Sunday, July 12, 2009

Travel Log, July 9, 2009, Sacramento Cemetery

‘Got to the Old Sacramento cemetery. I took a lot of pictures but forgot the cord to get them loaded in the computer.

We started off at 9am from Corona, Calif. We filled our ice chest with drinks and snacks (trying to go on the cheap) and headed up the I-15 to the 210, then to the I-5 which we stayed on all the way. Nate started off driving, he says my driving is scary (but who taught him to drive?) We didn’t see anything eventful along the freeway except along the road in Northern California we saw one big fire. It looked big to us but people were zipping by without batting an eye (although it was difficult to see peoples eyes going at 70 mph).Not one emergency vehicle in sight
I keep worrying that we wouldn’t make the cemetery before it closed. But we arrived at 4:00pm. There was nobody to get a map from. No opened front office. I told Nate to drive around, we can get a feel for the cemetery then walk it. I saw a man walking around and I asked him if he worked there. He said that he volunteered. Oh! My kind of man! Of course I talked his ear off and he didn’t care one bit but did get me to his co-volunteer and she helped me out. She let me in the museum which was closed and gave me a pamphlet walking tour and some brochures and I bought every booklet they had. They have really cute T-shirts, but not one in my size (everyone isn’t a small, ya know). I thought about buying a smaller one and losing weight, but I paused long enough to come to my senses.

Nate took charge. He read the walking tour then drove to number one. We got out of the car and as I oohed and ahhed and took pictures, he read the narrative to me and went looking for number two. He is very good at finding the tombstones. Along the way there were so many interesting ones to look at. I get distracted so easily. OK, I know it is no Disneyland and I need to have more respect but there are so many things to learn about in the cemetery. There was all the California History I learned about in college right under my feet. Railroad Magnets, Governors, John Sutter, Jr., Donner Party survivors, pioneers, son of a U.S. President. What I liked most were all the beautiful stones. I am sure there is certainly a story about each one but I don’t know what it is. Oh! And there is a section of just volunteer fireman on a small hill, maybe a plateau, but it made it attractive and I wanted to see it.

I had Minda’s (Minda Powers-Douglas) book Translating Tombstones with me because I can’t remember anything. I was glad I did. There was a marker for a little girl with a hand pointed down. Shouldn’t it be pointing up? I looked in the book and it said “God’s hand reaching down to take soul to Heaven.” Isn’t that sweet for a child? I can imagine God’s gentle arms carrying the child back through the clouds to His home.

One of the signs told that the cemetery grounds are maintained by the city, but each plot is maintained individually. They ask for people that will adopt a plot. You can see that some were once lovingly planted but somehow have been more recently neglected, others look like they haven’t had attention is years and a few are kept up ever so nice.

It was a wonderful cemetery that deserved more time on my part, but as Nate kept reminding me, we are on a time schedule.

2 comments:

Sheri Fenley said...

Diane,

I have just heard that you were at Jamboree???? And if so, why is it that we did not meet????

A chance to redeem yourself, if you choose to accept this mission. . .You will be driving right through Stockton on your return trip home, right?

Well, You must stop and we will visit a cemetery together, There are a few very interesting ones and of course famous Stockton's Rural Cemetery!

dustbunny8 said...

I'm glad you enjoyed the old Sacramento cemetery!I live in the area.There has been a lot of improvement in the care and interest in it in the last 10 years.The inmate crews from the sheriffs Dept. do a great deal of work there.

A Member of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits