Prostated by Grief

In 1907, spinal meningitis was sweeping through Portland, killing scores. One family it ravaged was the Miller family of Lents. Jacob and Jessie Miller had eight children, and six of them died within the course of one week. According to the newspaper article at the time, the remaining family was "prostrated by grief." Jacob lived for another 11 years and Jessie died in 1957. The two children who survived, Jesse and Alexander went into the U.S. Army during WW1.

This is an URBAN Cemetery!!!

If there is one inescapable fact about Multnomah Park, it is in an URBAN area! Whenever I am there I see hookers, tweekers, bums and other assorted citizenry. Across the street on Holgate is a plasma center that is always busy. Across 82nd is a motel, a car parts store, Starbucks, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Quiznos, Value Village, and right next door is a wholesale used car lot. The cemetery is right in the middle of it all. When the cemetery was deeded back in 1888, all that surrounded the cemetery was farmland and orchards. This photo is taken from just outside Starbucks looking across the street to Walgreens and you can see some of the tall fir trees in the cemetery. A little green oasis in a sea of asphalt.

Thats a New One

Dave and I worked in the cemetery for over two hours today in Section H. We were joined by a lovely lady, Roshelle, who didn't seem to mind the cold muddy ground. We made some great progress. Here is one of the stones we unearthed. It is for Peter Kigandertirk. The name sounds dutch, but is it? Yet another mystery. Also, both yesterday and today there were funerals at the cemetery. One in section D and another in section B. I am told that there are more deaths around Christmas than at any other time of year. Must be the fruitcake!