The Masonic Cemetery covers about 10 acres. But did you know that within this acreage exist four distinct native environments specific to the Willamette Valley: fir forest (wet and dry), oak savanna and wetlands?
Burial Space
The Eugene Masonic Cemetery has available space for burials and cremations. For more information, email Sally Dietrich by clicking here. Or call (541) 684-0949
Volunteer Info
Interested in volunteering with the Eugene Masonic Cemetery?
This is a gentle reminder that
Music To Die For will return this summer. The first concert will be June 28 at 2 PM.
Volunteer Work Parties
Grave Marker Cleaning and Repair
The Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association has been working to restore and maintain our historic cemetery for the past 25 years. An enormous amount of progress has been made, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. We have focused our recent efforts on marker cleaning and repair.
Over the last year, a small, but dedicated, group of volunteers has made a great start cleaning historic grave markers in our cemetery. We work with Wendi Kuchera, the landscape manager for the cemetery, who helps identify markers needing cleaning and who will coordinate any necessary preparation including weeding or trimming. It is important that the volunteer work parties collaborate with the landscape crew so damage to the natural habitat doesn't occur. There are beautiful wildflowers, bushes and trees we don't want to damage while working on markers.
Along the way, we learn a lot about the people buried beneath the markers. We also learn a lot about each other, as the cleaning involves soft brushes and water, but not a lot of brain power, so we can clean and chat at the same time. If socializing with other members of the work party is not your thing, it's easy enough for us to set you up with a marker, a brush and a bucket of water in a quiet corner all to yourself.
It is sometimes hard to describe how much fun marker cleaning can be. In an hour or two, our efforts reveal the beauty of the original carvings and etchings without eliminating the natural patina the markers have accumulated over the decades. It is downright satisfying to stand back and admire the effects of a bit of elbow grease on an already wonderful work of art. Many of the markers have elaborate etchings and carvings that have be obscured by time and nature and are wonderful to see clearly.
The EMCA Site Committee is in the process of setting the marker repair and cleaning work party schedules for 2020 and will be posting the dates on our website and in the newsletters to come.
This year we will be scheduling drop-in work parties as well as special groups to help with our efforts. These might include family groups, church groups, and service organizations, as well as a group of friends who want to do something different. If you are interested in working with us to schedule a day of volunteer work (really just a few hours, not a full day), or if you have any questions or comments, please contact the volunteer coordinator by clicking here.
Signage project receives grant
If you've walked the trails of the Eugene Masonic Cemetery, you probably have reveled at the peaceful beauty and quietness the place offers. You very well may have also wondered how to find certain landmarks and burial spots of some prominent citizens of the past. With over 2 miles of walking trails, it can be a challenge.
The Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association (EMCA) has for years addressed the challenge with rather primitive signs constructed from plywood, wooden stakes and some literature run off on a home printer. They usually didn't last too long after rain destroyed the printer ink or vandals pulled them up. Last fall, the board of directors turned their attention to the problem.
The Site Committee drew up a list of permanent signs they felt necessary to, if you will, point the way. The Committee met with representatives from local companies capable of producing and installing attractive, long lasting signs of the type we felt reflected the character of the cemetery. Several options were available, but they all had one characteristic in common: they were costly. And even though it was decided to do the project in several stages, our budget needed help.
We became aware of a Historical Outreach Grant opportunity offered by the Lane County Historical Society. An application was submitted last October asking for just over $1900 towards a project total of $4000. This was for the first phase of the signage project. We were notified recently that the EMCA had been awarded $1800, which means that we can immediately begin detailed planning.
We'd like to thank the LCHS Outreach Committee
for having trust in our abilities to complete the project.
John Bredesen, eNewsletter Editor Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association
Mission Statement
To restore, rehabilitate, maintain, interpret and operate the historic Eugene Masonic Cemetery and Hope Abbey Mausoleum as a cultural and natural resource for the community.
