We would like to share with you some of the Tea and Tour Presentation given by our Harbor History Museum Docents. The men and women who are presenters spend much time and effort in researching their subject material and gathering pictures to share with you. Their hard work needs more publicity than just the one hour a month when you attend the presentation in person. This will also allow those who overlooked or forgot to mark their calendar to attend. But whatever you do, please enjoy the brief glimpse into the history of the greater Gig Harbor community.
Were you able to attend the October 2013 Tea and Tour presentation on the Gig Harbor Cemeteries? Why cemeteries? Well, it was October wasn’t it? And don’t you remember the ghostly tales about about the comings and goings on All Hallows Eve? Well, the presentation by Rosemary Ross, Annette and Frank Bannon wasn’t about those ghostly tales or playing tricks or other activities that might have occurred in cemeteries connected to Halloween or All Hallows Eve.
Instead Rosemary, Annette and Frank wanted to share some of the history of our local Gig Harbor area cemeteries.
Rosemary spoke on the Rosedale Cemetery and the following are her notes;
“The original name of the cemetery was the Greenwood Cemetery.
The land was donated by Captain Daniel McLean, an officer in the Civil War. Up until that time people buried their dead on their own property. Captain McLean had a personal interest as his first wife and infant daughter were buried on the homestead in 1887. They were later moved to the new cemetery. The property was a gift from his estate administered by his second wife, Mrs. Sarah McLean.The actual digging of the graves along with sympathetic moral support was gladly donated by neighbors. All maintenance was done by volunteers and after a certain amount of work a family could earn a lot. At some point a price of $55.00 was set for a 20 foot lot. The earliest graves bear 1890 dates.
 |
| Rosedale Cemetery Established 1896 |
 |
| Rosedale Cemetery |
There was an organization of sorts as early as 1888. But the cemetery was officially founded in 1896. The Rosedale Cemetery Association was officially incorporated by the State of Washington on November 5, 1924.Due to the Depression and changing economic time the cemetery was abandoned to scotch broom. There was a short lived attempt to revive it in 1938. In 1958 a renewed interest was shown and in 1959 the revitalized group went to work.The Association is now financially solvent, meets quarterly with David Bothwell as president. His great-great grandparents are buried there, as are mine (Rosemary). An annual newsletter is published.
The original plats are still used today but when Rosedfale Street was rerouted in 1950 a new section was added which enlarged the cemetery considerably. It also left a small corner of the cemetery on the other side of Rosedale Street.
When I (Rosemary) attended Rosedale School our classroom, grades 4 through 8, was run as a city under the tutorage of Mrs. Evelyn Miller. We had a mayor, policeman, fireman (in charge of fire drills) council and sanitary engineers (garbage people). My friend, Frances Carroll, and I were delighted to be designated as sanitary engineers because when our work was done we were allowed to go off the school grounds with stocks with a nail in the end to collect debris by the side of the road and also patrol the cemetery.
We really can’t discuss the history of the Rosedale Cemetery without mentioning 2 outstanding contributors to the association. It is true we’ve had many faithful volunteers over the years by Olive Fuqua, who recently passed away at age 97. She was a tireless worker, holding every office in the association at one time or another and hard to keep up with in the cemetery on work days. Her niece, Ellen Gauthier, has followed her footsteps, having also held every office and to this day is still the one we call for information pertaining to the plots and the family history of the “residents” in the cemetery.”
Annette and Frank Bannon spoke extemporaneously on the Artondale Cemetery where Frank is Sexton, and Annette is Secretary. They also presented a slide of 20 photos of the cemetery grounds including new 48 niche Columbraria for cremated remains. Some of the high points of their presentation included the following facts besides providing a list of all the private cemeteries in the Gig Harbor area (listed below) included:
Present a list of all private cemeteris ib Gig Harbor Area
Discussion points: Private , non-profit cemeteries, run by volunteers, following Washington State Cemetery Board RCWs (Revised Code of Washington ) (Laws)
Following the RCW’s a cemetery can set their own rules on :
Prices, Policies, Burials, Headstone Monuments, and Maintenance, among others.
Our cemeteries are maintained by conations and volunteers.
History of Artondale Cemetery-- incorporated in 1895 with donated 3 acres of land from the Hunt family
 |
| Artondale Cemetery - Established 1895 |
 |
| Miles Hunt's Land donated to Artondale Cemetery |
 |
| Miles Hunt's Gravestone |
List of historical “residents” of Artondale Cemetery
Hunt family members.MD Hunt, Emmet Hunt, MA Hunt among others Every week on Wednesday you will find one of Emmett’s diary entries from Wednesday 1881 and 1882. 1883 will appear in 20
Samuel Jerisich -“ Jerisich Park”
Dr. Hiram H. Rust
Helen and Dorothy Wilkinson- “Wilkinson Park” HHM wrote a blog on this family in Jul 2012
Ancich - Ancich net shed and park The HHM wrote a blog on this Ancich family in April 2013
Spadoni - Segheiri
Ross
Malich
William Duley ( a short history of him was given) The HHM wrote a blog on Captain W. J. Duley in April 2012
- Artondale Cemetery Established 1895
- Rosedale Cemetery Established 1896 - AKA Greenwood Cemetery
- Gig Harbor Cemetery Established August 28, 1891
- Minter Cemetery
- Hales Passage Scandinavian Lutheran Cemetery Founded 1903 - AKA Cromwell Cemetery
- Fox Island Cemetery
- Home Cemetery
- Vaughn Bay Cemetery AKA Bay View Cemetery
- Niemann Family Cemetery - A private family cemetery
- Lakebay Cemetery
- Old German Evangelical Lutheran (Church) Cemetery
- Longbranch Cemetery
- Victor Cemetery (AKA Pederson Family Cemetery)
- Burley Cemetery
- Olalla Cemetery (AKA Old Olalla and Old Pioneer Cemetery)
- Weeks’ Haven of Rest Funeral Home Crematory and Cemetery
No comments:
Post a Comment