Once again, it's Ruby Tuesday, and I chose this photo taken at Greenwood Cemetery on August 2nd. After all of the interested comments on the Astoria Pioneer Cemetery, Lee and I visited two cemeteries just south of Astoria to see what they were like. Greenwood is in an outlying area known as Lewis and Clark. The other was in Olney. The light area beyond the edge of the hill is the Lewis and Clark River, which pours into Young's Bay and then into the Columbia. I found both cemeteries interesting, but especially Greenwood. The setting was lovely, and although grass begins to turn brown here by July or August if it's not watered (and who waters with 70-plus inches of rain per year?) there were many eye-catching markers surrounded by forest. We surprised a doe and her fawn as we drove into the grounds, and they wandered back again to where we could get a good look at them before they bounded off on spring-like legs. I found the multi-ethnic character of this place intriguing. The tallest sculpture was that of an Indian leader. We found a grave stone of a young Jewish father who had been remembered recently with touching photos and clay toys made by his children. There was a marker showing a Japanese man with his American wife (or was that vice-versa?). The children were wearing kimonos. There were stones that I believe were for Chinese families. (In the other cemetery we stopped at, one of the stones was in Chinese characters.) By far the greatest number of names were Scandinavian, and one marker had a Viking ship carved on it. There are many treasures to find here along with the memories, and I'll be sure to make a trip back again when the light is better for taking photos. If you'd like a preview, check out this wonderful set of photos I found on Flickr.As it turns out, there are quite a number of cemeteries within about 20 minutes of downtown Astoria, and many of them have older graves in them. Greenwood was established in 1891, and birth dates go back to the 1840s, and some probably earlier.
6 comments:
I was reading your post, but you distracted me with that link to the Flickr stream. Maybe I am a little strange, but usually I see the funny side of a cemetery: the stones. Some are normal, other simple and sad, few absolutely crazy then and still now. I saw this in different countries: the strange gravestones are still there: odd shapes and weird quotes are my favorites...
Sorry if I may have upset you, I really liked your post.
I find myself drawn to, or at least curious when it comes to cemeteries too. There are a couple of very old ones not too far from where we live. I will probably visit and photograph them at sometime. Good for you guys. Also, love the Crocosmia Lucifer for the red here. One of my favorites.
As I mentioned iiin comments on your previous post I do like cemetaries, specially older and smaller ones. There are quite a few closeby here. One is on a farm in the valley and there are only--I believe 4 headstones there. It is in a pasture surrounded by a wire fence. Maybe I'll run down now and take a picture of it. I have some pics already but where???? MB
Sounds like so much fun Sheryl. Your beautiful redness looks like Kangaroo paw great job!
They keep their secrets,
the dead beneath their tombstones,
and they tell no lies.
My Ruby Tuesday
Great post, and a great photo, but... You reversed the locations for your cemeteries. The photo is indeed taken in Greenwood, but the river in the background is Young's River, or Young's Bay, depending on which dividing line you use. Greenwood is the cemetery on Highway 202 as you travel toward Olney. The Lewis and Clark Cemetery is in the Lewis and Clark area, overlooking dairy fields and the Lewis and Clark River.
The statue of the chief marks the Redmen plot, where members of the "Concomly Tribe Number 7, Order of Redmen" fraternal organization are buried, no tribal people allowed. Concomly was the Chinookan chief who met Lewis and Clark upon their arrival at the Pacific Ocean. However, the effigy representing him is, by his attire, that of an East Coast forest tribal member, not that of a West Coast chief. The statue itself was purchased by the local Redmen lodge to honor a slain member who was in law enforcement...however, once it arrived, and the lodge discovered the fallen member had been buried by the BPOE in their plot, the chief was placed in the Redmen plot to stand over their members.
I offer this minor adjustment and detail as the liveliest one in the cemetery. I live here...
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