A quiet reverence hangs in the air here at All Souls Cemetery. This Catholic cemetery in Long Beach was established in 1950. It offers a serene final resting place.
All Souls Cemetery spans 78 acres. It provides a peaceful setting for remembrance. Over 45,000 memorials are located here. Seventy-four percent of the memorials have photographs. Only a small percentage have GPS coordinates.
In 1934, the County of Los Angeles Regional Planning Board approved sixty acres for a cemetery. An additional 30 acres were recommended later. But it wasn’t until 1950 that All Souls Cemetery became a reality.
Before All Souls Cemetery was established, developers proposed a Rose Hills Memorial Park Cemetery in 1945. This proposal faced strong opposition from local homeowners in Lakewood Village and Los Cerritos. They formed the Bixby Highlands Property Owners Association to protest. The county board of supervisors negotiated with developers a contribution of 190 acres south of Sunnyside Mausoleum for a city park.
Until 1963, the Catholic Church forbade cremation. The Second Vatican Council of 1970 brought many changes. These included utilizing white vestments and casket palls instead of black.
Today, All Souls Cemetery includes a mortuary and a chapel. It also has a crematorium and lawn crypts. Several columbaria hold the bone fragments of the deceased.
During major holidays, families decorate the gravesites at All Souls Cemetery. At Christmas, trees and decorations adorn many graves. Family members bring music and food. They make a day of visiting. The cemetery posts regulations regarding when decorations need to be removed.
Gerald Desmond, former City attorney and councilman, is buried here. He is the namesake for the Gerald Desmond Bridge. Frank Zamboni, inventor of the ice resurfacing machine, also rests here. His invention revolutionized ice skating rinks in 1948.
All Souls Cemetery stands as a testament to faith. It is a place of remembrance. It serves as a reminder of lives lived and legacies left behind. It provides solace and comfort to those who mourn. The cemetery continues to be a place of beauty and reflection.