The Marysville Cemetery

We are Cemetery Buffs.  We love to tour graveyards for their history. We have wanted to stop at this, the Marysville Cemetery, for years and years.  I finally did stop one time right after the Flood of 2017, but the Cemetery was closed for repairs.  It had flooded rather badly.  So today, after some errands, Jeffery and I decided to stop and take a tour, despite the heat.

What we found was both profoundly wonderful and rather tragic.  Jeffery remembered his Dad being incensed over some youths vandalizing the graves back in the 70's, and we saw evidence of that sad crime, and other more recent ravages, today.  We also saw flood damage. However, what struck us most is the obvious attempt to preserve, maintain, and honor this cemetery, which is a historical Treasure.  Most of the stones, monuments, and markers were from before the 1900's.  The earliest date we saw was 1850, and many were from that time.  It really struck us that the stones told how old the deceased were when they died - years, months, and days.  Most didn't make it to 50 years old.  I totally recommend that anyone who reads this make the time to visit this place, which so touchingly represents a piece of time in California's history.

I will let the photos tell the story:

Jeffery at the front entrance gate

We were so excited to see the early date on this, one of our first-viewed stones

This ornamental decoration made me smile.

We were impressed with how groomed and attended the cemetery was, despite it's age and history of damage.

A sign

I want one of these for my yard, and as Jeffery noted, I could make it myself!

The mausoleum was the oldest dated marker that we found - 1850

E. Hamilton - Sexton and Coroner - Erected November 1850

I liked this ornate temple and it's grassy roof

We began to realize the scale of the damage as we wended further, and it saddened us.  It also showed us how much love and work has been shared to make it look as good as it does, and we were touched by the honor done.

Some gravestones were on pallets; presumably at the site of where they'd been, pre-damage.  Other monuments, like this one, had their tops lopped off.

This family didn't mark the outside, or we couldn't find any markers.

Harriet Frances was a member of the Donner Party.

We think this says she died in 1870.  Tried to read it by braille.

The green stick to the lower right indicates that this is one of the numbered graves on the pamphlet map, which we didn't find until we were leaving.

Attempts to repair.

This one caught our eye, both for the beanie baby and for the fact that John Sharp was murdered.

One must assume that this area was once full of graves, but that floods entered here, so it was the most destroyed.  I'll be reading up on it.

I really loved this one.

details

view through the interior.

I do not know if this is the Chinese area, since I can't differentiate the Asian scripts, but the more modern sign (dark) says You Are Not Forgotten, and there is a Japanese area farther along that's less destroyed, so I'm assuming it is the Chinese section, and that it got badly ruined. They were so integral to the new west, there had to be a place for them here.

This is the Japanese Cemetery

Most of these stones seemed less damaged or worn, thanks to the lay of the ground.

This was one of the latest death dates that we found.

No explanation needed, but note the date as part of history

This mausoleum (or whatever these are called) had the most ornate door and window, and sat high enough to escape the worst damage from floods.

The Door to the Knight Crypt. (is it a crypt?)

The window

The trees beyond the window

I found this castle monument to be virtually intact and attractive

The levee on this side is topped by the train, and it protects the cemetery from the worst of the damage that comes from the Yuba and Feather Rivers' merging in Marysville just about a mile down the road.

The Jewish Cemetery

14 year old son.

Respectful preservation attempts

Mr. Worms died on my birthday, 134 years ago at a ripe old age.

This is the monument of Charles Macy, brother of the founder of MACY'S, who made a life for himself here in Marysville.

The son Mr. and Mrs. Macy lost

The daughter they lost.

I named my new kayak; made by Grant Irving; after Clara, because it means Clear

The back side of her marker answers the question of the modernity of her stone.

I conclude with this headstone, because it epitomizes the awe and curiosity I felt about people marking their passing in such elaborate fashion.  Who made sure this young man had a marker?  How did these folks cover the costs?  Clearly it was important that they mark their place and include much information; these aren't just a name and a date on a small stone.  It opened my mind to the times these graves represent.

Here is a link that I'm going to try to embed, relevant to the post.

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2017/02/15/floodwaters-overtake-historic-marysville-cemetery/

Festival 2019 - My 19th Year

It's been a while since I shared my days with you, I can see. I'm here now because I must capture and share another High Sierra Music Festival with you, and for posterity's enjoyment.  We had another wonderful wonderful experience in our own environs, with people we know, and with so many lovely kindred souls.  It's like a Family Gather, I do declare, so, here you go.  (fewer photos than from years past..... but don't I always say that?)  It was our first year of having a car pass into the Fest, and that worked out nicely for us.

A bus I saw in Oroville on the Monday before the holiday

Truckloads of Porta-pots coming up the highway, but they weren't for HSMF.  We had green ones at Fest.

Copying sister Lucy's motif, I offer potato flowers from my potato plant.

The crane on Rock Creek Dam

Jeffery prepared me a birthday lunch on his first day back from Scotland.

7 a.m., pulling into the lot where we'll get our wristbands and line up to be let into the festival grounds.

This is about 1/2 of the length of the line of cars, which were 5 or 6 lines wide as well.  We were in a newbie-line.

more of the line

The wristband people.  Jeffery talks to Kristi about the logistics of the lining-up.

We are parked and set-up by 9:30, which is before we used to be allowed to walk in with our stuff.

Our decorations and camp

Jeffery making the bed.  We use a blow-up mattress, a double sleeping bag and a set of sheets, which takes some set-up.

Nadine and Chance arrive and look for a campsite for their group.  They found it one tent down and right next to us.

Thursday morning yoga meadow is ready to be covered with people

This set of skin-tights, and others like it, were seen all over the Festival for the entire event, carried by a variety of guys.

Handsome guy and the girl with her bare bum showing.

Suitcase Junket - a one man band we enjoyed.

Vaudeville Tent's 2019 decor

The green tent is Nadines, and you can see the convenient port-pots in the distance.

We loved this cheery 4th of July celebrant - his name was Wagon, because there are too many Johns (he said)

This young lassie really worked that pennant in the sunshine

Yes she did, and it actually worked on the Red-White-&-Blue day

The parade heads to the barn

Fun pose

This guy really rocked, and he was not shy

The far side of our tent.

The yoga meadow was full every morning.  This is just some of the participants.

Reach for the sky.  Ah!  Doesn't that feel great?

One more down, and stretch those muscles out!

The Music Hall decor

Sound man and mandala

Moment while setting up for the performance

The back door decor

This pork dumpling, with sweet chili ginger garlic sauce, had a heart on it.

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The lady on the back holding the flag called out "Did you get the picture?"

This is a mist-structure, with the lumber mill in the background.

The self-labeled Music Hall.

This bike-taxi had a music system and lit up in a light show at night.  

On Sunday morning, this came through the camping area at about 4 a.m. blaring it's disco music and shouting with laughter

He doesn't know I'm taking his photo.

Friday night parade is white-themed

The lady in the top hat was a great major-domo of the parade.

Someone had to carry her train.

Kid in a hammock, watching the parade dancing to the drums

Our ice-cream vending kid has a deeper voice this year and is still a kick as a seller/barker

Hacky-sack crew

Grandstand Stage before the big show on Friday

The Dispatch performance.  I loved them

Dispatch close-up

It's a light-vehicle traffic jam!

Jeffery ready to take a run.  He's training for his Running with the Bears event.

The view from the Q above Quincy

The view of American Valley with Camp Panorama just behind the trees

The highway was lined with parked cars all the way up to the top of Cemetery Hill.

I honor the Clean Vibes crew and the volunteers who gather each night and morning to pick up every scrap

A humorous young couple put the sign they found next to Nadine's tent. 

One of this year's Water Hippies

Water Hippie plying his trade

Water Hippie knocking down the dust

Music Hall decor with black lighting.

There's a wee child inside that suit.  It was hilarious to watch the kids try it on and hug eachother.

HSMF Family member

and another

Saturday's Parade found us eating dinner.  Jeffery danced so friskily, he slopped our dinner onto his shirt.

The color scheme was yellow-black-and-white

lots of kids in this parade

Love the positioning of the hands.

The moon and I swapped a bow to eachother.

What a smile from the blue faced puppeteer.

Sunday morning kickball game.  Jeffery played on Friday morning for a little while.  I was asleep, sadly.

More HSMF Family members.

Morning at the Big Meadow stage.

My Sunday-goin'-to-the-Gospel-Sessions outfit.  Sister Lucy gave me the socks.

That's a set of dreadlocks, eh?  She told Jeffery she has to keep cutting them off, cuz her hair grows fast.

Happy feet.

Bad photo of one precious moment at the Gospel Sessions.

We've departed the Festival, and are sharing birthday joy with Sara before we head home to recuperate and face reality.

Too much fun to express, but there you have it!