I have a genealogy research task for you. First, have you looked at my web site that I started for the Baker family?
http://www.silogic.com/clarno/Bette%20Baker.htm
I've found alot of interesting new information about the Bakers but probably the most interesting is that your great-great-grandmother, Eliza Smith, and your great-grandaunt, Alice Smith Miller, both moved to Oregon and are buried in Cooper Mountain Cemetery. Your mom already knew that your great-grandmother, Laura Ann Smith Baker Young, had moved there.
Looks like, from the death certificates, that arrangements for both were made by Pegg Paxson & Springer Funeral Home. Eliza died in 1920, Alice died in 1925 and Laura died in 1930.
The Tombstone Transcription Project walked the cemetery in 2003 and put the list of people buried there on rootsweb.com. I looked at that list but Eliza and Alice were not on it.
The 2nd husband of your great-grandmother, Laura Smith Baker Young, Thomas Young, is also buried at the same cemetery.
If you have time, how about going by the cemetery and taking some pictures. I don't expect you will find their tombstones but take a look around.
Thanks,
Mark
PS: in other interesting tidbits that I am still researching:
1. your mom's uncle, Thomas Baker, may be buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
2. A first cousin of your mom, Rufus O. Baker may have lived and died in West Linn, Clackmas Co. He died in 1984.
I drove directly to the cemetery, via your location, and still had to stare about quite a bit to recognize that the big corner lot/field, was indeed a cemetery. I parked by the side of the road and pulled back a rickety gate (at least it wasn't posted "No Trespassing") and walked into a large field with less than a dozen grave markers. None belonged to our family members. Four basic families were represented, three of whom had streets named for them in the area and one additional Germanic sounding name. Our family members are now an indiscriminate part of a larger field. Enjoy.
Sue
Thanks for doing the feet-on-the-ground work. I didn't figure the tombstones would be there.
I might be interesting if you could find out if there are records regarding the cemetery still around. The grounds appear to be kept up so there must be a maintenance crew. If that much support in still in place, there may be plot maps available. It still might be possible to locate the graves even though the tombstones are missing. It would be an exciting task.
Mark
PS: Your great-grandmother, Laura Ann Smith Young is also buried somewhere in the Portland area. From her death cert, it appears to read "Davis" cemetery, although it is very hard to read. I need to do a little more checking. It does not come up on a Google search.
Can I ask you to do a couple more Genealogy tasks when you have time?
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Since the Cooper Mountain Cemetery was not in good shape, we can try to find out if there are any records (like plot maps) for it.
The goal would be to check around Aloha and find out anything about the cemetery:
1. who owns it?
2. who maintains it?
3. who has records for it?
A few quick phone call to these kind of folks might lead to some info (you may think of other possibilities):
1. Aloha Chamber of Commerce
2. Aloha Library
3. Genealogical Society of Washington County Oregon
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The second thought I had would be to call
Pegg, Paxson
& Springer Funeral Home
4675 SW Watson Ave
Beaverton
503-644-1176
4675 SW Watson Ave
Beaverton
503-644-1176
Explain to them the situation and ask if they have any historical information about Eliza, Mary Alice or Laura.
Here is a summary of your ancestors that should be buried at Cooper Mountain with burial arrangements handled by Pegg:
Eliza
Smith died: 6 Aug 1920 buried: 7 Aug
1920 Cooper Mountain
Mary Alice Smith Miller died: 19 May 1925 buried: 22 May 1925 Cooper Mountain
Laura Ann Smith Baker Young died: 28 Dec 1930 buried: ??
Mary Alice Smith Miller died: 19 May 1925 buried: 22 May 1925 Cooper Mountain
Laura Ann Smith Baker Young died: 28 Dec 1930 buried: ??
Laura's second husband Thomas Young is also buried there but the arrangements were not handled by Pegg:
Thomas Young died: 9 Dec 1944 buried: 14 Dec 1944 Cooper Mountain
Bette thinks that Thomas Young was brought back to Aloha after his death to be buried next to his wife Laura. So that is why we think Laura is also buried at Cooper Mountain but we can't read any cemetery info from her death certificate.
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So if you have time, Thanks,
Mark
yahoo.com), who has emailed me
information, is their granddaughter.
From: "Robert & Carolyn Cornie" <rlcpd
