Hi!  Does anyone know of if there are community efforts made at taking care of Purissima Cemetery?  Or is this private land and it’s up to the property owner to clear the poison oak and all other brush? 

Such a fascinating place to visit with all those old headstones, but too dangerous to limbo through all that poison oak which will haunt me after, should my skin make contact.  :)

Count me in!  I will brave poison ivy/oak.  I have a passion for cemetaries and hate to see them not cared for properly.

Yeah?  You up for such a monumental task? 

I think we might want a weed whacker, and a mask, because the poison oak is ALL OVER the place there.  Plus, first, we’d want to know who owns that property so that we’re not trespassing.  I’ll ask around my history friends in Pescadero and see what they know…

If you get the “all clear” from whomever owns it, I will rent whatever equipment we will need.  You know, this may also be a great Eagle Scout project for someone in the Boy Scouts.  I’ll see if I can’t get ahold of someone in that organization as well.  Tell me, exactly where is the cemetary?

South on 1,
Left on the northern end of Verde Road,
park alongside road about 2/10ths of a mile in from 1.

Find an indistinct path up hill on southside of Verde Road, and look for headstones within the tree cover.

Another way - not recommended - but discovered by accident,
follow directions above, but drive up to Purissima Creek Road and turn south on Verde Road,
first dirt driveway pull-in and park,
hop fence,
walk up the hill until you hear thundering hoof beats,
turn around in total surprise to see a plucked-neck, extended-wing ostrich running straight toward you,
turn and run fast when you can see the ostrich’s batting eyelashes.

Note: You won’t and can’t outrun the ostrich.

Note #2:  Watch out for poison oak as you flee from ostrich.

Note #3:  Have beers over incredible “How did we not notice ostriches before hopping fence?” laughs with your buddy at Duarte’s afterward…

Here is what I found out from a friend “in the know:”

Unfortunately, the Purissima Cemetery is kept overgrown for a reason. Apparently, when it was cleared, people could find it easily and it was damaged by vandalism the most. Anyway that is the story. It may be now publicly owned. Not sure of true ownership currently, but I believe the county is in charge of it and they made the decision to keep it hidden by the overgrowth.

So there we go ...

WOW.  That sucks.  Isn’t there a historical society, or the town or church that kept records of who was buried there?  Wouldn’t those family members care enough to clean it and visit it and keep it free of vandalism?  is it really out on the middle of nowhere?  Are there no houses or farms nearby?  I am really not ready to gvie up on this one.

I am planning on going out there next weekend - want to join me and be my guide?  I promise you won’t have to get into the poison ivy.

:)

Next weekend I’ve got a wedding to attend on Saturday in Santa Cruz and Mother’s Day to observe on Sunday.

Maybe the next? 

I’ll message you via Coastsider to your email so that we can form a “group.”  One other person messaged me expressing interest.  We’ll see what we can do to pursue. 

Oh, and the headstones - except for one very recent addition - are all very very old, so perhaps no, there is no family in the area any longer?

Count me in as well…. PM me here.

I know that someone was buried there only a few years ago… so I assume/hope they got permission from someone. I may be heading to the county (RWC) soon, and will make a note to dig up who owns the parcel.

Wow!  How fun is this?!  I do believe we have a quorum. 

I’ll message you so that you can meet Judi and Joe and we can figure this thing out.  No ostriches though, I absolutely must draw the line that this deal does not entail ostrich.  :]

Yes, someone was buried there recently - if I recall correctly, the stone had a 2002 date and she served in the military? 

Okay, off to message you in…