Yorba Cemetery
Details
Established1858
Location
6749 Parkwood Court,
Yorba Linda, California
CountryUnited States
Coordinates33°51′53″N 117°47′01″W / 33.86472°N 117.78361°W / 33.86472; -117.78361[1]
TypePublic
Owned byOrange County, California
Size40,000 square feet (3,700 m2)
No. of gravesbetween 120 and 600
Find a GraveYorba Cemetery

Yorba Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Yorba Linda, California, originally part of Bernardo Yorba's Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana. It was deeded to the County of Orange in 1967.[2]

In 1858, the 40,000 square-foot plot of land was willed to the Catholic Church by Bernardo Yorba, as a burial ground to serve Yorba's family and friends. The last official burial occurred in 1939.[2] There is also an even older burial ground north of the cemetery.

Burials

Don Bernardo Yorba, a wealthy Californio ranchero, founded the cemetery.

It is one of the oldest private cemeteries in the state of California.[3] Many members of prominent Californio families such as the Yorba, de los Reyes, Peralta, Dominguez, and Navarro families are buried at the cemetery.[2] The exact number of burials at this cemetery is unknown, but it is estimated between 120 graves (that were identified as of 1993) and up to some 600 graves.[3]

The Pink Lady

According to local legend, a ghost referred to as "The Pink Lady" appears at the cemetery on June 15.[4] Some sources say that she is Alvina de los Reyes,[5] a descendant of the Yorba family,[6] and that she was killed in a buggy accident while returning from a dance at Valencia High School. There are no official reports of the ghost's appearance since the 1980s.[7][8] Although the ghost herself has not been photographed, energy fields at the cemetery have.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Yorba Cemetery
  2. 1 2 3 "Historic Yorba Cemetery". OC Parks. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 Vanderknyff, Rick (1993-10-28). "Plots to Think About: Wander Through Some Local Cemeteries and Have Visions of the Past". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  4. ↑ Sources are inconsistent as to the frequency of her appearances:
  5. ↑ Bailey, Bruce (June 14, 1990). "'Pink Lady' Legend Has Roots in Fact". Yorba Linda Star. Yorba Linda, California. p. 2. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Gaede, Susan (June 19, 1980). "Anybody see a Pink Lady?". Yorba Linda Star. p. 1.
  7. ↑ Her appearance is documented in Ignon, Lance (June 18, 1986). "You need an appointment to visit 'Pink Lady'". Yorba Linda Star. p. 8.
  8. ↑ Regarding her failure to appear on other years:
  9. ↑ Ignon, Lance (December 3, 1986). "Ghost story – Yorba Linda style". Yorba Linda Star. p. 1.

Further reading

  • Northrop, Marie E. (June 1969). "The Yorba Family Cemetery: California's Oldest". National Genealogical Society Quarterly: 96–103.
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