Snowy Day

Portland is seeing a strong winter storm now with snow on the ground and freezing rain on the way.   BRRRRR!

However the weather, Dave and I still got to the cemetery to document its changing appearance.  Snow is such a rare occurence in Portland that a few pics are absolutely necessary.

 

This angel is not from Multnomah.  Rather this photo was taken in January 1980 at Lone Fir Cemetery during the remarkable snow and ice storm combination storm that year.  From David A Anderson's photos on flickr.

Faces in the Snow

Here are a few of the faces etched onto stones.  The recent snow creates a perfect medium to photograph them, with good reflection of light.  These are the faces of strength and character.  I honor them. 

The Glory of Autumn

The colors were inspiring on this beautiful fall day.  Just had to share! 

Thieving Magpie . . .

I went to the cemetery yesterday with a bag of peanuts for our resident crows.  Yes, I know I'm not supposed to feed the wildlife and they rarely get treats from yours truly, but the bag was in the truck and, well, I just could not resist.  My friends say I'm terminally "critter co-dependent."  Yeah, Okay...guilty.

So anyway, I put a couple of handfulls of the peanuts on a headstone and stood back to take a few photos...this is one.  This lucky crow is down for TWO peanuts at a time.  In fact, he/she came twice and picked up two peanuts each time. 

So much for the phrase "Eat like a bird."

Just South of Aunt Sally

I was going through some old cemetery books and came across this entry from 1920.  Apparently William Rowley purchased two lots, "south of Aunt Sallie."  Well, that tells me all I need to know, just like "Unknown Man Sunday."  If any of the readers of this blog wonder why we don't know where all these folks have been put, this is what we're up against.  These old entries don't have the lot or grave numbers, and "Aunt Sallie" never was identified.  The formers owners of the cemetery, Mr. & Mrs. Dorsey had their own special way of identifying of the burial places of incoming residents.  The blocks were divided up into areas designated for the various undertaking firms who did business with the cemetery.  We know, for example, that J.P. Finley purchased most of blocks G & H at a discount then resold the graves to their customers at a slight profit.  Then there was Kenworthy, Miller & Tracey, Lerch, Holman, Mt. Scott and many others who brought their charges to lay in the earth of Multnomah Park.  Unfortunately for us, the records of block, lot and grave assignment are missing or incomplete.  This has caused some big headaches in the past when a grave, thought to be vacant,  was sold, opened and . . . . whoops . . . bones!!!!  which were then carefully put back and the grave closed.  This is one reason why Multnomah Park is closed to new grave sales.  It all has to do with Aunt Sallie . . where ever she is. 

OCCUPIED

Here's one for all you cemetery sleuths out there (you know who you are) - Who is in Grave 5, Lot 14, Block D?    The old cemetery records simply list the space as - you guessed it, "occupied"  No name, no date, no funeral parlor, no data at all. 

The size of the stone and the lettering would lead us to believe the stone might have been put there sometime before 1935..... does that help?

The Week After Memorial Day

A week after Memorial Day this year, the weather was warm and sunny, very much unlike the weather ON Memorial Day.  Oh yes, we were there under our little blue Metro-provided canopy (Thanks, Monty) and braved the rain and cold breeze.  Very few people visited until after the rain stopped later in the afternoon.

The flags and flowers will remain on the graves until next week when they will be collected and the flags recyled for next year.   The flowers will be recyled as well but in a different way.  After all, Metro is dedicated to recycling in every form.

BLOWS OUT HIS BRAINS . . .

Carl O Gullander was too young to die.  But apparently felt it was better than what he was going thru.  He arrived in New York on 22 May 1900 on the "State of Nebraska" from Sweden.  He moved to Portland where he married "Mary" in May 1902.  "Mary" sued for divorce in September 1907 claiming that Carl did not contribute to her support.  On January 16, 1907 a well dressed Carl walked in to the tourist hotel in Tacoma, Washington, and in front of shocked witnesses walked up to a mirror and shot himself.  His body was returned to Portland where he is buried at Lone Fir.  He left a brother.

Religious Fanatacism

On June 19, 1919, Ina Edwards, 34, was cooking breakfast for her family when her husband, Thomas, 39, walked into the kitchen and shot her point plank in the chest.  She died instantly.  He then went to the neighbors and called his brother who lived nearby and told him what he had done.  Then he calmly walked back to his wife's body, laid down next to her and shot himself. He did not die immediately but continued to quote Revelation until he bled to death on the floor. 

The neighbors described Thomas as an unemployed iron worker who was fanatically religious and had fallen on hard times.

The couple had four children.

Thomas and Ina are buried in Section A, side by side.  

While locating markers today, we were treated to a momentary peek through the clouds of the sun.