Land Park area residents are quite familiar with the community’s Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, which was founded in 1849. Another Sacramento area cemetery established during the same era was the Sloughhouse Pioneer Cemetery.

THE SLOUGHHOUSE PIONEER CEMETERY is located on the Jackson Highway, 18 miles southeast of Sutter’s Fort. / Photo courtesy, DUP

The Land Park area’s historic city cemetery at Broadway and Riverside Boulevard is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento, established in 1849. It is the final resting place of more than 30,000 early Sacramento residents.

Although not considered as old as the historic city cemetery, the Sloughhouse cemetery is recognized as having been established only a year later. However, there is a family lore that the remains of two-year old Alexander Rhoads were buried at the Sloughhouse cemetery in 1847.

Tombstone restoration

The little pioneer cemetery in Sloughhouse cemetery is just 1.5 acres and is located 18 miles southeast of Sutter’s Fort. It is undergoing a project to restore 17 of its historic tombstones.

Roberta Tanner, assistant chairman of the Sloughhouse cemetery, recently sat down to discuss details regarding the Sloughhouse cemetery.

During her interview with this publication, Tanner said that Land Park’s Sacramento Historic City Cemetery played an important role in the project.

Historical parallels

RESTING PLACE RESTORATION NEEDED. The footstone alongside the grave of Jared Sheldon’s daughter, Sarah Sheldon, leans toward Jared Sheldon’s tombstone in this 2007 photograph. This image represents one of several problem sites targeted for restoration at the Sloughhouse cemetery. / Photo courtesy, DUP

“During the earlier stages of the project, we decided to contact Dr. Bob (LaPerriere, vice-chairman of the Sacramento County Cemetery Advisory Commission), since we had worked with him in the past,” Tanner said. “He led us through the (old city) cemetery, pointing out what the two cemeteries have in common, including historic iron fencing. He has been invaluable in educating us in proper maintenance of historic tombstones and providing us with advice on which restorations to pursue within the project as a whole.”

Sister cemeteries?

Tanner also noted that recently representatives of both cemeteries very briefly discussed the possibility that the cemeteries could become sister cemeteries.

In response to this idea, Tanner chuckled and said that the much smaller Sloughhouse cemetery would definitely be the “little sister.”

Land Park business hired

Another Land Park area institution that has provided much assistance for the Sloughhouse cemetery restoration project is Ruhkala Monument, which is located directly across the street from the old city cemetery.

Following several visits to the Sloughhouse cemetery by Royceanne Ruhkala, the Sloughhouse Cemetery Committee hired Ruhkala Monument to work on the project.

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER. Emma Bagwill, who died just prior to her first birthday, was buried in the Sloughhouse Pioneer Cemetery in 1899. Overall, four generations of her family were buried at the cemetery. / Photo courtesy, DUP

Ruhkala’s involvement with the project includes cement work at the bases of fallen tombstones, drilling and pinning pillars and other tombstones to their bases and providing advice about prioritizing details regarding the project.

Tanner said that an important part of the committee’s decision to select Ruhkala was the company’s well known reputation as an expert in pioneer, vintage memorials.

Cemetery celebration

The Sloughhouse cemetery restoration project is very timely, explained Tanner.

“A special event will be held at the cemetery on May 12, when we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the deeding of the cemetery to the International Society of Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Sacramento Company,” Tanner said.

The public event will include tours of the cemetery and speakers, including Maureen Smith, international DUP president, and Dennis Holland, president of the California Pioneer Heritage Foundation.

Pioneer heritage

When asked how the Daughters of Utah Pioneers became involved with the cemetery, Tanner said that the cemetery was actually established by Utah pioneers.

“The cemetery was started to house the remains of the Rhoads family, who came through Utah to California,” Tanner said. “They were actually among the first to bring a wagon overland across the Sierra Nevada.”

The history of the Rhoads family dates back to 1846 in the Sacramento area.

The Rhoads Family

HISTORICAL SITE. A special event will be held at the Sloughhouse Pioneer Cemetery on May 12. / Photo courtesy, DUP

It was in the spring of that year that Thomas Rhoads headed to California from Illinois with 51 members of his immediate and extended family, including 14 of his 18 children and his wife, Elizabeth.

Among Thomas’ children were Elizabeth, Sarah and Catherine, who each married well established, local landowners.

Elizabeth married Sebastian Keyser, Sarah married William Daylor and Catherine married Jared Sheldon.

Daylor is documented as the first person to have been buried in the Sloughhouse cemetery.

In addition to Daylor, other people buried at the cemetery include: Sheldon, the majority of Sheldon’s children and grandchildren and Thomas’ son, John Pierce Rhoads, a Donner Party rescue party organizer and a California State Assembly member.

The cemetery remained in the ownership of descendants of the Rhoads family until 1972.

Changing hands

While researching her possible connection to Thomas Rhoads in 1971, Norma Ricketts, the late local historian and DUP member, read a related article in a local newspaper.

MARY CASS was buried in the Sloughhouse cemetery in 1860. / Photo courtesy, DUP

The article announced that the Native Daughters of the Golden West were scheduled to place a historical marker at the cemetery to honor John Rhoads and his involvement in the Donner Party rescue efforts.

Within the article was a reference to John Rhoads being buried with other family members at the Sloughhouse cemetery.

After reading the article, Norma went to the cemetery, where she met Percy Westerberg, the owner of the cemetery property and a descendant of Catherine Rhoads and her second husband John Mahone.

Westerberg told Ricketts that he was concerned about the cemetery, because he was no longer able to care for the cemetery.

Shortly after her visit to the cemetery, Ricketts received a telephone call from Westerberg.

In recalling this moment, Ricketts, in 2006, wrote: “In 1971, Percy called my office and said, ‘Norma, I’ve decided to give you the cemetery.’”

Although she appreciated the offer, Ricketts felt that the cemetery should be cared for by a group rather than an individual.

Through Ricketts’ efforts, the cemetery was eventually deeded to DUP.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers

The first chairman of the cemetery committee was Maureen Smart, who catalogued the cemetery’s headstones with a group of DUP members and submitted the information to the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the state of California.

The cemetery has had several caretakers under the direction of DUP, including Smart, Stan Newton, Loretta and Elvin Mullin and Fran Newbold, who is the cemetery committee’s chairman.

In addition to the current project with Ruhkala, the committee hopes to have other restoration projects completed in the future. These projects are dependent on acquiring grants and other donations.

Improvements to the cemetery have also included work performed through about 25 Eagle Scout projects.

A closed cemetery

Tanner said that the Sloughhouse cemetery, which includes more than 300 burials and 190 tombstones, is a closed cemetery.

“Even though it is a closed, historic cemetery, we’re still discovering names of people and even markers of people who were buried there in the 1800s,” Tanner said. “So, in a way, we’re still an open cemetery.”

Information sought

As part of DUP’s ongoing efforts to document and preserve the history of the cemetery, the organization is seeking any old photographs, newspaper articles and other items pertaining to the cemetery.

For additional information regarding the Sloughhouse cemetery’s upcoming anniversary event or any other details regarding the cemetery, write to dupsacramentocompany@gmail.com.

It is certainly not every day that families host get-togethers that involve the meeting of about 200 relatives using rented facilities. But such was the case last weekend as members of the DeFazio, Arcuri and Pane families – who are all descendants of immigrants from Castanga in the Calabria region of Italy – gathered together in East Sacramento for the 14th annual Calabrese Picnic.

On a picture perfect, sunny and mild weather day, these family members arrived at East Portal Park at 51st and M streets in East Sacramento to continue their tradition of enjoying each others’ company, sharing family memories and preserving their Italian heritage and culture.

For those familiar with the history of Italians in East Sacramento, the site of this event, which was held on Sunday, Oct. 10, made perfect sense.

After all, the park site had for many years served as the playground for those living in the now-historic “Little Italy” section of the city, which is roughly located from 48th to 58th streets between H Street and Folsom Boulevard.

For many people who unexpectedly passed by the park on this day, the gathering likely must have had the appearance of a community event, as opposed to a family affair.

Anne DeFazio shows off a plate of Italian foods made by attendees of the picnic. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

But those attending the event knew better, as they were well aware of the many large, immediate, local families with the last names of DeFazio, Pane and Arcuri, as well as other families with last names directly linked to these three family surnames.

As opposed to plates mainly filled with traditional American picnic staples such as hamburgers, hotdogs and macaroni and potato salads, most plates at the event featured homemade foods such as chicken cacciatore, sausage and peppers, pastas, meatballs, risotto and Italian salads.

Although the event was very much an Italian gathering, there were various exceptions to this theme.

A prime example of how the DeFazio, Pane and Arcuri families have blended with other cultures can be seen through the potluck, which included some non-Italian food, including the most dominant of these offerings: pork and nopales (edible cactus), which is a Mexican dish.

Family members enjoy each other’s company at the 14th annual Calabrese Picnic at East Portal Park. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Throughout the day, a friendly competition of bocce ball – an historic sport most closely related to lawn bowling and popularized in Italy many years ago – was played on the park’s bocce ball courts.

After about five hours, the tournament was completed, with the winners being Mark and Vickie DeFazio.

Bill DeFazio, one of the tournament’s coordinators, said that the tournament is a great way to bring the families together at the event.

Since the annual picnic is in its 14th year, Bill, a Sacramento native who graduated from Jesuit High School in 1967, said that it is important to recognize the people who founded the event.

“(My first cousins) Mark and Steve (DeFazio) were the original organizers (of the tournament). No question about it,” said Bill, who is the oldest of the DeFazio grandchildren. “So, Mark and Steve really deserve the lion’s share of doing this thing.”

Bill added that the event, which is held on the Sunday closest to Columbus Day, stemmed from the DeFazio family’s occasional tradition of getting together “every so often.”

“(The event’s roots dates back to about) 40 years ago, but it was never an annual event,” Bill said. “Somebody would just say, ‘We’re all going to go out. Let’s just all try to get together.’”

During its initial years, the annual event was held at William Land Park and featured a golf tournament, followed by a picnic.

Vickie DeFazio, shown above, was a member of the bocce ball tournament’s winning team. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

When asked to share his feelings about the importance of holding the annual picnic, Bill said, “It’s huge for our families – the DeFazios, the Panes and the Acuris – to keep the tradition going, because we’re old-time Italian families in Sacramento and we’ve lived basically in the same area for probably 100 years, for the most part.”

Margaret (DeFazio) Jacobs, Rose Marie Pane and Louise (Arcuri) Schultz, a trio of the matriarchs of the three families, shared portions of their family histories for this article.

Passionately relating her family history, Margaret (DeFazio) Jacobs said that her grandparents, Joe and Bernadina (Piccoli) DeFazio, were the first members of her family to immigrate to the United States.

After settling in New York, Joe and Bernadina moved to East Sacramento in 1914.

Joe and Bernadina’s son, Louis DeFazio, who was Jacob’s father, married Christine Talerico on Feb. 24, 1924 in Utica, N.Y.

After moving to East Sacramento, Louis DeFazio became well-known for his grocery stores in such places as East Sacramento, Florin, Sloughhouse and West Sacramento.

Early immigrants of the Pane family to arrive in America were Rose Marie Pane’s grandparents, Giuseppi and Rosa Maria (Arcuri) Pane, and her great uncle and great aunt, Antonio and Malana (Mancuso) Pane.

A unique trivia of these couples is the fact that Giuseppi and Rosa Maria had seven boys and one girl and Antonio and Malana had seven girls and one boy.

Rose Marie, who resides in her family home that was built in East Sacramento in about 1935, said that another interesting part of this family trivia is that one of Giuseppi and Rosa Maria’s sons and one of Antonio and Malana’s daughters passed away in their childhood within months of each other.

Additionally, Ronnie Pane, who is a first cousin to Rose Marie, said that these children were the youngest born to each family.

Today, Rosie “Doty” Taylor, who is in her mid-90s, is the only survivor of these 16 children.

Joe Pane IV prepares to roll a ball during a game of bocce ball at East Portal Park. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Schultz said that her uncle Joe Arcuri and her aunt Elvira (Massoni) Arcuri first arrived in America in the early 1900s. The couple soon traveled from New York to Roseville, where they had three sons and three daughters.

Joe Arcuri supported his family through his employment as a railroad worker in Roseville.

Shortly after the arrivals of Joe and Elvira Arcuri, who emigrated from Italy at separate times, Schultz’s father, Louis Arcuri, immigrated to the United States with his sister, Rosina Arcuri.

After coming to Sacramento in 1916, Louis Arcuri married Margaret DeFazio.

And following the death of Margaret, Louis Arcuri married Ellen Margaret Harris in 1928 and moved to Elk Grove.

Altogether Louis Arcuri, who worked various jobs, including his work as a taxi cab driver, laundry and hotel worker and used car and tire garage owner and operator, had 12 children.

Schultz, a 1949 graduate of Elk Grove High School, said that she appreciates the picnic’s ability to maintain her family’s history and heritage.

“(The picnic) keeps our family together and keeps our heritage up for our children,” Schultz said. “It’s through us that they learn about their heritage. We talk to them and tell them about their family, so they won’t forget where they come from.”

Although some attendees of the picnic expressed their concerns regarding the future existence of the event, 12-year-old Marissa DeFazio, the daughter of Steve and Sheri DeFazio, is among those of the younger generation who are dedicated to continuing the annual gathering.

“(The event) is really important to me and I learn a lot about my family history (at the picnic),” Marisa said. “It’s really fun. I would want to keep (the event) going (in the future).”

lance@valcomnews.com