A project of
Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 901
Livermore, CA 94551
©1988 Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society
Originator of Project
Margaret Stoneking Fazio
Word Processing
Beverly Schell Ales
Cover
Ruth Gantzer Burden
Maps
Clarence Parkison
January 1, 1988
Web Editor
George Anderson
November 22, 1996
Our book has become a reality and is presented here in its entirety with the addition of a ground survey done on a now extinct cemetery known as Oak Knoll. Information gathered by the D. A. R. in 1934 and 1962 is also included.
This Web publication is derived from the book described above, "Livermore Cemeteries." The book contains all of the the data presented in this Web publication, plus maps locating the sections and rows in the cemeteries. The book is still available.
An acknowlegement cannot be complete without recognition of the many individuals who contributed their time and their knowledge of the histories of the cemeteries.
The first plot to be sold in Memory Gardens was to Jacob Waggoner (1844-1925) October 30, 1911. The headstones are those of children of Jacob Waggoner. Although they died much before the establishment of this cemetery they were no doubt brought here after the father obtained the site.
Memory Gardens Odd Fellows Memorial Park office at 3873 East Avenue, Livermore, California also has an alphabetized listing of all interments. This cemetery property was purchased in 1910 and became incorporated in 1959.
Fraternal organizations such as the Masonic Order and Odd Fellows had as one of their benefits to the membership a provision that they could be buried in the cemetery which was the property of the organization. In those years this was a benefit that was most important. The cemeteries are now open to the public.
Mortuaries in the area are a good source of information if that information does not appear in this book and it is certain that the person was interred in Livermore. In small communities mortuaries were more stable and records were better kept. Two long-established mortuaries are still in existence in Livermore: Callaghan Mortuary with records of cash journals from 1894 and regular journals from 1906; and the Livermore Mortuary. The Graham-Hitch Mortuary of Pleasanton, California may be another source as they also utilitized the Livermore cemeteries.
It should be noted that California State Law did not require deaths to be recorded before 1905. Different spellings for surnames should also be checked which includes the phonetic spelling.
Death certificates for Alameda County, California may be obtained by writing to the Recorders Office, Room 10, 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94612 for the years 1905-1985. Other sources for records are the Oakland Public Library, 125 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612 for dates before the city boundaries were established and the designation was by township.
If errors are found, it would be of great assistance if the corrections were sent to the Society for further editions. The committee reqrets any errors or omissions.
*.....Masonic Lodge member b.....born d.....died yrs...years mos...months dys...days nd....no date dau...daughter Jr....Junior Sr....Senior Rev...Reverend MD....Medical Doctor Dr....Doctor US....United States USA...United States Army USN...United States Navy USMC..United States Marine Corps USCG..United States Coast Guard USAF..United States Air Force WWI...World War I WWII..World War II R.....Reserve as in USNR ..... ..... Jan...January Feb...February Mar...March Apr...April May...May Jun...June Jul...July Aug...August Sep...September Oct...October Nov...November Dec...December ..... ..... AL....Alabama AK....Alaska AZ....Arizona AR....Arkansas CA....California CO....Colorado CT....Connecticut DE....Delaware DC....District of Columbia FL....Florida GA....Georgia HI....Hawaii ID....Idaho IL....Illinois IN....Indiana IA....Iowa KS....Kansas KY....Kentucky LA....Louisiana ME....Maine MD....Maryland MA....Massachusetts MI....Michigan MN....Minnesota MS....Mississippi MO....Missouri MT....Montana NE....Nebraska NV....Nevada NH....New Hampshire NJ....New Jersey NM....New Mexico NY....New York NC....North Carolina ND....North Dakota OH....Ohio OK....Oklahoma OR....Oregon PA....Pennsylvania RI....Rhode Island SC....South Carolina SD....South Dakota TN....Tennessee TX....Texas UT....Utah VT....Vermont VA....Virgina WA....Washington WV....West Virgina WI....Wisconsin WY....Wyoming
While typing the Roselawn Cemetery inscriptions, my curiosity was aroused by the listing of graves for a family of five named Beck, who all died on the same date, March 1, 1910. I wondered what had happened to this family. The inscriptions read:
George L. Beck Feb 2 1869-Mar 1 1910
Ella A. Beck May 8 1879-Mar 1 1910
Hariet Beck Jun 15 1903-Mar 1 1910
Erma Beck Sep 15 1905-Mar 1 1910
Leonard Beck Jul 18 1907-Mar 1 1910
I decided to check the Livermore Herald newspapers that have been microfilmed and stored in our Public Library by the Livermore Heritage Guild. Sure enough! The Livermore Herald of March 5, 1910 reported a disaster in Wellington, Washington, that claimed the lives of George L. Beck, his wife and three children, plus two others from the Livermore area: Emma Marion and an infant. Two trains, the Spokane Limited with 40 passengers and the west-bound transcontinental Fast Mail with no passengers, became imprisoned in the snow on February 24, 1910. At approximately 4:15 a.m. on March 1 an avalanche swept both of the trains down the side of the mountain. Thirty workmen who had been helping to dig the trains out were also swept over the side of the mountain as they slept in one of the coaches.
In all, 96 persons died in this disaster, still the highest avalanche death toll in U.S. history.
George Beck and his family were en route to California from their home in Marcus, Washington, where they had moved two years earlier. They were supposed to be coming by steamer, but had changed their plans at the last minute. John Beck, George's father, had not known that his son was aboard the ill-fated train.
George L. Beck was born in Nevada in 1869, but was brought to Livermore by his parents as a young child. Mrs. Beck was, before marriage, Ella Groser of Danville.
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