Soquel Cemetery
Timeline
Late 1840s or 1850s. Land for community cemetery set aside by John Daubenbiss and John Hames, pioneer settlers of Soquel.
1848. Sarah Owen Lard buried. This appears to be the earliest death recorded on a marker. She was John Daubenbiss's mother-in-law. The marker, however, dates from 1987.
1853. Frank S. Noble, age six months. The Noble family did not arrive in Soquel until several years later, so the body may have been moved here at a later date.
1861. Joel Bates buried. Bates lived in Soquel and had a lumber mill on Bates Creek. His was one of seven graves added between 1861 and 1868. There were no deeds in the early days and people just buried family members wherever they wanted.
1901. Soquel Burial Society formed to "stand by each other in carrying out a system of cheap burial for their dead. . . ."
1911. International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) takes ownership of the cemetery.
1930s. Community pitches in to clean up cemetery each year on Decoration Day (now called Memorial Day).
1940s. Veleda D. Burgess makes plot map of the cemetery.
1964. The I.O.O.F. sells cemetery to Irvin M. Smith, D. D. Stitt, and Orpha B. Smith, operating as Soquel Cemetery, Inc.
1967. Vandals uproot, push over, and break some 54 tombstones.
1980. Local Girl Scout Troop helps restore headstones.
2001. Temple Beth El purchases part of Soquel Cemetery to create Beit Olam Cemetery.
2009. Irvin M. Smith (cemetery owner) dies.
2012. State of California revokes license for Soquel Cemetery, Inc.
2015. Temple Beth El negotiates unsuccessfully to purchase the rest of Soquel Cemetery from Soquel Cemetery Inc.
2016. March. County of Santa Cruz takes possession of cemetery because of unpaid taxes.
2016. May. County Board of Supervisors votes to sell cemetery at auction in July.
2016. July. Temple Beth El of Aptos purchases cemetery for the County of Santa Cruz.
1848. Sarah Owen Lard buried. This appears to be the earliest death recorded on a marker. She was John Daubenbiss's mother-in-law. The marker, however, dates from 1987.
1853. Frank S. Noble, age six months. The Noble family did not arrive in Soquel until several years later, so the body may have been moved here at a later date.
1861. Joel Bates buried. Bates lived in Soquel and had a lumber mill on Bates Creek. His was one of seven graves added between 1861 and 1868. There were no deeds in the early days and people just buried family members wherever they wanted.
1901. Soquel Burial Society formed to "stand by each other in carrying out a system of cheap burial for their dead. . . ."
1911. International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) takes ownership of the cemetery.
1930s. Community pitches in to clean up cemetery each year on Decoration Day (now called Memorial Day).
1940s. Veleda D. Burgess makes plot map of the cemetery.
1964. The I.O.O.F. sells cemetery to Irvin M. Smith, D. D. Stitt, and Orpha B. Smith, operating as Soquel Cemetery, Inc.
1967. Vandals uproot, push over, and break some 54 tombstones.
1980. Local Girl Scout Troop helps restore headstones.
2001. Temple Beth El purchases part of Soquel Cemetery to create Beit Olam Cemetery.
2009. Irvin M. Smith (cemetery owner) dies.
2012. State of California revokes license for Soquel Cemetery, Inc.
2015. Temple Beth El negotiates unsuccessfully to purchase the rest of Soquel Cemetery from Soquel Cemetery Inc.
2016. March. County of Santa Cruz takes possession of cemetery because of unpaid taxes.
2016. May. County Board of Supervisors votes to sell cemetery at auction in July.
2016. July. Temple Beth El of Aptos purchases cemetery for the County of Santa Cruz.
Below is one of the old cemetery record books. Another one can be found here: soquelpioneers.smugmug.com/Soquel-Cemetery/Soquel-Cemetery-Record-Book