taken in Port Angeles.  Not in Whatcom County.