I was invited to speak at the fall Conference of the Cemetery Association of Oregon in Hood River on October 17 and 18, 2019. The organization is made up of cemetery owners and operators and representatives from all avenues of the funeral industry. The title of my talk “Our Historic Cemeteries, Much More Than Just an Old Cemetery,” was very well received by those in attendance.

Many were quite surprised by the number of events, activities and projects that our organization offers and were equally impressed by the support, both financial and in volunteer hours, that the residents of the community provide. Having both attended and presented at numerous events over the past nineteen years as a volunteer for Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery, most people are simply blown away by what we are able to accomplish and how we keep the cemetery and its history a part of the present day community.

This feedback, along with all the wonderful comments in our Visitors Register, help to keep me focused and moving forward. I know and sincerely appreciate how fortunate we are to have this little, unique and interesting gem as part of our National Landmark status.

My good friend, Bill Miller, recently reminded me of an article that appeared in the Jacksonville Oregonian on November 6, 1910 by Arthur M. Geary. “Jacksonville may never fully awake from her slumbers, and one of the valley towns may rob her of the Courthouse, but the town will always remain as a monument of pioneer days. As General T.G. Reames, one of the pioneers who died a few years ago, said, ‘They may rob Jacksonville of everything else, but they cannot rob her of the cemetery on the hill, where lie so many of the men and women who helped carve a civilization out of the wilderness.’”

As I conclude my talks, I remind people to remember, how well a cemetery is cared for, may also tell you a lot about the community and its people.

I plan to provide my annual end-of-the-year report in the February edition of the Jacksonville Review. In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and only the best of things in the New Year.