Tulocay Cemetery

Yesterday my husband and I enjoyed a break in the wet weather and drove to the historical Tulocay Cemetery in the city of Napa.  Founded in 1859, Tulocay was once a rural cemetery, but now sits in the heart of the city.  My first experience with this cemetery was as a kid sitting on the bus looking at all of the stones as I went to school.  My first experience actually visiting this cemetery was when a friend ran away from school and we later found him hiding behind one of the big headstones.  I've never really had the chance to actually take a good look around the cemetery until yesterday.

If you are expecting affluence from Napa, then the cemetery does not disappoint.  Elaborate tombs and grand pedestals stand throughout the meticulously kept grounds.  I thought my husband said it best yesterday:  "These people died better than we live."

I agree that Tulocay contains some of the most beautiful and ornate graves I have ever seen, but it was one rather simple gravestone that caught my eye.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

The inscription on this gravestone really touched me.  A father so concerned about his family, offers words of consolation from beyond the grave.

I wanted to learn more about this man, and so when I returned home I did a little hunting.  John Clift Simpkins was born in 1846 in Wiltshire, England, the son of Thomas Simpkins and Martha Clift, and part of the Simpkins family that can trace their roots in Wiltshire for generations.  A farmer by trade, J. C. Simpkins married Miss Eva Burnell in 1871.  The couple had a total of seven children; some of their descendants can still be found here in Northern California.

Not Forgotten

I'm ashamed of the amount of time I let lapse between posts.  I'm dedicated to this blog and so I should act like it!

A quick post to start me back on track:  Speaking of not forgotten, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite gravestone markers.  Yes, there are some markers out there that will actually put a smile on your face.   I like to believe though that these people faced their last hours bravely and perhaps with a bit of lighthearted humor:

Please honor Mr. Moore at Find A Grave.

There's A Rabbit On The Loose

I think I've been telling Cheryl for about a year now that I will be joining the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.  I'm already a bunny and I love to hop around old cemeteries.  This opportunity really is perfect for me, but the timing up until now has not been ideal.   I'd like to thank Cheryl for encouraging me to join (and for being VERY patient with me.)  Thank you, thank you!

Being the local genealogy traveler that I am, I know and have been to TONS of cemeteries- some of which are nearly as old as California.  Although I am especially drawn to older cemeteries, don't be surprised if you spot me hopping around a newer one every once in a while.

On Tuesday though, I was to be found at an old cemetery, relatively close to where I live.  Rockville Cemetery, located in the Suisun Valley, is meticulously maintained.  Many of the early pioneers, who worked so hard to build a new society here in the wild west, are ensured an eternity of rest under the 150+ year old trees.

 

 This little girl was one of the many infants buried here during the 1850's.  

 

 A reminder of the aged who trekked out west in the hope of a better future.

 

Gone, but not forgotten.