SCERS not only provides pensions to Sacramento County employees, but also to employees of several special districts in the County. Three of these are cemetery districts that manage nine historic cemeteries. For anyone interested in history, visiting cemeteries is often a fascinating window into the lives and tales of earlier times. Just ask the representatives of these three special districts.

Jonathan Lambdin, District Manager of the Elk Grove Cosumnes Cemetery District, has many stories to tell about the six public cemeteries in his district, some dating back to the mid-1800s when Elk Grove consisted
of one hotel and a stagecoach stop. “The history of any area can be found in any cemetery,” Lambdin said.

Elk Grove history is connected to well-known events, such as the 1804-06 Lewis and Clark Expedition. Alexander Hamilton Willard, the last and youngest surviving member of the expedition, was buried at the Franklin Cemetery in 1865.

Three years later when the railroad came to town, this breadbasket area began to boom. Elk Grove
was a key supplier of food to gold mining camps and new settlers, which included Elitha Cumi Donner-Wilder, a surviving child of the ill-fated Donner Party who was buried at the Elk Grove Cemetery in 1923.

The district includes Elder Creek, Elk Grove, Franklin, Hilltop, Pleasant Grove, and San Joaquin cemeteries. Visit egccd.com for photos, a mobile locator app download, and family assistance information.

The Fair Oaks Cemetery District manages the Fair Oaks Cemetery, which was founded as an association in 1903 and became public in 1926. The original half-acre of land was purchased for $250, and the earliest burials at the site took place in 1898. Today the cemetery covers 12 acres and provides affordable burials for around 200 qualifying district residents and their families annually.

The shady grounds, often visited by deer, include an expansive Veteran’s Memorial Wall with new names added annually at a well-attended Memorial Day ceremony. Of the 2,000+ veterans interred there, about a dozen served in the Civil War, representing both sides. A video of the 2022 ceremony providing a view of the expansive grounds can be found on their website.

Currently the district is seeking more land for expansion. Administrative Assistant Mysti Lingenfelter said the cemetery is nearing capacity. “We only have space for about 12 more years,” she said, proceeding to
describe the benefits of choosing a public cemetery as not only cost-effective, but “a beautiful option”. For more information, visit fairoakscemetery.com.

The Galt Arno Cemetery District was established in 1952 and manages two cemeteries – Galt and Hicksville. The latter was established in 1846 as part of a land grant from John Sutter to William Hicks, a pioneer cattle rancher and the namesake of a nearby town at the time. Hicks’ wife and infant daughter are believed to have been the first white settlers buried at the site, which includes an Indigenous American burial ground.

When Hicks parceled out his land, the Valensin family purchased 50,000 acres including the graveyard. Pio Valensin promised his friend and employee Aleck Blue, a Miwok Indian, that he would set aside a portion of the cemetery for him and his descendants.

The Galt Arno Cemetery District made this designation ceremoniously official in 2013. A sidewalk divides the cemetery—the east side for the Blue family and members of other tribes, and the west for settlers, including
members of the Valensin family. Visit Galt Arno Cemetery District for more information.

Visiting cemeteries is about the future as much as the past. End of life choices made in advance can provide relief to family members down the road, and public cemeteries can be an affordable option for those who reside within their districts.