An American flag adorns the gravesite of Robert T. Matsui at East Lawn Memorial Park. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part 11 in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

East Lawn Memorial Park serves as the resting place for many notable Sacramentans of the past.
In addition to those who have been featured in previous articles of this series, there are many others who were interred at East Lawn who have stories worth being retold.
One of the more notable people who made their post mortem home at East Lawn was movie and television actor Neville Brand (1920-1992), who was interred in the two-story mausoleum at East Lawn.
Brand, who was born in Griswold, Iowa and raised in Kewanee, Ill., served in the Army as a platoon sergeant in Europe during World War II.

Robert T. Matsui (1941-2005) was one of the most notable Sacramento-born politicians. Photo courtesy of East Lawn Memorial Park

His many Army decorations included a Purple Heart, as he was struck by a bullet in his right arm.
After residing in New York’s famed Greenwich Village, working in off-Broadway shows and attending drama school in Los Angeles, Brand began his film career in Hollywood in 1949.
Among the films Brand appeared in were “Stalag 17” (1953) with William Holden, “Love Me Tender” (1956) with Elvis Presley, and “Bird Man of Alcatraz” (1962) with Burt Lancaster.
On television, Brand was seen playing roles in episodes of such series as “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “Rawhide,” “Tarzan” and “Kojak.”
Brand, who resided in Sacramento for about the last decade of his life, passed away at Sutter General Hospital on April 16, 1992, three days shy of his 72nd birthday.
When it comes to music, East Lawn is well represented through Dick Jurgens (1910-1995), who gained his fame as a prominent composer and big-band leader during the 1930s and 1940s.
Jurgens, who was a 1933 graduate of Sacramento Junior College (now Sacramento City College), wrote his theme song, “Day Dreams Come True at Night,” in the college’s instrumentation class of music, which was led by its director David Burnham.
While attending the college, Jurgens and his orchestra performed at school events, including a Halloween dance on Oct. 30, 1931 and the Art Ball on Nov. 7, 1931.
Jurgens signed with Decca Records in the 1930s and performed at various sized venues in Sacramento, San Francisco, Berkeley, Catalina Island, Chicago, Denver and elsewhere.
Today, there are many people who grew up in Sacramento during the big-band era who recall the music of Dick Jurgens.
The marker on Jurgens’ grave appropriately includes a G clef musical symbol and the words, “Day Dreams Come True at Night.”
Also interred at East Lawn was Democrat Robert Takeo “Bob” Matsui (1941-2005), one of the most notable Sacramento-born politicians.
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in 1963 and the Hastings College of Law three years later, Matsui founded his own law practice at 1214 F St. in 1967.
During the 1970s, he served as a member of the city council, including his time as the city’s vice mayor in 1977.
A year later, Matsui was elected to Congress, following the retirement of Rep. John E. Moss, and he represented Sacramento in the U. S. House of Representatives for a quarter century.
Matsui, who was interred at the Tule Lake, Calif. relocation center with his family following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, co-sponsored a 1988 law that preceded the federal government dispersing $1.6 billion to Japanese-Americans, who had been interned and their heirs.

Dick Jurgens gained his fame as a prominent composer and big-band leader during the 1930s and 1940s. Photo by Lance Armstrong

His activities also included leading the congressional effort to preserve Social Security and serving as regent of the Smithsonian Institution.
Locally, Matsui was a leader in the efforts to ensure federal assistance for flood control, light rail, parks and housing projects.
In response to the news of Matsui’s passing, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, U. S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, issued a statement, which, in part, read: “Bob Matsui leaves behind a rich legacy of service that improved the lives of his own constituents, all Americans and people throughout the world. He also leaves a loving family and a legions (sic) of friends who were touched by his grace and goodness.”
Another notable Sacramentan who was interred at East Lawn was Frank Fat (1904-1997), the founder of Frank Fat’s restaurant at 806 L St.
Today, this business has the notoriety of being Sacramento’s oldest eatery that has been operated by one family in the same location.
An early advertisement for Fat’s restaurant reads: “Most beautiful Chinese café, regular Chinese and American dinners served daily, featuring charcoal-broiled steer steaks, private banquet room for parties, clubs, lodges, etc., finest mixed drinks served in our cocktail lounge.”
As the popularity of Fat’s restaurant grew, so did the number of the Fat family’s restaurants. The first of these non-L Street restaurants was located at 2312 Watt Ave. in Country Club Plaza, accompanying the Stop-N-Shop grocery store in the Gourmet Lane food court.
Fat, a Canton, China immigrant who interacted with many notable political figures at his L Street restaurant, would eventually become involved in politics himself. This involvement included his work as a lobbyist for the interests of Chinese-Americans.
He later assisted in the founding of the Chinese-American Council of Sacramento.
Fat retired from his many years in the restaurant industry in 1971 and passed away on April 5, 1997, about a month prior to his 93rd birthday.

Editor’s Note: This is part 10 in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Sacramento has been known as a political city, a city of trees and many other things during a large portion of its existence. And among its greatest achievements was becoming a city of breweries, which included the Buffalo Brewing Company.
In the previous article of this series, Philip Scheld, who was interred at East Lawn Cemetery (today’s East Lawn Memorial Park), was celebrated for his proprietorship of the Sacramento Brewery, which was established a short distance from Sutter’s Fort in 1849.
Many other breweries were opened in the capital city during the 19th century.
An example of the production of local breweries during the 19th century was recorded in the county assessment books for 1872.
This source notes that in that year, Sacramento had eight breweries that produced 252,000 gallons of beer.
Furthermore, according to the 1880 book, “The History of Sacramento County, California,” the area’s eight local breweries in 1878 “made, in aggregate, 530,200 gallons of beer, and in 1879, 560,000 (gallons of beer).”
With a walk around East Lawn Memorial Park, one can find the final resting places of several men who were associated with the Buffalo Brewing Company, which was also known as the Buffalo Brewery, and was for many years under the direction of Buffalo Brewery, Inc.
Certainly the most notable of these brewery men were the German-born Herman H. Grau (1846-1915) and William E. Gerber (1852-1928), who were both interred at East Lawn Cemetery.
Herman, a former East Coast brewer who came to Sacramento from Buffalo, N.Y. in about 1886, was the man who organized the Buffalo Brewery, which would eventually become the largest brewery west of the Mississippi.
At the age of 12, Herman came to America and settled in Buffalo, N.Y.
Along with his wife, New York native J.F. Bertha (Ziegele) Grau (1848-1915), who he married in Buffalo prior to coming to Sacramento, Herman had nine children.
Herman’s association with William became an important part of the city’s brewery history, as these men laid out the plans for the Buffalo Brewery.
In addition to his involvement with the Buffalo Brewery, William, a New York native who came to Sacramento in 1860 and was eventually the secretary of the Buffalo Brewery, served, at different times during his life, as president of the California National Bank and chairman of that bank’s board.
William, who studied in Sacramento schools and the St. Louis Academy and at a business school in Buffalo, was also, at a various times, a bookkeeper and co-owner of a grocery store, state fish and game commissioner, auditor of Sacramento County and the city treasurer of Sacramento.
Also interred at the cemetery was Hattie A. Gerber (1857-1928), who was the mother of his five children.
Construction on the Buffalo Brewery, which was located on the block bounded by 21st, 22nd, Q and R streets, began in 1888.
In being that this section of Sacramento was many years away from being built out at that time, upon its completion, the large brewery structure could be seen from a considerable distance within the city.
With the opening of the Buffalo Brewery in 1890, Herman became the company’s first general manager and Adolph Heilbron (1833-1913) served as the brewery’s first president. Heilbron’s final resting place is located at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery at 1000 Broadway.
Also interred at East Lawn were Henry Gerber (1851-1928), one of the brewery’s first stockholders, and Henry I. Seymour (1861-1913).
Seymour was among the prominent men of the brewery, as he replaced Grau as the company’s general manager in 1896 and continued to serve in that role for 17 years.
But Seymour was not new to the brewery when he became its general manager, as he had been working for the brewery since 1890.
Another well-known person in local brewery history was Sacramento native Frank J. Ruhstaller (1872-1943), whose father was Swiss native Frank Ruhstaller (1846-1907), who was an original officer of the Buffalo Brewery.
The brewery resume of Frank Ruhstaller, who was interred at today’s Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, also included serving as the proprietor of the City Brewery at the northeast corner of 12th and H streets and the superintendent of the Sacramento Brewing Co.
As for the resume of Frank J. Ruhstaller, he became the president of the Buffalo Brewery in 1913, following the death of Heilbron. He retired from that position in April 1939.
Additionally, the younger Ruhstaller served as the assistant manager of the City Brewery and superintendent of the Sacramento Brewing Co., and was a member of the city’s war rationing board during World War II.
In speaking about Frank J. Ruhstaller during his retirement dinner at the old Elks Temple at 11th and J streets, Superior Court Judge Peter J. Shields said, “Charities, kindnesses and justices have characterized his whole existence. The aroma of good deeds during his life has perfumed the entire community. He has been modest, never seeking the limelight nor the vanities of life.”
Frank J. Ruhstaller’s wife, Alice Marie (Root) Ruhstaller (1871-1969), was also interred at East Lawn. The couple, who was married in Sacramento on Nov. 22, 1899, was residents of East Sacramento, residing in the Fabulous Forties neighborhood at 1301 44th St.
Much has been said and written about the Buffalo Brewery, which created beer that was popular well beyond Sacramento.
During its pre-Prohibition days, the Buffalo Brewery distributed its beer great distances.
In addition to shipping this beverage to many parts of Northern California, including San Francisco, the brewery also sent its beer to the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, Central America, along the Mediterranean, Russia, Japan and China.
A summary about the brewery in the Feb. 2, 1907 edition of The Union included the following words: “Sacramento boasts of many large manufacturing enterprises, but none are more in keeping with the general progress of this section than (the Buffalo Brewery). It is known by the excellence of its product. New Brew and Bohemian, its special brands, are known throughout the Pacific Coast. Ask any dealer and he will tell you there are none superior to them.”
The brewery, which experienced much physical growth at its local plant, returned to full, post-Prohibition production in December 1933 and continued its operations at its historic site until 1949.
The brewery buildings were razed in 1949 and 1950 in preparation for the construction of the newspaper, radio and television operations of McClatchy Newspapers – publishers of The Sacramento Bee – which was then headed by its president, Eleanor McClatchy.

Lance@valcomnews.com

The Sacramento Brewery was located at 28th and M (now Capitol Avenue) streets.

Editor’s Note: This is part nine in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Among Sacramento’s identity during its earlier years was undoubtedly its position as a brewery city. And with a recent review of the records of East Lawn Memorial Park, the remains of at least seven high level local brewery men are interred at this East Sacramento cemetery.
Among these men was Philip Scheld, former owner of the Sacramento Brewery, which was located at 28th and M (now Capitol Avenue) streets.
The brewery, according to the 1880 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” was established in 1849 by a German immigrant named Peter Kadell, who during the following year began brewing beer at that site. Peter’s surname is also spelled “Cadel” in other historic references.
According to The Sacramento Union, in its June 15, 1872 edition, the brewery was rented by Philip Scheld in 1853 and purchased by him a year later.
The 1880 county history book indicates that Philip became involved in the brewery business in Sacramento in 1852.
Another version of this story, as described in the 1890 book, “An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California,” notes that Philip “rented the brewery on the East M Street, and a month later bought it.”
Prior to becoming a Sacramentan, Philip, who was born in the town of Giessen in the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in Germany on Oct. 13, 1827, attended government schools and worked on his family’s farm.
He later immigrated to the United States with his brother, Henry. They arrived in Philadelphia after a five-week voyage on July 11, 1845.
While residing in Philadelphia, Philip worked in the bakery industry and Henry dedicated himself to the cabinet making trade.
Both brothers eventually made their way to California. Henry arrived in 1849 to become a miner.
A year later, Philip, who was then living in Baltimore, was inspired by a letter that he received from his brother to head to California immediately.
After arriving in San Francisco on March 24, 1850, Philip traveled to Sacramento aboard the steamer “Hartford” before heading to El Dorado County.
He reunited with his brother in Volcano (Amador County) several weeks later.
Philip and Henry eventually worked together teaming between the mines and Sacramento.
Both the 1880 and 1890 county history books recognize Philip as becoming involved in the hotel business outside of Sacramento.
According to the 1890 county history book, this venture began after Philip and his business partner, Daniel Troy, acquired a hotel as a default method of payment for their work baking for that hotel.
Philip and Daniel had a larger hotel built to replace the hotel they acquired, and they also had a second hotel built. They continued in this business until the fall of 1852.
After Philip became the proprietor of the Sacramento Brewery, the brewery underwent many changes, including the construction of new buildings, an increase in its property size, and the addition of Switzerland native John Oschwald as co-owner of the brewery in 1869. That partnership continued until 1876.
The aforementioned June 15, 1872 edition of The Union notes that in 1860, Philip had the old brewery moved to the rear portion of the property and had a 61-foot by 42-foot, brick building constructed on the site’s northeast corner.
The 1880 county history book described the building as having been expanded to a size of 120 feet by 100 feet. The “two-story, brick addition” was built at a cost of $4,000 by Martin Madden, who was described in the Jan. 1, 1883 edition of The Union as “the leading builder in this part of the state.”
On Oct. 2, 1873, a fire occurred at the brewery’s two-story, 24-square-foot, brick, malt house.
The fire began when the malt that was being burned in the kiln overheated. The damage, which was contained inside the building, was financially covered by the brewery’s insurance.
Another building at the brewery caught on fire on Oct. 11, 1877, resulting in $1,500 in damages.
In between these fire years, Philip, who married Germany native Margaret Fritz on April 7, 1858, was involved in a near fatal accident.
During the early afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 14, 1874, following a morning of hunting several miles east of Sacramento, Philip Scheld was driving his buggy with his son, Adolph.
As Philip was resting his arm against the muzzle of his rifle, one of the buggy’s wheels ran into a squirrel hole, causing the firearm to discharge. A shell passed through his left arm, just below his shoulder, and exited out the other side of the arm.

The Scheld family mausoleum is located on the Folsom Boulevard side of the cemetery. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Although the injury resulted in Philip losing his arm to amputation, it was believed that he would have bled to death had the powder of his rifle not severely burned his arm, thus slowing the bleeding.
Oddly, 20 years later, Adolph accidently shot and killed Frederick C. Glueck while he was target shooting with some of his military friends.
The Union, in its Jan. 1, 1877 edition, noted that the brewery included extensive sheds and outhouses and had utilized 200 tons of barley and three tons of hops and produced 3,000 barrels of beer in the past year.
At that time, the brewery also included a 40-foot by 100-foot malt kiln and a 40-foot by 100-foot storehouse.
In the 1880 county history book, the operation of the brewery, which was then located on nearly a whole block of land, was described as follows: “It has steam power for mechanical purposes, three steam pumps, and is complete in every particular, employing throughout the year six or seven men, and having a capacity of eighteen barrels per day.”
The Union, in its Jan. 1, 1880 edition, noted that the brewery’s advantages for the manufacture of beer and shipping throughout California were “unsurpassed by those of any competitor in business.”
The 1913 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” recognizes the financial rewards that the brewery brought Philip, as follows: “Still in the pioneer period of the ‘50s, (Philip) identified himself with the brewery business that by his own industry and sagacity brought him a fortune.”
The same book also referred to the Sacramento Brewery as “one of the most profitable properties of the kind in the state.”
Evidence of the wealth of Philip, who was a millionaire, could be seen through his stately home, which he had built at 1105 L St. in 1880.
In February 1869, while still dedicating himself to the brewery as its proprietor, Philip became one of the original directors of the Capital Savings Bank of Sacramento at the southwest corner of 4th and J streets.
And from about 1878 to 1913, he was involved with Sacramento Savings Bank at the northwest corner of 5th and J streets.
In the final 12 years of that time, Philip served as president of this latter named bank.
Following his aforementioned accident, Philip continued his role in the brewery’s ownership for many years thereafter.
Beyond his brewery and banking activities, Philip also owned a considerable amount of property in Los Angeles County, served as a longtime local firefighter, president of the Sacramento Rifle Club and a director of the Sacramento Beet Sugar Company, and was a member of the Sacramento Turn Verein.
He died at his L Street home at the age of 85 during the early morning of July 30, 1913.
His funeral was a private affair held at his home two days after his passing and he was interred at East Lawn Cemetery during the same day.
Philip’s remains are located inside the Scheld family mausoleum on the Folsom Boulevard side of the cemetery.
This mausoleum is East Lawn’s only private, family mausoleum that contains both large and small crypts.
Also interred in this mausoleum are the remains of Margaret, who passed away at the age of 80 in 1916, Adolph, who died at the age of 84 in 1946, and three other members of the family – Adolph’s wife, Leila C. Scheld (1869-1936); Adolph and Leila’s daughter, Margaret Scheld Cook (1897-1961); and Philip’s niece, Ottilie Fritz (1865-1917).
Another Scheld family member, August C. Fritz, a Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany native who died at the age of 21 on Feb. 27, 1872, had his funeral services at the Sacramento Brewery during the afternoon of the following day. He was originally buried at the New Helvetia Cemetery at 31st Street (today’s Alhambra Boulevard), between H and J streets.

Arthur Serviss Dudley was a resident of East Sacramento during the 1920s and 1930s. Photo courtesy of Aerospace Museum of California

Editor’s Note: This is part eight in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Among the most notable people to make their final resting place inside East Lawn’s two-story mausoleum was former East Sacramento resident Arthur Serviss Dudley (1883-1977).
Born in West Salem, Wis., where he attended elementary and high schools, Arthur was the son of Lewis R. Dudley, a public school principal, and Nora (Serviss) Dudley.
In 1903, three years after receiving his high school diploma, Arthur graduated from the Illinois College of Photography in Effingham, Ill.
During the same year, he married Ada Broome of Effingham and moved with her to Palo Alto, Calif., where he established his own photography studio.
His successful professional photography career also included founding the California College of Photography in Palo Alto.
After the institution was severely damaged by the 1906 earthquake, Arthur and Ada returned to the East, where Arthur spent three years editing a 10-volume publication – “The Complete Self-Instructing Work of Practical Photography” – for the American Photo Text-Book Co. of Scranton, Pa.
Arthur remained with the company promoting the publication in various parts of the country, and then served as the business’s manager until 1911.
He later worked as the editor and advertising manager of The Camera and The Bulletin of Photography for Chambers Press of Philadelphia.
In 1913, Arthur was once again residing in California, this time farming on a 10-acre piece of property that he purchased in Riverside County. But that venture ended when his farmland washed out during a major storm.
This incident caused Arthur to return to his photography endeavors during the following year, as he moved to San Jacinto (Riverside County) and opened a photography gallery.
It was also in San Jacinto, where he assisted in the organization of that city’s chamber of commerce.
As a representative of Riverside County, Arthur assisted with the famous 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, which many Sacramentans traveled to San Francisco to attend.
In April of that year, Arthur was elected to serve as the secretary of the Riverside Chamber of Commerce. And a year later, he became the assistant secretary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
During his time in Riverside County, Arthur assisted in the effort to have the Army establish the airfield that eventually became known as March Air Force Base.
Arthur, who had one son and three daughters, became a resident of Sacramento for the first time in August 1920 after being named as the new secretary of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce – today’s Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to his service with the local chamber of commerce, Arthur was a member of the advisory board of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, president of the Secretaries of the California Chamber of Commerce and director of the National Association of Commercial Organization Secretaries.
He also led efforts for the early 1920s construction of the $100,000 Chamber of Commerce Building at 917-21 7th St. and was a driving force behind the city’s “Days of ’49” celebration in 1922.
During his initial three-year residency in Sacramento, Arthur lived at 2162 33rd St. (1920-21) and 530 21st St. (1921-23).
In August 1923, he moved with his family to Portland, where he was instrumental in the formation of the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce. He also served as that chamber’s manager.
A year and a half later, Arthur was residing in San Joaquin County and working as the secretary of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce.

Arthur Serviss Dudley resided in this Fabulous Forties home at 1445 42nd St., just north of today’s East Lawn Children’s Park, from 1928 to 1929. Photo by Lance Armstrong

However, Arthur was not through moving, as he became the secretary-manager of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce in 1927 and a resident of East Sacramento at 1445 42nd St.
Although the Dudleys moved downtown about three years later, they would return to East Sacramento. The family lived at 1426 41st St. from 1933 to 1935, and altogether the Dudleys had at least 10 Sacramento area home addresses.
Arthur, who enjoyed camping, hunting and occasional games of tennis, belonged to various Sacramento civic organizations, including the Sacramento Trade Club and the Rotary Club of Sacramento, which then met on the mezzanine level of the Hotel Senator at 1125 L St.
Among the major highlights of Arthur’s many years with the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce was his noteworthy work with the military.
Arthur, who was the local chamber’s first paid executive, was involved with various aspects of both Mather and McClellan airbases.
Although he led efforts to halt the early 1930s closure of Mather Field – as Mather Air Force Base was then known – it was officially placed on inactive status on Nov. 1, 1932.
But after about a decade of maintaining its inactive status, Mather Field, with the assistance of Arthur, who used his chamber of commerce experience and status to his benefit, had a timely rebirth, less than a year prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
In his early 1960s writings about Arthur’s contribution to the U.S. air defense, Fenton L. Williams, who served as the historian for the Sacramento Air Materiel Area at McClellan Air Force Base, wrote: “As a result of his activity – his able, enthusiastic pushing – the country became conscious of the need to begin air defense work without delay. It is safe to say that no other one person in our whole country did so much to stir interest and get action when it was so badly needed – action that resulted in an effective air defense. Not only Sacramento, but the whole country and the free world owe a debt of gratitude to Arthur S. Dudley.”
Although McClellan Field (later known as McClellan Air Force Base) was named after Maj. Hezekiah McClellan, who died as a result of a flight test accident on May 25, 1936, Arthur is known as the “Father of McClellan.”
Arthur, who at separate times served as president and chairman of the National Air Frontier Defense Association, which was comprised of chamber of commerce secretaries, led a nationwide drive to establish more air bases.
His efforts resulted in seven new bases, one of which would become McClellan.
In his writings about Arthur, Williams noted that few people were initially informed about the plans to establish the base.
“Those who had information as to what was in the making guarded it closely to avoid a skyrocketing of prices,” Williams wrote. “Dudley confided in one person – Alden Anderson, president of the Capital National Bank. He, in turn, commissioned Carroll A. Cook of Artz and Cook real estate (and insurance) company to obtain the options (from landowners). Cook, himself did not know the purpose, so he acted naturally and did not create any wonderment.”
Arthur, who married Elizabeth Trumbo in 1946, about two years after the death of Ada, announced on May 7, 1936 that Sacramento’s new $7 million, 1,100-acre Army Air Corps repair and supply depot, which would later be known as McClellan Field, would be constructed. The base had its formal dedication nearly three years later.
Considering the economic impact that local air bases had on Sacramento, Arthur’s legacy on that point alone is grand.
His name is also preserved through Arthur S. Dudley Elementary School at 8000 Aztec Way in Antelope, and Dudley Boulevard and Dudley Way on the old grounds of McClellan Air Force Base. A small section of Dudley Boulevard was formerly known as Dudley Loop.
Arthur, who continued to serve as the local chamber’s secretary-manager until 1950, led efforts to have the Port of Sacramento constructed and witnessed McClellan’s expansion to more than 2,600 acres, passed away at the age of 94 on Feb. 16, 1977.
Services in his remembrance were held two days after his passing in the East Lawn chapel.

Louis Frederick Breuner once resided in this 45th Street, Fabulous Forties home. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part seven in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

In the history of Sacramento, one of the most recognized surnames is Breuner. And had it not been for one member of that family, East Lawn Memorial Park might not exist today.
That member of the family was Louis Frederick “Lou” Breuner (1869-1947).
In 1904, Lou, who was born in Sacramento on Aug. 15, 1869, purchased 42 acres of the old Newton Booth place, which was previously known as the Twin Oaks Farm.
It was on this property that Lou, with the assistance of other local men, including Fred W. Kiesel and Chauncey H. Dunn, established East Lawn Cemetery, as East Lawn Memorial Park was then known. East Lawn Cemetery was dedicated on April 23, 1905.
Lou also had his home built on a portion of the same property in about 1911.
The Breuner family was best known for its involvement with the John Breuner Co.
John Breuner (1828-1890), who was Lou’s father, was born in Baden, which at that time was part of the German Confederation, which consisted of 39 German states in Central Europe.
John had arrived in California in the early 1850s with dreams of getting rich in gold. But he would instead begin acquiring his greatest wealth making furniture and tools for miners.
In 1856, John opened the first cabinet store in California in a single-story building near the corner of 6th and K streets.
Originally operating his Sacramento business as a one-man workshop where furniture was sold and repaired, John, who resided in a house behind the store, eventually expanded the operation to a much greater level as the business grew along with the city.
Early abstracts of titles of 6th and K streets properties show John’s ownership of a 20-foot parcel alongside the store in 1861, followed by the April 1866 purchase of the property where the store was located. Next, John purchased the corner of 6th and K streets in July 1868.
Despite setbacks from floods, fires and other obstacles, the store continued its development.
And during the progressing early years of this store, the business grew to a staff of two employees.
In 1869, arrangements were made for Breuner’s to manufacture desks and chairs for the Senate and Assembly chambers at the then-under construction state Capitol.
During its history, the company also sold furniture for other notable Sacramento places, including the Governor’s Mansion at 16th and H streets.
In 1884, the company expanded to a larger building at the 6th and K streets site.
With his health declining, John retired from his business while Lou and his older brother, John, Jr., were still in their youth. The two brothers then carried on the business, which by 1890 had a staff of a dozen employees.
Eventually, four generations of Breuner family members would head the operations of their furniture and home furnishing company.
An extensive enlargement of the 6th and K streets store occurred in 1900 with the construction of a three-story building that was built alongside the old Breuner’s building.
The old and new buildings were joined together as one structure and covered with red sandstone – the same material used about a decade earlier in the construction of the nearby post office building at the northeast corner of 7th and K streets.

Former East Sacramento resident Louis Frederick “Lou” Breuner served as president of the John Breuner Co. from 1890 to 1940. Photo courtesy of East Lawn Memorial Park

The company, which opened a store in Oakland in 1906 to accommodate those who had lost their homes in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, later grew to include 12 stores in Northern California and Nevada.
Several years after the opening of the red sandstone Breuner’s building, the L Street portion of the store was converted into a warehouse.
Furthermore an addition to the building along the same side of the building was constructed in 1922, and six years later, the main portion of the building was enlarged, remodeled and given a Spanish architecture-style appearance.
The building later experienced other changes during its history, including the devoting of the entire structure to merchandise.
Breuner’s, which became the oldest and largest furniture firm in Northern California, operated at 6th and K streets until Sept. 20, 1972, following a five-week, “Once in a Lifetime” store closing sale, in which prices were drastically reduced.
Lou, who served as the company’s president from 1890 to 1940, greatly contributed to the success of Breuner’s.
Much of the business’s growth and expansion occurred under Lou’s guidance.
In addition to his contributions to the company, Lou was the first westerner to serve as president of the National Retail Furniture Association, and he was the founder, chief organizer and three-term president of the Retail Furniture Association of California. He served two terms in the first of these named organizations.

Lou was also a charter member of the Sacramento Rotary Club and the Del Paso Country Club, a past president of the Sunset Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West and a member of the Sutter Club, the Woodmen of the World and the Union League and Olympia Clubs of San Francisco.
In 1900, Lou became the youngest man called to the presidency of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founder and advisor of the Sacramento Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Furthermore, Lou belonged to various fraternal organizations, including the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 6, the Washington Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Ben Ali Temple of the Shrine and local Scottish Rite bodies.
His leadership abilities also served him well as grand commander of the Knights Templar of the state of California and commander of the Sacramento Commandery of Knights Templar.

Lou and his wife, Clara F. Louisa Schmidt (1873-1928), who Lou married in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 14, 1893, moved into their new East Sacramento home at 1128 45th St. in about 1923. The house is located two houses to the north of the former home of Alden Anderson, who was featured in the last article of this series.
The couple’s sons, Louis John Breuner (1894-1974), Clarence Henry Breuner (1896-1960), Richard Weston Breuner (1899-1986), Wallace Emerson Breuner (1902-1975) and Robert Alvin Breuner (1909-1969), all held leading roles with the Breuner’s firm.
Following a nearly decade-long illness, Lou passed away at the age of 77 on Monday, May 12, 1947 while he was residing in Carmichael.
Private funeral services in his honor were held in the East Lawn chapel two days later and his remains were entombed inside the East Lawn mausoleum.

This large, colorful art glass window, which is located above a set of stairs, is one of the mausoleum’s most notable art pieces. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part five in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Since its earliest years in the 1920s, the mausoleum at East Lawn Memorial Park has attracted attention for its size, beauty and functionality. And part of the attraction to the building is its artwork.
The most popular portion of this structure’s artwork is its 56 stained glass windows.
Forty-eight of these windows are located in the older corridors of the main building and most of the windows have garden or flower themes.
The largest of these windows are the three 6 ½-foot by 10-foot windows that are located in the south corridor.

At the lower part of the Clunie window, which was made by the Pearson Art Glass Co. in Portland, Ore., are the words: “The spring of hope flows eternal.” Photo by Lance Armstrong

Craig Peterson, manager of East Lawn Memorial Park, recently discussed various details about these artistic glass pieces.
In regard to the rich colors of these windows, Peterson said, “The process of creating the windows included paint mixed with ground glass that was painted onto glass and fired at 1,200 degrees. That process was repeated several times to get the right color, the right intensity that the artist wished to have.”
And after being asked who created these notable art pieces, Peterson explained that although East Lawn has various information pertaining to that topic, the cemetery’s management continues to seek specific historical details about the windows in order to answer that question in its entirety.
“We had a local appraiser (Sylvia M. Fitzgerald) come in to appraise the glass for our insurance company and this was about 10 years ago,” Peterson said. “At that time, she didn’t find any type of identification on the windows. She thought they looked kind of Tiffany style and she said she would try to do some research and find out more about the windows. A few years back, she was appraising one of the homes here in East Sac in the Fabulous Forties and she found this window. She said, ‘It looks like an East Lawn window.’ So, she asked the man (Karl DeMund Pape), who was selling the house, if he knew anything about the windows in the house. He said, ‘Oh, my grandfather (Clarence DeMund Todd) made them.’ And he said that his grandfather also made the windows here at East Lawn. Additionally, he sent us a biography about his grandfather.”
Part of the biography, which appears in the 1923 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” reads: “(Todd) engaged in lampshade work following his high art trade in Philadelphia and also in New York, where he had a good fortune to be associated with Mssrs. Tiffany & Co.”
The biography also mentions that Todd moved to Sacramento in 1912.
About a year later, Todd established his business, Sacramento Art Glass Works, which for the latter half of its years was located at 1610 J St. The business closed in 1936 and Todd passed away six years later at the age of 55.
In regard to some of the notable projects of the company, the 1923 biography refers to the business as having supplied glass and glasswork for St. Elizabeth Portuguese Catholic Church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the local Presbyterian and Wesleyan churches, and art glass and metal lights in many Sacramento area homes.
The biography also noted that Todd handled the W.P. Fuller Co. glasswork in Northern California and Nevada, and “contracted for all the art glass required for certain storefronts in town.”
In his own writings about his grandfather, Pape noted that Todd created the art glass windows in the old Alhambra Theatre.

This stained glass piece, which is located at the east end of the mausoleum’s East Corridor, is one of the building’s largest art pieces. Photo by Lance Armstrong

“I remember my grandmother taking me to the Alhambra Theatre and getting in free,” Pape wrote. “She had a lifetime pass from my grandfather’s work.”
Pape, whose grandfather and parents are entombed at East Lawn Memorial Park, also noted that his grandfather created the glasswork for the light towers that were located on the 16th Street Bridge prior to its widening in the 1960s.
Peterson explained that he eventually made an interesting discovery related to the mausoleum’s stained glass windows.
“I was digging through an old file cabinet in the (mausoleum’s) tower and I found all of these letters from the Pearson Art Glass Co. in Portland, Ore., and they talk about the windows,” Peterson said. “Here’s one that deals with the Clunie window. In that letter and in some of the other letters, he references Mr. Todd here locally. But from what I can tell, Clarence Todd did the measurements and installed the windows in the family rooms on the north side of the east and west corridors. These windows were made in Portland, Ore. and were shipped down here.”
Unfortunately, for history’s sake, East Lawn has not discovered any paperwork in its own archives pertaining to the manufacturers of its other stained glass windows, including any Todd-made windows.
The aforementioned letters, which were a correspondence between Pearson and East Lawn manager Frank Seymour Baillie, also note that Pearson and Todd were working together on a stained glass process that they referred to as “etchwood.”
In pondering Todd and Pearson’s careers, Peterson said, “One question I have is did Clarence Todd and Mr. Pearson work together with Tiffany in New York and come out here, one going to Portland and one coming to Sacramento? The windows were painted and made in Portland, but as several glass people have stated when they came in here to give us bids on repairing the glass, these look like Tiffany windows. The colorful reds, the styles of how they’re painted, everything looks Tiffany-esque. So, if (the windows) were actually made in Portland, did Pearson also work with Tiffany? We don’t know, but that’s a guess.”

Artist Bob Thrall won East Lawn’s logo contest for this pen and ink drawing in about 1929. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Peterson also speculated that Todd and Pearson may have been introduced to each other by Portland, Ore. resident Ernest M. Welch, president of the Welch Holding Co., which purchased East Lawn Cemetery in the mid-1920s.
Also located in the mausoleum are 15 pen and ink drawings, two charcoal drawings and three watercolor artworks that all have East Lawn themes.
The pen and ink drawings were created for a contest in about 1929.
The winner of the contest, which was designed to establish a replacement logo for East Lawn’s original unlit candle logo, was Bob Thrall.
However, for some reason, a non-contest art piece was used as East Lawn’s then-new logo.
Thrall, who submitted two drawings in the contest, was awarded $25 for his winning entry. He later attended the University of California, Berkeley.
Receiving the $15 second place award was Richard Dodge, who submitted four drawings.
Dodge, who became a printmaker and painter and exhibited his artworks in Sacramento and Oakland, attended Los Angeles’ Art Center School (today’s Art Center College of Design) and the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
The contest’s third place winner was Charles Bell, who was awarded $10.
Bell, who submitted three drawings, studied art at Sacramento Junior College (today’s Sacramento City College) in the 1930s before becoming a noted residential and commercial builder.
Another art student at the college was George Labadie, who submitted three drawings in the contest.
Labadie attended Los Angeles’ Chouinard Art Institute – a school that merged into the California Institute of Arts in 1969 – and later became an art director of an advertising agency.
The remaining artists who submitted drawings in the contest were Irene Ough, Earl Lightfoot and Norman Neilsen.
Peterson said that, unfortunately, East Lawn has no knowledge of the history of the cemetery’s three watercolor and two charcoal drawings.
And he added that although East Lawn is unaware of the history of the mausoleum’s two oil paintings, it is known that the paintings were created by William F. Jackson (1850-1936), who resided at 1622 G St. and served as the first curator of the E.B. Crocker Art Gallery – today’s Crocker Art Museum.
The paintings, which measure 31 ¾ inches x 26 ½ inches and 15 ½ inches by 21 inches, depict meadow lake and mountain scenes in the Sierra Nevada.
In reflecting upon the cemetery’s art collection, Peterson said, “(East Lawn, Inc. President) Alan Fisher and the senior management of East Lawn consider it a privilege to be the current custodians of this treasured collection of artwork.”

The project’s excavation crew stands on the mausoleum site in this February 1926 photograph. Photo courtesy of East Lawn Memorial Park

Editor’s Note: This is part four in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

For many years, visitors of East Sacramento’s East Lawn Memorial Park have been impressed by the beauty and size of this cemetery’s historic mausoleum. But as presented in the previous part of this series, not everyone supported the idea to have the original portion of this building constructed.
Newspapers of the day ran a variety of articles and advertisements supporting or opposing the proposed building, which would be located in the southern section of the cemetery.
For instance, the headline of an article on The Sacramento Bee’s editorial page on April 23, 1925 read, “East Lawn no place for mausoleum.”
In contrast, The Bee ran an East Lawn Cemetery Association advertisement, which noted, “Sacramento should encourage the erection of this beautiful, modern mausoleum.”
The final approval of whether this structure would be built at East Lawn was left to local citizens.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1925, votes were cast for and against the ordinance permitting the rezoning of about three acres of the cemetery, so that the mausoleum could be built at that site.
The following day’s edition of The Bee presented the results of the election. The final ballot count was 6,060 for the ordinance and 3,789 against it.

The mausoleum’s east corridor is shown in this modern photograph. Photo courtesy of East Lawn Memorial Park

The article noted the following: “Under the ordinance, as adopted yesterday by the people, it will be permissible for the East Lawn Cemetery Association to erect a mausoleum, in accordance with plans, which have for some time been prepared, within the cemetery grounds.”
Through the provision of the city charter, the ordinance became effective five days after the official canvass of votes by the city council.
With the rezoning of the property approved, plans for the construction of the mausoleum could finally move forward.
Frank Seymour Baillie (1869-1951), who served as the manager of East Lawn for 26 years and was the consulting engineer for the mausoleum project, announced on Nov. 5, 1925 that ground would be immediately cleared for grading in preparation for the building’s actual construction.
In the process of undergoing the mausoleum project, the cemetery was purchased by the Welch Holding Co., which was led by its president, Ernest M. Welch, and his father, Charles, his uncle, William, and his friend, Hans Tuthill.
Baillie – a former Portland, Ore. resident who purchased a home at 1360 44th St. in about 1927 – joined this partnership shortly after the cemetery’s change in ownership.
At various times during its history, the Welch Holding Co. operated 27 different West Coast cemeteries and mortuaries, the majority of which were purchased, improved upon and then resold.
East Lawn Cemetery’s then-new ownership continued the progression of the mausoleum project and made plans for various improvements at the cemetery and the expansion of its nursery. Additional details regarding the nursery will be presented later in this series.
An early update regarding progress at the mausoleum site noted that cement had been poured in preparation for the construction of the building’s L-shaped first floor.
Included with this report, which was presented by East Lawn, was a bit of advice.
The community was informed that the mausoleum’s construction period was “an advantageous time to select crypts or vaults for indoor burial – the modern, scientific form of interment.” And readers were made aware that the purchase prices were “substantially lower” than they would be once the mausoleum was completed.
Accompanying this update was East Lawn’s original logo, which featured an image of an unlit candle and the words, “When the light has gone.”
The original portion of the mausoleum was nearing completion on July 31, 1926, when The Bee presented another update regarding the status of the building’s construction.
Through this local publication, Andrew Cruikshanks, the cemetery’s superintendent, announced that the exterior of the mausoleum had been completed and marble was being placed in the structure’s interior.
The building, which the article noted would be “completed soon,” was described as a “Class A structure of steel and concrete with 900 crypts and 3,000 niches.”
In further describing the mausoleum, The Bee noted that the structure included two floors, which formed the east and west wings of the central tower.
The first floor of the building included the main forum, which was to be adjoined by the superintendent’s office, general offices, display rooms for bronze urns and another room for cut flowers.
The article also included additional descriptions, as follow: “The east and west corridors will be devoted to individual vaults and to special family vault rooms. The east wing will be devoted to private rooms and a chapel with an organ.”
The second floor was described as being designed for crypts and individual vaults.
Another latter stage update, which appeared in The Bee, noted that plans for the mausoleum, which was built of concrete, marble, bronze and art glass, had changed considerably. These changes included a different arrangement of its tower and windows.
It was also noted that the cost of the building would “far exceed the original estimate of $250,000.”
During its history, the mausoleum has been expanded at various times.
Two of these expansions were referred to in an article in the Sept. 7, 1935 edition of The Bee.
The article described these additions as the California corridor with its 400 crypts and the second floor annex of the west wing. This latter named addition was built with 250 crypts.
The building’s then-new portions, which were also constructed with reinforced steel and concrete, were built by the Campbell Construction Co., which was managed by Walter W. Campbell at 800 R St.

This fountain was once visible from the entrance of East Lawn’s mausoleum. Photo courtesy of East Lawn Memorial Park

Editor’s Note: This is part three in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

The centerpiece of East Lawn Memorial Park is its two-story mausoleum, which was built in 1926.
But many people today are unaware that efforts to have this locally renowned building constructed were threatened to be permanently abandoned in 1925.
Although the East Lawn Cemetery Association had not anticipated any governmental obstacles in having a mausoleum built on a portion of the cemetery’s property, when the association approached the city regarding this plan, the city informed the association that a commercial building could not be constructed on the grounds.
The association then learned that Wright & Kimbrough, the developers of the neighborhood that eventually became known as the Fabulous Forties, had previously had the cemetery property zoned for residential purposes only.
In response to this newfound information regarding the zoning status of the East Lawn property, the association went to the city council in hopes of obtaining a variance to build the structure.
Although the council granted this variance by a vote of 6-2 on July 9, 1925, by that time, the developers had managed to have the issue placed on the ballot for the upcoming city election.
The ballot measure raised the question whether the existence of the mausoleum would “detract from the present beauty of the (cemetery) grounds and adjoining neighborhood.”
In order to influence voters regarding this measure, leading up to the election, local newspapers ran many articles and advertisements regarding this then-proposed structure.
Among the articles written about the controversy about building the mausoleum was an article published in the April 23, 1925 edition of The Sacramento Bee.

East Lawn Memorial Park’s mausoleum was constructed in 1926. Photo courtesy of East Lawn Memorial Park

The article, which was given the headline, “East Lawn Cemetery no place for mausoleum,” presented The Bee’s stance on the construction of the mausoleum.
The article included the following words: “The Bee already has presented a number of reasons why it does not believe the petition should be granted. Not only is the zoning opposed by the overwhelming majority of the citizenry of the district, but it tends to establish as a cemetery in perpetuity, land which in the not distant future is likely to become altogether unsuited for that purpose.”
On May 19, 1925, The Bee ran a large, East Lawn Cemetery Association advertisement, which featured a photograph of the proposed site of the mausoleum.
Above the photograph were the words, “The East Lawn Mausoleum will be less noticed than the present tank.”
An arrow directed the readers view to the presence of a water tank, which could be partially seen in the far distance, above a large growth of trees, in the photograph.
The photograph was taken looking south into the cemetery from 45th Street, near Folsom Boulevard, at the highest point overlooking the cemetery.
The East Lawn advertisement noted that the mausoleum would be constructed in a direct line with this tank, more than two blocks from Folsom Boulevard.
It was also mentioned in the advertisement that the mausoleum would be less than the height of the water tower and behind the row of trees.
In making its most dominant point, the association presented the following words in the article: “Without making a special effort to pick out the mausoleum from this spot, no one would know it was there.”
In other words, the mausoleum could not be a distraction to residents of the area, if they could not see it from the distance.
The association, which was then led by its officers Fred W. Kiesel, Arthur E. Miller, Philip C. Drescher and Chauncey H. Dunn, concluded in the advertisement that the improvement of the cemetery was the lone thing, which would be determined through the decision of whether to have the mausoleum constructed.
The association also emphasized that whether or not the construction of the mausoleum was approved, relocating the cemetery was not an option, and that the relatives of the then about 4,000 people buried under the lawns would never approve of the removal and relocation of the remains of their loved ones from the cemetery.
In adding to this point, George W. Peltier, who was at that time serving as president of the Farmers and Mechanics Bank at 1012-14 8th St., said, “The strongest argument in favor of the mausoleum is the moral fact that the East Lawn Cemetery cannot be removed by law. The owners of the property, by constitutional rights, may have East Lawn Cemetery remain in its present location forever, if they so select.”
Many other notable local people endorsed the construction of the mausoleum leading up to the election.
In an April 22, 1925 letter to the Board of City Commissioners, John C. Ing, U.S. Land Office register, who resided at 1065 47th St. in East Sacramento, wrote: “I cannot now consistently and with fairness oppose what in my opinion will not tend to detract from the beauty of the cemetery, but rather do I believe will add to it.”
Also in favor of the erection of the mausoleum at East Lawn were the East Portal Civic Club of East Sacramento and the church bodies, the Sacramento Church Federation and the Sacramento Ministerial Association.
Among those who opposed the construction of a mausoleum at East Lawn were East Sacramento residents, local attorney Theodore W. Chester of 1112 40th St., Dr. Howard M. Cameron of 1340 44th St. and William J. Rooney of 1224 44th St.

The mausoleum at East Lawn Memorial Park is shown in this recent photograph. Photo by Lance Armstrong

“We appeal to all voters in all sections of the city to help us protect our homes,” said Chester in 1925. “Anything that damages any piece of property in the city damages all property in the city. Vote against the ordinance.”
“This mausoleum rezoning ordinance lets down bars that were put up for the protection of the people and their homes,” Cameron said. “Let the law alone.”
“Perhaps residents in all sections of the city do not realize how close the proposed East Lawn Mausoleum will be to our homes in East Sacramento,” said Rooney, who was the office manager for Wright & Kimbrough. “The city cannot progress if it is to be held back by structures, which properly belong outside the city limits.”
Also opposing efforts to rezone the East Lawn property was the East Sacramento Protective Association.
A later East Lawn Cemetery Association advertisement referred to the opposition’s propaganda as a “political trick” designed to deceive local voters.
The advertisement included a photograph of a Wright & Kimbrough sign that had been placed across the street from the cemetery.
Additionally, the advertisement highlighted the fact that the sign announced that the Wright & Kimbrough property had increased 25 percent in value on Aug. 1, 1925 – 23 days after the city council had rezoned a portion of the cemetery, so that the mausoleum could be constructed.
The advertisement posed the question: “How can this 25 percent increase be reconciled with the statement that property would be damaged?”
The association assured the public that if the mausoleum was to be constructed, that the project would start immediately after its approval and no public expense would be involved in the building of the structure.
Like any ballot measure, the day finally came when votes cast and then a decision was made.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1925, local residents cast their votes on the measure that would decide the fate of this proposed $250,000 structure.

East Lawn Memorial Park is located at 4300 Folsom Blvd. in East Sacramento. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part two in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

For those who are familiar with Sacramento’s earlier years, it is no secret that floods influenced many decisions in the area. And today’s East Lawn Memorial Park was established as a result of the Edwards Break flood of 1904.
The flood inundated about 10,000 acres in the Riverside and Pocket areas and washed through the old city cemetery – today’s Sacramento Historic City Cemetery on Broadway, between Riverside Boulevard and Muir Way.
So great was the flood’s effect on the city cemetery that many headboards were carried away by its waters and, according to a 1905 edition of The Sacramento Bee, “there was no place to bury the dead.”
In reaction to the flood’s damage to the city cemetery, Louis Breuner, the son of John Breuner, who founded the well known John Breuner Co. home furnishing business, led an effort to establish a cemetery on 42 acres of the old Newton Booth place, which was previously known as Twin Oaks Farm.
The site was a desirable site for a cemetery due to its high ground above the city’s flood plain.
Louis F. Breuner, who was then serving as the president and manager of the John Breuner Co., which was at that time located at 600-608 K St., purchased the old Twin Oaks Farm site in 1904, following the Edwards Break flood. However, the property was for some reason placed in the name of Louis’ wife, Clara.
In addition to pursuing the construction of a cemetery on this old farmland, Louis, who served as the president of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce in 1901 and 1902, had his home built on a portion of the property in about 1911.

The Edwards Break flood of 1904 led to the establishment of the East Lawn Cemetery – today’s East Lawn Memorial Park. Photo courtesy of PHCS

This residence had the address of 4028 Folsom Blvd. by 1918, and Louis’ home address was recognized as 4110 Folsom Blvd. by the following year.
Louis, who had previously resided at 1103 O St., continued to live in his Folsom Boulevard home until about 1923, when he moved with his family to 1128 45th St.
Assisting in Louis’ venture to have a nondenominational cemetery established east of the eastern edge of the then city limits at 31st Street – today’s Alhambra Boulevard – were other local residents, including Fred W. Kiesel and Chauncey H. Dunn.
The proposed cemetery site met the approval of Sacramento County coroner George C. McMullen.
McMullen was quoted in the March 14, 1904 edition of The Bee, as follows: “While I have not given the proposed new cemetery full consideration as yet, still it must be obvious to even a casual observer that Sacramento requires a new burying ground – and that badly. The city itself has practically no more lots for sale in the old (city) cemetery. Under political influence, the tendency is productive of inferior results. Unquestionably, the (former) Twin Oaks Farm property is the very best available for a burying ground. The proposition advanced is quite feasible. With the enterprise of those behind the project, I believe satisfactory results will follow. I have every confidence in them and understand they are going ahead, if they can secure sufficient encouragement from our citizens.”
McMullen added that even if the city desired to enlarge the old city cemetery, little space was available for such a project.
Also among those in support of the proposed cemetery was Leon H. Jacox, proprietor of Jacox Bros., a new and used furniture and upholstery store at 920 K St.
Jacox, who resided at 1901 P St., was quoted at the time as saying, “I believe a modern lawn cemetery, with a good crematory, will be a necessity within the next few years. Recent high waters has (sic) shown that all the desirable portion of the city cemetery is already occupied. No finer location could be secured than the one under discussion. It is far enough from the city, yet near enough for the purpose.”
Even at the planning stages of East Lawn Cemetery (the original name of the cemetery), many well known Sacramentans, as well as notable San Francisco residents, had arranged for lots at East Lawn.

A Christmas tree accompanies the gravesite of some loved ones in this recent photograph taken at East Lawn Memorial Park. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Among these people were: McMullen, William E. Gerber, vice president of the California State Bank and president of the Earl Fruit Co.; George Peltier, manager of the California State Bank; Daniel W. Carmichael, proprietor of the Curtis, Carmichael & Brand insurance company; and H. Edward Yardley of the Clark & Booth Co. funeral home at 1017-1019 4th St.
After the proposed cemetery site gained its necessary approval and the cemetery was established, the first burials occurred on Dec. 24, 1904.
It was then that the William F. Gormley funeral home, which was located at 912-914 8th St., disinterred the remains of seven people from a lower, flooded section of the city cemetery and relocated them to the East Lawn property.
These people were Katie, Arthur W. and Theodore Bowles of Brighton, John Bowles of Sacramento, John D. Winters of Stockton, Elizabeth Winters of Brighton and Earle A. Dudley of Arizona.
East Lawn Cemetery was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 23, 1905.
The event, which began at 3:30 p.m., was presented from a platform that had been constructed for temporary use on the cemetery’s grounds.
Participating in the ceremony were the Rev. H. K. Booth of the Congregational Church (opening prayer); the Rev. Charles F. Oehler of the German Lutheran Church (benediction); Frank D. Ryan, president of the East Lawn Cemetery Association (short address); and Judge Carroll Cook of San Francisco (oration).
The gathering also included music by an 18-member chorus and an eight-piece orchestra.
At the time of this dedication, the cemetery included about 50 burials, which is in stark contrast to its present 99,661 burials. This latter figure does not include the 4,691 unidentified human remains that were relocated to East Lawn from East Sacramento’s old New Helvetia Cemetery in the 1950s.

In recognition of the indigents who died in Sacramento County during the past 160-plus years, an event sponsored by the Sacramento County Cemetery Advisory Commission, in conjunction with East Lawn Memorial Park, will be held at 4300 Folsom Blvd. this Saturday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m.
According to the Webster’s New World Dictionary of American English, the word, “indigent,” is defined as “in poverty; poor, needy; destitute; (or) lacking; destitute (of).”
This dedication is the first of three annual events during October, which was designated as Cemetery Appreciation Month through the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on the request of the county cemetery commission.
All three events will focus on remembering these aforementioned indigents, who at times have been referred to as “county burials.”
In speaking about this Saturday’s event, Dr. Bob LaPerriere, co-chair of the commission, said, “We should not stereotype an indigent. A common perception is that they are a homeless or street person. However, they could be someone affected by the Great Depression or the recent recession and were not able to afford the cost of a burial, or some may be ‘lost souls’ who left home and were separated from their families and had no one to attend to their final disposition. This situation was probably common during the Gold Rush.”
LaPerriere, who will give a speech at the Oct. 20 event, related an example of a wealthy person who was buried as an indigent.
“One of the ‘indigents’ buried in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery discovered one of the richest silver mines in Nevada, but was buried as an indigent when his family was not available to pay for his interment,” LaPerriere said.
These October events are a continuation of the commission’s efforts, which began in 2003 with the creation and dedication of five memorials to honor more than 15,000 indigents who have no individual grave markers.
The Oct. 20 event will focus on an area at East Lawn Memorial Park that was provided to the county at minimal cost for interment of indigents from 1932 during the Depression to 1955. The total number of interments in that section is 703.
Alan Fisher, president of East Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, said, “We’re of the opinion that every individual deserves a respectable, permanent memorial, a resting place that is protected, that is cared for, and we think that regardless of circumstances in one’s life, we want to honor those who have gone before us and we’ve kind of established East Lawn as a place where that can occur.”
And in sharing his feelings about the indigents burial area at East Lawn, Craig Peterson, manager of East Lawn Memorial Park, said, “East Lawn wants to provide a respectable setting, so we’ve placed sod in that (indigents) area, we’ve cleaned the area and now we’re just happy to have the public come and see where these folks who are not forgotten, where their resting place is being cared for and respected, as well.”
Among the people who have a direct connection to an indigent burial in the capital city is Sacramento resident Nola Williams.
In an exclusive interview for this article, Nola shared a personal story regarding one of her deceased family members.
“About 16 years ago, I started work on a family tree,” Nola said. “I knew nothing about my grandfather (who was known as Ray Williams, although that was not his given birth name), my father’s father, when I started this project, as I was born in the later part of 1964 and my grandfather (who was born in 1888) died in the early part of 1964 and no one discussed my grandfather.
“When I learned that my grandfather was buried as an indigent and that he had no headstone, I started a quest to find out where, specifically, he was buried. I was determined to purchase a headstone for my grandfather to honor him as someone who was loved and who was important, and this was the only way that I knew to honor him.”
Nola said that her work to discover the exact location of her grandfather was not a simple task.
Although she knew that her grandfather had been buried in the old Bellview Cemetery on Elder Creek Road, she said that she had a difficult time discovering his plot number, as the cemetery was in poor condition and she could not initially find records for the cemetery.
“I took a week off work at the time in order to visit various county offices in my search to find my grandfather’s plot number in the cemetery, as well as a corresponding plot map,” Nola said. “At the time, no one could help me with this information. I was told that the cemetery had been bought and sold a few times and that the current owners had filed bankruptcy and apparently took all of the cemetery records.
“Earlier this year, when visiting (the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery) to locate the burial location of my great-grandfather, my aunt and I visited the information office for information regarding my great-grandfather. During this visit, I inquired about any possible Bellview Cemetery records, since this is where my grandfather is buried.
“To my utter amazement, one of the ladies in the cemetery office was able to produce a listing, which gave my grandfather’s plot number.”
Unfortunately, Nola still did not have a map of the burial locations of the Bellview Cemetery. Consequently, she was still unable to locate the precise burial site of her grandfather.
Nola said that her mission to find her grandfather’s burial plot was eventually aided by LaPerriere, who provided her with a map of the cemetery’s plots.
“Using (the map and) existing headstones in this area, and with the assistance of Bob (LaPerriere), my father and my brother, we pieced together the ‘grids,’ if you will, of the layout of the indigent area of the cemetery, and we were able to determine where my grandfather is buried,” Nola said. “The next critical piece was the headstone. Once that was ordered and arrived, it was time to, in my opinion, put my grandfather to rest properly. Permission was obtained from the owners of the cemetery to have a headstone placed, a local tombstone company laid the headstone I had made, and Matt Smith, a pastor with (The Table at Central) United Methodist Church (in Sacramento), provided a blessing of my grandfather’s grave with myself and several family members in attendance (on Aug. 8, 2012). While I can’t change (the) fact that my grandfather was buried (with remains of a person below him and remains of another person on top of him) or that he was buried without proper recognition, I finally feel that my grandfather is at peace and laid to rest properly.”
Nola expressed much gratitude for the volunteer at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, LaPerriere and Matt Smith of the United Methodist Church for their assistance in her efforts.
When asked about any other plans that the commission might have in regard to deceased indigents, LaPerriere said, “We are hoping to eventually have listings on the commission’s Web site of locations where indigents have been buried and also a listing of their names when available.”
LaPerriere added that it is very gratifying for himself and the commission to honor the indigents or “lost souls” of Sacramento County.
“I’ve been involved with several families, helping them to locate the final resting place of a relative who was buried as an indigent,” LaPerriere said. “I was always impressed by the impact and meaning the discovery of the location of their relative meant to them. Many (local indigents) were fathers or mothers, brothers or sisters and may still have relatives looking for them. These lost souls often were alone at death – a time when we all hope for the support of our loved ones. Please join us on Oct. 20 in paying respect to Sacramentans who have been forgotten for decades.”

Lance@valcomnews.com