Roslyn, Washington

One day in August, my friend Penelope and I decided to take a trip to Roslyn, specifically to investigate the cemetery there. I'd heard about it years ago and finally found myself in a car on a hot summer day travelling over I-90 to seek it out.

Mind you, we only had some general directions and ended up wandering around the back roads of Roslyn searching for it. At one point, we were at a stop sign and I started feeling kinda weird. There were trees all around and no signs to point us in the right direction. Penelope turned to me and suggested we drive to the left because "that way felt cemetery-ish." I agreed whole-hearted. Low and behold, there it was. It's enormous. It's actually made up of 26 connected cemeteries, each one dedicated to a certain lodge (as in IOOF, Moose, Elk, etc) or ethnic group. The fact that the town visitor center has a pamphlet and cemetery map should tell you how many people seek this cemetery out. Because there are so many immigrants buried there, I imagine a lot of people come here to seek out genealogy information. It's truly immense and in various states of repair. We only investigated a few sections in the hours we visited and I hope to travel there again one day to explore more.

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit was to see the "Druids" section. Of course, I will admit to some disappointment that it wasn't a dedicated burial place for those of a pagan bent. I discovered this entry http://www.interment.net/data/us/wa/kittitas/druids/druids.htm, which says:

"The Druids were an Italian Lodge which is no longer exists in Roslyn. This being so, there is no one to care for the cemetery, so it has become and abandoned cemetery, with no records to be found. "

"Until the day breaks and the shadows fade away"

Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Gilroy, California

When I travelled to California in July, my friend Jon and I chanced upon this cemetery in Gilroy. We were driving back from the San Jose airport and I pointed out the cemetery as we passed. We must have spent a couple hours roaming the grounds. I'm so grateful that I have friends who understand and indulge my quirky sides.

This cemetery is quite large and well contained. It also feels divided, with the more older families on one side while the newer graves take up most of the other. Many of the graves date from the mid 1800's and it's obvious where the older, pioneer families are buried. Most pioneer families had plots and many of the the headstones were quite large. Many of the older graves were lacking green grass, something that a native Washingtonian like me would find strange. The ground was dust and rock and sticky clay where the sprinklers were raining down.

The newer graves had more grass but were incredibly crowded together. They were also quite ornate with lots of angels, Mary and Jesus statues. It was an interesting contrast. The newer section also had a huge statue of Jesus, as well as a shrine of sorts to Mary. I wondered if the older section used to be more secular, for there seemed to be less religious references on that side. In any case, there were plenty of interesting headstones and names to discover. Including a woman named Salome, which made me smile.

I love detailed and ornate headstones.

This grave was quite a contrast to the more sedate headstones nearby.

This cemetery also had a fantastic number of beautiful trees.

I saw several headstones with hands, either pointing upward or to the side. I really need to get my reference books so I can look these things up. I expect I will do a post sometime in the near future about the different ones I've discovered.

This headstone struck me in it's age and broken-ness.

Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Seattle, WA

This cemetery is north of University Village, which is located on the east side of the University District. I had tea at the Queen Mary's with a friend last weekend and we wandered over after a delicious repast. Funny that many of my favorite places have a graveyard nearby. And convenient too.

I'm always astounded at how well these memorials withstand time and the elements. So many of them in this cemetery were unique, ornate and beautiful representations of the love people have for those who have died.

This weeping woman had an unfortunate nose situation, yet she still gave off a deep feeling of loss.

I had to laugh a bit when I saw these too (above and below photos.) They were across the path from one another and I wondered if there was a bit of competition going on, be it between family or faiths or something else entirely. On one side a glorious white marble memorial that would be quite fitting for performing a Greek tragedy or other more pagan rites. Across the way is a truly enormous Celtic cross in a warm reddish marble, complete with sarcophagus.

This photo was a mystery. I almost missed this angel, it was that well hidden. Across the road from the Greek pillars was a glorious weeping willow. It wasn't until I felt drawn to walk beneath it's drooping branches that I discovered a huge cross, complete with what is obviously a Guardian Angel. S/he had a black feather tucked in his/her hand and candle wax coated the inner arm. It's obvious that in the past people have done some sort of spiritual work there. It felt like a liminal place, betwixt and between. I took several pictures before reluctantly moving on.

This photo is the guardian of the section where Catholic nuns are buried. There were many, many, many headstones there. I enjoyed reading the names, though my friend Kat found the best- Dionysus. *giggle* I'll bet she loved that. This guardian statue had a harsh and piercing glare. Very stern indeed. That poor angel at her feet looks like he's hoping to avoid a caning.

And I leave this post with a photo from one of my favorite memorials. About midway through the cemetery I needed a sit down and found a welcoming black marble bench with this lovely beastie guarding it. Although he's asleep, this lion gives off such a sense of well-being that I couldn't help but sit for a while, enjoying the sound of the crows whirling in the trees above and watching the clouds go buy.

Mountain View Cemetery, Ashland, Oregon

When driving to California last month, my friend Kat and I stopped off at a Wendy's to get her some food. We drove past this lovely cemetery and on the way back north a week later we decided to take a break from driving and walk through it. It's obviously a well loved place, filled with headstones of odd shapes and sizes with names that feel like they belong in 1920's silent films. The grounds were filled with trees, flowers and tidy mowed grass. We both felt really welcome there. There were a ton of flickers and crows in the trees, trilling and cackling above us. People were walking their dogs along the paths. I loved the fact the Madrona tree in center of the cemetery was commemorated with a plaque - it was Ashland's tree of the year in 2006. You've got to love a city that honors trees each year.

Many cemeteries have specific sections for infants and children, although I'm not convinced that the title "Babyland" is the best word to use for them. I'm not quite sure what feels wrong about it, but it's just a little creepy. The angel was remarkably untouched, wings intact and no other noticeable damage. Yet another sign that this cemetery is well cared for. I snapped quite a few pictures in this place, of the headstones and trees. One of the headstones was just a huge, rounded stone with the names carved into it. Another had some gorgeous stained glass. And another was absolutely astonishing- on the top was a brass whale tail sculpture and just beneath it was the phrase "Goin Deep." Written at the base was the following quote:

This stone is in tribute to all living creatures, that have suffered and endured Man in his quest to control. -John C. Westerfield

What a wonderful monument. I hope that if I choose to be buried that I can come up with something as lovely as this. I left an offering in respect for the sentiment and smiled the rest of the afternoon. The afternoon was drawing to a close when we finally headed north once more. I look forward to stopping there again on my next trip to California, to linger in the shade of the many trees and wonder about the lives of those who lived there.

Conconully Cemetery, Eastern Washington

I visited this cemetery shortly before dusk during our Memorial Day weekend trip this year. It's about two miles out of the small Eastern Washington town of Conconully. Paul, his brother Glenn and father Rod spent the weekend riding ATV's all over the countryside and I had some blessed peace and quiet. I spent much of the time beneath ancient willow trees at the town park across from our RV site. It was perfect weather for laying in the grass and looking up into green branches, thinking and doing nothing in particular.

The night before we left I took a walk to this cemetery. It was sometime after 6pm and the day was beginning slide towards nightfall. I figured a walk would do me some good, so off I went. About halfway there it occurred to me that walking alone up the main highway wasn't probably the best plan for a woman, especially when you're out in the middle of nowhere. But did that stop me? Noooo.. I had a graveyard to explore! Thank goodness for those who watch over fools.
It was getting close to sundown when I walked through the back gate of the cemetery. The first thing that struck me was how brown and brittle everything seemed. I kicked up dust as I walked alone along the mowed pathways between the graves. The grass grew wild, tall strands waving in a stiff breeze. I snapped a few pictures iron fences enclosing a family plot and a strange and unmarked headstone. There were some surprises: the lilacs were in full bloom and their perfume lingered in the air. And one grave had some glorious purple irises beginning to blossom in sharp contrast to the dead grass and plastic flowers all around them. It was peculiar to see such vibrant life and color what felt like such a weathered and desolate place.

I got a strong feeling that I'd better be out of the cemetery before nightfall, which was not far off by the time I left. As I walked back into town, I watched the sun beginning to set over the mountains in the West. I reflected on what it would be like to live and die in this part of the world. And I thought, as I watched the the last rays of the sun fall golden on the lake below me, that maybe it wouldn't be so terrible to be buried there. After all, you'd have the glory of the mountains around you, the lilacs and irises in the Spring and hawks flying overhead year long. And that would be no bad thing.

Cypress Lawn Memorial Park

One of the things I've noticed during my visits to many graveyards is that there is a different flavor to those who fall under the heading of "Memorial Park." Many of them feel like parks and not cemeteries at all, which seems strange to me. There are almost always immaculately manicured lawns with few headstones sticking up out of the grass. There are plenty of rules about what can or cannot be placed on grave sites, which are usually posted on neatly printed signs placed along the paths that meander throughout the graves. I can understand wanting to comfort the living when they are visiting their deceased loved ones. Making a graveyard feel like a golfer's dream is something else entirely. I'm just saying...

Several relatives of my maternal lineage are buried in Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett, WA. It has immaculate lawns, plenty of flowers and paths and a lovely memorial to those who have fallen in service to our country. My relatives are buried in this section. I snapped a shot of the memorial, as well as each of their gravestones, leaving offerings and prayers for them. After visiting them for a while I wandered toward the back of the park, which felt entirely different.

The headstones stand tall above lush grass. They are ornate, mostly memorials of the recent dead, many of them made of polished marble that gleam in the sunlight. I snapped a few of them as well, because they felt so out of place in this neat and tidy park setting. My favorite picture is one of a bench beneath a giant tree. The bench is inscribed with "Have a Sunshine Day!' It makes me smile every time I see it.

Evergreen Washelli

One of the reasons I love cemeteries is the unexpected things you can find there. Several weeks ago I had about 20 minutes before picking up a friend and decided I'd wander into the Evergreen Washelli cemetery in Seattle. I was drawn to a giant stone pyramid on the northern perimeter of the cemetery and stopped to investigate further. I'd seen it before but never had time to poke around and see what was there. The pyramid itself is in fact a Russian Veterans Church Monument dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Most of the graves there had Russian names and many had ornate headstones. It was there that found the angel with the haunted eyes who adorns the beginning of this blog. After wandering around the pyramid and snapping some pictures of interesting headstones, I reached the western side and discovered a door on the pyramid. And it was was propped slightly open. I couldn't resist- I opened it or and peered inside.

What I found there broke my heart. It was clearly once a holy place used for services. It was obviously disused, abused and neglected. The air was pungent with mold. The paintings gazed down upon you from high up on the wall- angels, Mary, Jesus, all sorrowful and melancholy. Some had mildew spots. At some point someone had started a fire and there were scorch marks on the pulpit and side tables, their fabric coverings beginning to disintegrate. Yet despite all these things, the gilded icons still glowed in the sunlight that touched them. I felt like I was in a place outside of normal reality. And I felt a strong desire to call attention to this place, to bring back it's sacred reverence, something I may still do.

As I closed the door, I gave a silent prayer of thanks for allowing me to take photographs, as well as a prayer that someone would find a way to clean things up. My 20 minutes was up and I needed to be on my way. I will most likely be visiting that place again and I'm curious to see what it looks like now.