Anderson Valley’s Historic Cemeteries

Yorkville resident Valerie Hanelt has by her own admission an obsessive-compulsive interest in genealogy particularly as it applies to the cemeteries of Anderson Valley. On July 13th at 2:00 pm a sizable mostly gray-haired audience showed up at the Rose Room of our local museum. The AV Historical Society invited us to hear what the well informed Valerie had to say about our local cemeteries.

She began her cemetery database project began in 2017 and it currently contains a total of 1760 entries. The handout she gave each of us contained 181 names of burials from the first ever recorded through the last day of 1899. Her information has been gleaned through obituaries, first person accounts, cemetery visits and other research. This is obviously an ongoing project and treasure hunt for her.

Commenting on the deaths Valerie noted “There were a lot of logging accidents.” All of her entries have been uploaded to the “Findagrave.com” website so that relatives, friends and researchers can find them readily. “Findagrave” is dynamic and designed so that anyone can add information or entries. There is a unique “pin-it” feature that allows you to physically walk around a graveyard with your cellphone and tag and later find the exact location of an existing grave. She also gave a report of the Stakes Project covering eleven Valley pioneers who had lost their markers.

Finally and most useful was information on “Findagrave.com” itself and how people can use this surprisingly useful and well-designed website.

Several local residents including Kathy Bailey, John Hanes, Jimmy Hill and Sheriff Matt Kendall recounted fascinating personal stories about local gravesites. A great deal of history can be found by tracing backward from gravestone markers using findagrave.com or other research.

The earliest marker in the database is from 1857 which is 220 years ago!

For example, Rhoda Beeson/Crouch Anderson was born in 1805 and died in 1857. She is buried in the Rawles cemetery in Boonville. Her first husband was Isaac Beeson and their children were Henry, Martha and Isaac. (Henry Beeson was one of the soldiers in the California Bear Flag Revolt.) Her second husband was Walter Anderson (namesake of Anderson Valley; buried in Ukiah) and their children were Artemesia, Jane, Washington and Rhoda.

The Anderson Valley Cemetery District includes five public sites: Yorkville, Rawles-Babcock, Evergreen, Ingram and Shields also one private in Philo, the Ruddock. Valerie’s database includes; last name, first name, middle/other, maiden/nickname, birth month, birth date, birth year, death month, death date, death year, cemetery, plot, marker and brief notes. Also included on the back of the handout information on and how to use Findagrave.com. For more information contact Val Hanelt at [email protected] Valerie wants to give special recognition and thanks to the late Clyde Doggett former cemetery custodian for taking such good care of our loved ones’ graves. She also thanks Alicia Perez current cemetery custodian for the excellent job she does in keeping the grounds looking good and well cared for.

One presenter, perhaps reflecting an attitude some of us can relate to, said that most of his family members were in one corner of their family cemetery — “except for my brother who is over there in the other corner where he belongs.”

A reminder: On August 17th at 1 PM the Historical Society will celebrate the 45th anniversary of its dedication with a big party featuring Dean Titus and the Coyote Cowboys whose first band appearance was at that 1980 dedication ceremony. Lunch will be served 1-1:45; memories will be shared from 1:45-2:00 and the music will start at 2 and run to 4. Members are free; non-members $5. A great opportunity to check out our small but quite wonderful “Little Red Schoolhouse” museum.