East Lawn Memorial Park

East Lawn Memorial Park is a cemetery in the western United States, located in East Sacramento, California.[1] It is owned by East Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries, which also owns two other Sacramento area cemeteries.[2] Founded in 1904, it is the resting place of several former Mayors of Sacramento as well as other public figures.

East Lawn Memorial Park
Details
Established1904 (1904)
Location
4300 Folsom Boulevard
East Sacramento, California
CountryUnited States
Coordinates38.561°N 121.451°W / 38.561; -121.451
Owned byEast Lawn Memorial Parks & Mortuaries
Websiteeastlawn.com
Find a GraveEast Lawn Memorial Park

History

The cemetery was founded in October 1904,[3][4] in response to the Edwards Break Flood of 1904. The first burials took place on December 24th of that year.[5] During the early 1900s the park was administered by the East Lawn Cemetery Association.[6] The cemetery has a two-story mausoleum that was completed in 1926, after several years of public opposition, led by a developer that had hoped to transition the memorial land into a residential zone. Despite the city council’s approval of the variance require to build the mausoleum, the developer put the issue on the upcoming election ballot. During the campaign, East Lawn made public statements that the families of those interred would not give their permission to move the remains of their loved ones beneath the ground of the cemetery.[6]

In 2013 the park began to transition from vegetation to rock based gardens where appropriate to contend with seasonal drought conditions and water availability problems in northern California.[1] In November of that year the cemetery had its one hundred thousandth interment.[3] Those interred in the cemetery include actor Neville Brand,[7] professional baseball player James M. Grilk,[8] composer Dick Jurgens, congressman Robert Matsui,[9] and actress Dorothy Millette Bern.[10][11] Former Mayors of Sacramento buried here include William Land, Clinton White, Hiram Hendren, Joe Serna, William Curtis, and Newton Earp.[12]

Events

The cemetery also holds public memorial events, such as a 2012 event memorializing the deaths of all indigents in the Sacramento area since its founding. Since 2003, the cemetery has dedicated memorials to those who have died in the region without a proper burial.[13][14]

References
  1. Dave Kasler (April 3, 2015). "Water restrictions hit golf courses, cemeteries, homebuilders". The Sacramento Bee.
  2. Sam Boykin (January 25, 2018). "Local entrepreneur looks to bring death industry into high-tech age". Sacramento Business Journal.
  3. "East Lawn Memorial Park reaches 100,000th interment mark with burial of Eppie Johnson". Valley Community. November 8, 2013.
  4. Cheryl Anne Stapp (2013). Sacramento Chronicles: A Golden Past. Arcadia Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 9781614238744.
  5. "East Lawn Memorial Park's establishment inspired by great flood of 1904". Valley Community. January 7, 2013.
  6. "East Lawn Memorial Park's mausoleum faced opposition during planning stages". Valley Community. January 17, 2013.
  7. Everett Aaker (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 1825. ISBN 9781476628561.
  8. Gary Bedingfield (2009). Baseball's Dead of World War II: A Roster of Professional Players Who Died in Service. McFarland. p. 141. ISBN 9780786444540.
  9. "East Lawn Memorial Park is home to notables of the past". Valley Community. May 22, 2013.
  10. E.J. Fleming (2008). Paul Bern: The Life and Famous Death of the MGM Director and Husband of Harlow. McFarland. p. 279. ISBN 9780786452743.
  11. David K. Frasier (2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases. McFarland. p. 37. ISBN 9781476608075.
  12. "Former mayors, other notables memorialized at East Lawn Memorial Park". Valley Community. June 7, 2013.
  13. "Indigents to be remembered at East Lawn Memorial Park Oct. 20". Valley Community. October 18, 2012.
  14. "Brewery men memorialized at East Lawn Memorial Park". Valley Community. April 26, 2013.
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