Geiger, Mrs. A. H. exterior of Mountain View Burial. Mountain View Memorial Park was said to be one of the most modern examples of funeral homes in the United States. 1942 was a year of expansion as they became a Unit Memorial Service. Hearses in foreground and exterior view of mortuary in background. TPL-8672 ----- Additional information provided by a patron, The foreground car is a 1942 Chrysler bodied as a Gothic-panel hearse by the A.J. Miller Company of Bellefontaine, Ohio, which was also the likely builder of the adjacently-posed six-window "limousine style" 1942 Chrysler hearse. The two limousines parked next in line were factory-built Chrysler offerings from the same model year, while the rearmost vehicle is a 1942 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery that was likely used for funeral service "first calls" or the transportation of flowers and chairs to gravesite services. All-in-all this is a tremendously unusual and likely-unique funeral fleet given that most hearses built in this period were Cadillac or Packard-based.

Morgues & mortuaries--Lakewood; Hearses--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood);

Floral arrangement and casket at Mt. View, Mrs. Robert Haley. Cpl Keith W. Hanson, age 19, received a full military service. He was killed in an accident while serving with the army in Germany. He had served in the army 2 1/2 years. (T.Times, 4/26/1948, p.13

Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Hanson, Keith W.; Morgues & mortuaries--Lakewood; Funeral rites & ceremonies--Lakewood--1940-1950; Flowers--Lakewood--1940-1950; Military personnel--Lakewood--1940-1950;

The New Tacoma Cemetery offers their clients 100 acres of beautiful peaceful resting grounds. The New Tacoma Cemetery has been serving Tacoma families since 1932, they are under the administration of the Tacoma Cemetery Association, a non-profit organization. Exterior view of grounds, large trees and beautifully landscaped grounds offer peace and tranquility, sacred sanctuary in background.

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Gardens--Tacoma; Trees--Tacoma; Graves--Tacoma; Undertaking--Tacoma; Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma; Death--Tacoma; New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Tacoma Cemetery Association (Tacoma);

Mountain View Memorial Park. A restful, tree-lined road greets visitors to Mountain View Memorial Park.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood);

Calvary Catholic Cemetery's 35 acres was located next to the 4 acre old Rigney cemetery (Pioneer Catholic Cemetery) and was purchased in 1905 from Tony Portman to supply a burial ground for the Catholic community since the smaller cemetery was full. In the first 80 years of operation, 20, 657 interments took place at Calvary. A new entrance was added in 1935 patterned after a large country estate. New brick buildings, containing the sexton's office and a lounge with restrooms, were constructed, as well as massive wrought iron gates. (TDN 6/12/1905, pg. 4, "A History of Pierce County, Washington" vol. 3)

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Tombs & sepulchral monuments; Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma);

Funeral at New Tacoma Cemetery. Unidentified men waiting behind hearse and other parked cars on April 14, 1950. Ordered by C.O. Lynn & Co.

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Undertaking--Tacoma; Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma; Death--Tacoma; New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Hearses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Funeral rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Ceremony at Grove, New Tacoma Cemetery, Wm. B. Reed. A young girl places flowers on a grave for Memorial Day, May 30, 1949. Many flowers have been placed at graves commemorating lives given in defense of the United States.

New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Cemeteries--Tacoma; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Exterior of mausoleum at Mountain View Memorial Park. J.C. Milne, contractor. With the construction of the new Garden Mausoleum at Mountain View, the burial park now offered all types of interment- including earth, crypt burial and cremation. It was a one stop funeral place with a funeral home, cemetary, crematory, mausoleum and chapel.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Monuments & memorials--Lakewood;

Exterior of Tacoma Mausoleum addition by Silas E.Nelsen, Architect, circa 1926. This was the third addition to the Mausoleum, which is located in Oakwood Cemetery. It was completed in 1926 at a cost of $80,000. The building is constructed of concrete with pressed brick facing on the exterior and finished in Alaskan marble on the interior. It has colored glass skylights and a cantilever porch with a twelve foot overhang, all of concrete. In 1926, it was advertised as containing 2,784 crypts, with a single crypt costing $150-400 and family compartments at $1800-2500 including perpetual care. The Mausoleum is on the City Registry of historic places. (TDL 3/21/1926, pg. E-10; TNT 5/1/1926, pg. 2-advertisement) (filed with Argentum)

Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma--1920-1930; Tacoma Mausoleum (Tacoma); Silas E. Nelsen Architects (Tacoma);

The funeral for James T. Gregory, 81, was held August 2, 1938 at Mellinger's Chapel. This photograph is of the service for his cremation. It was in the Oakwood Hill Crematory Chapel in Oakwood Cemetery. Mr. Gregory, of 1318 S. 4th St., died of a heart ailment. He was well known in lumber, mining and banking circles. He was president of Vilas Lumber Co. in Oregon, vice president of Warren-Soule-Fairhurst Co. of Tacoma, a director of the National Bank of Washington and former president of Tacoma Tidewater mill. Born near St. Thomas, Ontario, Mr. Gregory moved first to Duluth, Minn. In 1901, he came to Tacoma. He was a lifelong bachelor and member of the Elks, Masons and Afifi Temple of the Shrine. (T. Times 8/1/1938, pg. 7; information supplied by an employee of Piper-Morley-Mellinger) TPL-8770

Funeral rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1930-1940; Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma--1930-1940; Flowers--Tacoma; Gregory, James T.--Death & burial;

Headstones for Col. William H. Wallace and his wife in the old Fort Steilacoom Post cemetery on the grounds of Western Washington State Hospital as photographed in January of 1934. Worn down by the passage of time, the headstones of the former territorial governor of Washington (1861-63) and his wife along with others were located on a site between hospital buildings. Their resting places preceded the hospital. (Additional information provided by a reader)

Numerous flags snap briskly in the wind as visitors stroll past them to attend the 1958 Memorial Day service at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood. Speeches and wreaths to honor the men and women who fought for our country's freedom were part of the day's ceremonies. The keynote speaker at the memorial ceremony was Senator Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson. Mountain View, located at 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W., was a complete memorial park, offering a complete selection of interment in a peaceful setting. Photograph ordered by Mountain View Memorial Park.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Memorial Day; Commemoration--Lakewood; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Lakewood; Flags--United States;

Christmas decorations at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, taken shortly after Christmas 1939. Christmas tree in front of flagpole, evergreen trees on either side decorated with lights. (filed with Argentum)

Morgues & mortuaries--Lakewood; Monuments & memorials--Lakewood; Christmas--Lakewood; Christmas decorations; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood);

New Tacoma Cemetery is located in the Southwest area of Tacoma, on 9221 Chambers Creek Road. The New Tacoma Cemetery is considered one of the finest in the Pacific Northwest, with a mausoleum and sacred sanctuary on the grounds. The New Tacoma Cemetery is a division of the Tacoma Cemetery located on South Tacoma Way. Exterior view of the grounds, some graves are decorated with flowers and American flags.

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Gardens--Tacoma; Graves--Tacoma; Benches--Tacoma; Undertaking--Tacoma; Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma; Death--Tacoma; New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Tacoma Cemetery Association (Tacoma);

The New Tacoma Cemetery offers their clients and families a tranquil serene final resting place. Families can choose from beautiful grounds landscaped with junipers, rhododendrons and azaleas, mausoleum, or an Urn Garden and Rockery constructed in three levels with a perpetual waterfall. View of entrance leading into the New Tacoma Cemetery, the gates are open, the mausoleum is located on the right side.

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Gates--Tacoma; Undertaking--Tacoma; Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma; Death--Tacoma; New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Tacoma Cemetery Association (Tacoma);

Funeral services for August O. Cultum, aged 70, were held at the C.C. Mellinger Co. Funeral Home in November, 1951. Mr. Cultum had resided at 6470 South Sheridan Street. He passed away on November 15, 1951. Born in Renville, Minnesota, Mr. Cultum was a 63-year resident of Tacoma, and a employee of Metropolitan Park district. He is survived by three sons, three daughters and ten grandchildren. There were several large wreaths, primarily chrysanthemums, on display near the bier, as well as smaller potted plants. Sepia photograph ordered by Stewart Cultum. (TNT 11-16-51, p. 33)

Funeral rites & ceremonies--Tacoma; Coffins; Wreaths--Tacoma; Cultum, August O.; Cultum, Stewart;

The interior of the reception area at the New Tacoma Cemetery as pictured in November of 1950. The room has been decorated with floral draperies, a checked linoleum tile floor, and rag rugs. Ordered by Rill Reid.

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Undertaking--Tacoma; Morgues & mortuaries--Tacoma; New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Tacoma Cemetery Association (Tacoma);

New Tacoma Cemetary, Colonial style Building.

Cemetaries - Washington State - Pierce County - New Tacoma Cemetary

Colonial style building on grounds of New Tacoma Cemetary.

Cemetaries - Washington State - Pierce County - New Tacoma Cemetary

ca. 1943. This view of the New Tacoma Cemetery, with large firs on right and small bushes by gravesites, was taken circa 1943. The park-like surroundings provided a serene resting place for the deceased using non-intrusive flat markers. Opened in 1932, the 150-acre New Tacoma Cemetery overlooks the City of Steilacoom and the waters of Puget Sound. (www.newtacoma.com-information)

Cemeteries--Tacoma; New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma);

Ceremony at Grove, New Tacoma Cemetery, Wm. B. Reed. A view of the New Tacoma Cemetery as of May 30, 1949, where many of the graves are decorated with flowers. 300 war veterans were buried here.

New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Cemeteries--Tacoma; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Ceremony at Grove, New Tacoma Cemetery, Wm. B. Reed. A memorial to the memory of the soldier dead of all wars was dedicated May 30, 1949, Memorial Day, at the New Tacoma Cemetery where 300 war veterans were buried. (TNT, 5/31/1949, p.7)

New Tacoma Cemetery (Tacoma); Cemeteries--Tacoma; Monuments & memorials--Tacoma--1940-1950; Flags--United States; Memorial rites & ceremonies--Tacoma--1940-1950;

These wooden crosses mark burial sites in the Pioneer Catholic Cemetery, a portion of the Calvary Catholic Cemetery. One of the oldest cemeteries in the county, it has been in use since about 1850. The four acre old cemetery was located on the Steilacoom Road near South Tacoma and was donated for burials by John and Eliza Rigney. There were no written records of the burials in the Pioneer section. ("A History of Pierce County, Washington" vol. 3)

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Tombs & sepulchral monuments; Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma); Pioneer Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma);

Pioneer Catholic Cemetery, part of Calvary Catholic Cemetery, in use since 1850. Toppled grave markers and overgrown weeds dot the grounds. In 1905, the Calvary Cemetery Association incorporated and bought the adjoining acreage to establish a new cemetery since the old one was full. Pioneer Catholic Cemetery is not owned by the Association, but is maintained by the group. No burials took place in Pioneer after that time and there are no written records of the older cemetery. Information gathered from the headstones is incorporated with the records from Calvary. The condition of the grounds in this picture were probably due to the 1950 cemetery workers strike. ("Calvary Cemetery" Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society, 1985)

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Tombs & sepulchral monuments; Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma); Pioneer Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma);

Pioneer Catholic Cemetery, part of Calvary Catholic Cemetery, at the end of South Villard, in use since 1850. The older graves lie unkempt and overgrown, with the wooden and stone markers tumbled over. Pictures from this series were used in an interesting ad in the Tacoma News Tribune (TNT 4/14/1950, pg. 8), contrasting these old and forgotten graves with the "perpetual care" given by modern cemeteries. The ad continues to say that excessive wage demands mean cuts in staff and care. This was probably a reference to negotiations with the Cemetery Workers Union and the following strike by workers. The ad was a joint effort of the New Tacoma Cemetery, the Old Tacoma Cemetery, and the Calvary Cemetary.

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Tombs & sepulchral monuments; Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma);Pioneer Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma);

ca. 1956. Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood. An aerial view of the cemetary. This is the right hand side of a large print from a single negative. For the left hand side see A98409 image 1A. The war memorial can be seen left, just below center. Steilacoom Blvd is the large street to the right of the grounds. Structures at the Park include the funeral home, crematory, mausoleum, chapel and columbarium.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood);

ca. 1956. Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood. An aerial view of the cemetary. This is the left hand side of a large print of a single negative. For the right hand side see A98409 image 1b. Curved roads wind through the grounds providing access to the many grave sites. The war memorial can be seen right, just below center. Other structures located in the park include the funeral home, crematory, mausoleum, chapel and columbarium.

Cemeteries--Lakewood; Mountain View Memorial Park (Lakewood); Aerial views; Aerial photographs;

Another view of a Nativity scene at Calvary Catholic Cemetery was taken on December 31, 1954. This was photographed during daylight hours but still shows the plywood cutouts of Mary and baby Jesus in great detail. The creche is located before a brick house, perhaps the sexton's office or lounge, on part of the cemetery's 35 acres. The wooden materials blend with the attending fir trees to become a part of the natural landscaping. Photograph ordered by Douglas Fir Plywood Association. TPL-8112

Cemeteries--Tacoma; Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Tacoma); Creches (Nativity scenes)--Tacoma; Plywood; Christmas decorations; Signs (Notices); Douglas Fir Plywood Association (Tacoma);

Passing on the tradition of honoring the dead, patriotic instructor of Custer post No. 6 Charles "C.A." Cavender and post chaplain Francis F. Thompson allow Tilford Gribble to place roses at the G.A.R. plot in Oakwood Cemetery prior to Memorial Day, 1926. Tilford is the great-grandson of Mr. Cavender. Chaplain Thompson doffs his hat while saying a prayer over the gravesite of a fallen soldier. As the ranks of those veterans of the Civil War diminished, it was important that younger generations remember the sacrifices of their ancestors and continue to honor them. (TNT 5-31-26, p. 1)

German sailor Carl Lischke died in Tacoma on March 17, 1934, during the visit of his ship, the "Karlsruhe." Sadly, the package lovingly sent to him by his fiance so far away contained tainted fish. Lischke died of food poisoning. His funeral was at Mountain View Cemetery where he was interred. Members of Tacoma's Disabled American Veterans, Post No. 1, pledged to care for his grave.