How Does This Look?

I think I have done enough to earn a spot in the plot. It's not what you got any more than it's what you have done. In the end it is all pretty much the same chemicals in the box of ashes. There is no melody. No harmony. No rhythm.
Nothing to differentiate between the dust of my pyre and the dust of some other piece of stardust blowing in the cosmic winds of time.

The Hermiston Cemetery

Cemetery Observations: Hermiston Municipal Cemetery
The cemetery in Hermiston, Oregon is located on a 10 acre parcel of land on the southern boundary which has the advantage of being out of the flood plain of the Umatilla River. The area is only accessible by car and is segregated from residential and business districts. There are no sidewalks, only paved roads throughout the site. This is a matter of economics as the area near the roads is utilized for burial. Adding sidewalks would take up considerable space and, since it is not customary to “stroll through the graveyard”, the fact that one must walk on the graves of the deceased is ignored. It is flat and square with pine trees comprising the outer borders. There are trees within the eastern half of the graveyard providing shade for some of the graves. The western side of the burial grounds is open and unforested. The entire site has a continuous lawn much like an athletic field, golf course, or meadow.

The evidence of other “permaculture” around the cemetery related to memorials was arbor vitae planted in headstones so that roots go down and the limbs reach up to the sky. The “evergreens” represent “perennial” life, a symbol of afterlife or continuity of the life cycle. Flowers and ivy engraved on markers and other artwork signify caring and remembering the dead. The plants also represent the cycle of life while also giving memorials a sense of permanence solidity and faith the loss is part of life. The awesomeness of nature and beauty has universal aspects and one unique headstone represented sun, moon, and stars representing some cosmological relationship to eternal evolution was a deviation from norms. In the Hermiston cemetery, Christian symbols and expressions dominated the markers. The cross, representing sacrifice, salvation, and redemption from that perspective is almost the most common symbol associated with death and the after-life. It would seem the community graveyard reflects the beliefs (Christian) of the living as well. I saw nothing beyond the cosmological symbols which gave any evidence of diversity of religion. The only ethnic diversity I witnessed was the Latino graves with Guadalupe, a saint of Catholicism not common except to Mexican-Americans. The “gang-banger” grave with Dio de Los Muertos accoutrement which included empty “40s”(cans of beer) Mexican flags, and “colors” draped over the headstones, also featured a small Guadalupe statuary, was the most ornate and decorous grave on site.

Other sayings, scripture, and quotations engraved in stone and bronze reflected the values and beliefs of relatives and friends of the deceased. “He is not dead, but sleeps.” “God picked a beautiful flower and took her (the dead) to be with Him.” “We will see you there.” “Believe in Me and I will give you eternal life.” All of these reflect a sense that death is not an end but a transition to “heaven” of which the deceased will be reunited with the ancestors/Jesus/God.

The number of military markers paid for by the Department of Defense demonstrates that this community has many men and women who serve their country in the defense department. These bronze military markers state rank and theatre of war where they served. Most of the military plaques had a cross also. It has only been recently the DoD has allowed pagan symbol (pentagram) to be placed on military markers. There are none yet observed in this graveyard.

Common on the graveyard memorial markers, are the scenes of mountains, (highest up god?) rivers, and animals. Eastern Oregon is a recreational “paradise” where hunting and fishing are popular and the marble engravings reflect these past-times with deer, salmon, and game birds. These are the “happy hunting grounds” of the non-native beliefs. The salmon represents the cycle of life as it climbs the waterfalls to spawn. These symbols are masculine in nature with no guns, motorcycles, or “snow-machines” etched on the markers of women unless the tombstone is “shared” with spouse. The sportsman/hunter/warrior archetype comes in a close second behind religious (sic) representations of life/afterlife.

What is the single thing which expresses what the dead person’s life was in words? “Brother” “Husband” Father Uncle” All of these we are defined by our relations. “Artist” “Teacher” “Judge” All of these defined by work. “Faithful” Loyal” Patient” defines us by our attributes. Burial being a part of life as well which reflects the positive aspects of the life according to what we value as life and what we believe about death. That death of theirs and our own is reflected by our choice of what represents us.

The “unmarked” (anonymous) graves, which had nothing to represent who was buried there, may be the “pauper’s grave” of the destitute who could not pay for a “decent” burial and memorial. Not much larger than these are the “name and year of birth and death” markers of infant graves some just designated as “baby” with no name at all. The working poor represent most of the people interned here. There are no auspicious memorial displays of wealth in evidence showing the community is not a “haven” for hedge fund managers and their families, though I think the size of memorials is now restricted to certain dimensions on public gravesites.
I have noticed a trend in my community of people not having memorials services at all. Two of the last three funerals I attended were graveside services. Two of my friends had no services for parents who died requesting charitable donations in their name in lieu of expenses incurred. It may be the economy has limited the resources available to the dying and to the dead. Another possibility is that our rituals no longer serve the needs of society and we are left grieving alone after disposing of the corpse efficiently and cleanly. The “happy hunting grounds” of Hermiston and the other heavenly endings of church and fate make up the myriad of expressions of death in this place and time where we take our ancestors when they die.