Soldier's remains will stay at Ventura's Cemetery Park

The remains of a decorated war hero are staying put at Ventura's Cemetery Memorial Park. At least until a court orders otherwise.

The Ventura City Council on Monday overwhelmingly rejected a request to exhume the remains of Medal of Honor recipient Pvt. James Sumner, saying the British-born veteran is integral to Ventura’s history and should remain as the city works to better recognize an estimated 3,000 people buried at the hillside cemetery-turned-city park.

"He is an important part of our community," Councilman Carl Morehouse said.

Read more: Soldier's remains will stay at Ventura's Cemetery Park, council says » Ventura County Star

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Upcoming Event: Halloween Walking Tour of the Santa Barbara Cemetery

Resignation by Ettore Cadorin (Petry)

"It's Halloween and Dia de los Muertos and All Souls. The veil between the worlds thins, and its time once again, to recall, to visit, to glide through, the Santa Barbara Cemetery."

David Petry, author of the book The Best Last Place: A History of the Santa Barbara Cemetery, will be your guide through this fascinating place in Santa Barbara history.

Saturday, October 30, 2010, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

~ or ~

Sunday, October 31, 2010, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Santa Barbara Cemetery

901 Channel Drive

Santa Barbara, California

$15 per person

Please RSVP to dlpetry@gmail.com

Bring water, a hat, a camera, and your curiosity!

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From one of Mr. Petry's previous press releases:

Issac Sparks marker, 1867. His initial   
burial in a broken-down Westside
cemetery is the reason the Santa 
Barbara Cemetery exists today. 
(Petry)

The Santa Barbara Cemetery is unique among cemeteries. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the cemetery is home to actors, industrialists, authors, musicians, sports stars, and many of the town’s founders and leaders. It was, for the duration of the Reagan presidency, the chosen site for the Reagan’s burial plot. The Cemetery Chapel is the only sacred structure designed by famed architect George Washington Smith; inside are the only completed murals of Mexican muralist Alfredo Ramos Martinez. Where most cemeteries are corporate-, church-, or government-owned, the Santa Barbara Cemetery is owned and operated by a nonprofit board whose by-laws were originally drafted in 1867.

But more importantly, the Santa Barbara Cemetery has transcended five separate incarnations: as a dusty and geometric town cemetery, as a rudely conceived rural cemetery, as a fitful lawn park cemetery, as an over-achieving memorial park, and as a local columbarium. The Santa Barbara Cemetery has embraced each of these phases and has built upon them, becoming in the end, a modern cemetery that is better than any of the models it followed.

Be sure to sign up for The Best Last Place group on Facebook!

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Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Mr. Petry's book or business in any way. I do own a copy of the book, and I think it is excellent.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Tuesday's Children: Louisa & Lenna HESS

Children of

M. & S. HESS

LOUISA E. HESS

Died

SEPT. 28, 1881,

Aged

5 years and 10 mos.

LENNA A. HESS

Died

Oct. 4, 1881,

Aged

1 year and 6 days

Louisa and Lenna HESS are buried in the Arroyo Grande Cemetery in Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County, California.

Click to enlarge.

My guess is that the Hess girls were part of the Henry and Susan HESS family, found here in the 1880 U.S. Census, despite the fact that their headstone says "children of M. & S. HESS." The initial for the mother, Susan, would be correct, the age of Louisa would be correct, and Lenna would not have been born at the time this census was taken.

There are several others with the surname HESS buried in the Arroyo Grande Cemetery; however, none appear to have been from this family.

What a tragedy to lose two small children in such a short time.

*  *  *

Headstone of Louisa and Lenna Hess photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal on September 13, 2008, Arroyo Grande Cemetery, San Luis Obispo County, California.

1880 U. S. Census, San Luis Obispo County, California, population schedule, ED 78, page 327C (stamped), dwelling 82, family 122, Henry Hess; digital image, Ancestry.com; from National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 80.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Tuesday's Children: Russell & Morris VAN CLIEF

RUSSELL

VANCLIEF

Sep. 18, 1897

July 28, 1900

MORRIS

VANCLIEF

Jan. 7, 1900

Oct. 13, 1900

Russell and Morris VANCLIEF are buried in the Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, California.

Click to Enlarge

I believe that Russell and Morris were part of the George W. and Alice E. Van Clief family. They are found in Lompoc, California in the 1900 U.S. Census listed as "George R." and "David M." The birth dates given in the census would be correct, and since this census was enumerated on July 9, 1900, both boys would still have been alive at that time.

George W. Van Clief  is also buried in the Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery. He died on October 21, 1936. It does not appear that Alice is buried in this cemetery.

* * *

Headstone of Russell and Morris VanClief photographed by Elizabeth O'Neal, November 23, 2007, Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, California.

1900 U. S. Census, Santa Barbara County, California, population schedule, ED 158, page 11B, dwelling 247, family 247, George VanClief; digital image, Ancestry.com; from National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 110.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Central Coast Cemetery Scavenger Hunt!

If you're like me, you probably haven't participated in a scavenger hunt since you were a kid. In this cemetery scavenger hunt, 15 items were found at various cemeteries around the Central Coast.

CROSS - Found at Santa Barbara Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California.

HEART - Found at Oak Hill Cemetery, Ballard, California.

FRATERNAL SYMBOL (Masons) - Found at Goleta Cemetery, Goleta, California.

MONUMENT - Found at Oak Hill Cemetery, Ballard, California.

FLOWER - Found at Arroyo Grande Cemetery, Arroyo Grande, California.

HAND - Found at Lompoc Cemetery, Lompoc, California.

ANGEL - Found at Santa Barbara Mission Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California.

BIRD - Found at Santa Maria Cemetery, Santa Maria, California.

TREE - Found at Santa Barbara Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California.

STAR - Found at Santa Maria Cemetery, Santa Maria, California

OBELISK - Found at Santa Barbara Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California.

FOUR-LEGGED ANIMAL (front) - Found at Oak Hill Cemetery, Ballard, California.

FOUR-LEGGED ANIMAL (back)

PHOTO - Found at Oak Hill Cemetery, Ballard, California.

MILITARY GRAVESTONE - Found at Arroyo Grande Cemetery, Arroyo Grande, California.

MAUSOLEUM - Found at Santa Barbara Mission Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California.

This post was composed for the July 2010 Edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival: Scavenger Hunt.

All photos in this post by Elizabeth or Ben O'Neal, photographed on various dates..

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal