The oldest grave in Soquel Cemetery is:

Nancy Belle Lard who died in 1848

Nancy's daughter is Sarah Catherine Lard Daubenbiss (John's wife)

Soquel Cemetery is a 4.5 acre cemetery with maybe 4500 interments (or more) that has gone through many owners since the mid 1800's the most recent sale being in July 2016. Due to a team effort things are coming together.

Soquel Cemetery is a non-endowment cemetery (meaning: families/friends have to take care of it) due to a 1901 decision made by cemetery plot owners to do it that way. In other words, when people get upset that the grass is high there is no one alive to blame.

Challenges include some interments moving from one grave to another, some being disinterred, some recorded unconventionally, people watching the cleanup on their commute home and asking questions, the addition of the south end which includes the Jewish section which is completely separate.

My work is effected by the 1901 decision to become non-endowed, the endowment section in the south going non-endowed around 2012, as well as educating various people about what FindAGrave is. I have had to manually re-enter MANY memorials to keep the peace, have had to find creative solutions in the face of obstacles, and many more tasks. Yes my edits are significant, but they are in effort to have the cemetery documented as perfectly as one can.

When that is all done, I have purchased at least four different kinds of weed whackers and have carefully trimmed the weeds that have been as tall as me for years. The ground is much more level now, creek erosion is being addressed, and 20 other projects.

Soquel Cemetery and Beit Olam Cemetery are separated by a one foot shrub, but in two distinctly separate cemeteries with distinct systems in place. Those interred should be honored and put in the correct cemetery.

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I know the Soquel Cemetery as much as anyone alive, and probably more. Need a plot location? Just ask. I often can give you an answer instantly because I know where pretty much all are right down to a plot. (Brand new burials I am not aware of unless I happened to walk past them.)

I am slowly working through a running list of tasks I want/need to do here so please check back occasionally. I am always available for lookups.

Need something? Contact us below. I prefer working one-on-one so we can both enjoy the search. If you plan on visiting I can help you find a grave by putting an orange cone near the grave, etc. Everyone should be able to visit, find their loved one, and have it be a peaceful experience.

Photos I take of graves are taken so that it helps a person find the grave in the future. In other words, if I crop a photo I make sure to not remove hints if it is under a tree, in a crypt, in a mausoleum, on a hill, etc. (If there is shade on a grave I know it might be under a tree, or otherwise under something, etc.) If you want to crop a photo I took? That is easy to do.

I could not agree more with the advice in the article below. I prefer cemeteries that really need the help. Often this means I see grave markers that are fading, or nearing being damaged beyond repair. For example, having a wide angle photo while a marker is still standing right be the last time we know where a body was laid to rest in non-endowment cemeteries:

5 Photos You Should Take At The Cemetery

http://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/5-photos-you-should-take-at-the-cemetery/

Lesley

lesleyjon AT yahoo.com, and Co.

~ Volunteer w/ Soquel Cemetery since 2012