Uncovering history in San Mateo: St. John’s Cemetery has lineage of caretakers, formative family

Elaborate headstones, many from the late 1800s and early 1900s, line the nearly 8-acre burial site marked by an ornate mausoleum housing John and Abby Parrott. Descendants of the couple have slowly begun to surround them after being laid to rest over the last 150 years.

Yet there remain some unmarked graves of those who were likely poor during their time and possibly unintentionally abandoned. These graves and a few headstones outline a portion of the cemetery’s edge that has slowly grown lush with heritage trees.

Kathy Wade has followed in her father’s and grandfather’s footsteps as a caretaker of St. John’s Cemetery and oversees at least two other cemeteries in the Bay Area. Wade said she enjoys tracking down the families of those who are buried at the historic San Mateo cemetery and getting a glimpse into their pasts.

“There’s a couple components of my job that are more enjoyable, and one is being able to talk to the families, learn a little bit more about their history, what their family’s position was in the community, how they came to California or San Mateo and why. And the other part is helping them research the genealogy and discover things. That’s really enjoyable and a lot of fun, you learn more about the local history of San Mateo,” Wade said.

The city has developed around the cemetery that is little known to those who don’t seek it out at the dead end of Oregon Avenue behind Aragon High School.

“St. John’s is very hidden. It definitely surprises people to find a cemetery in this neighborhood. It’s been given a lot of titles over the years, from secret garden, to hidden sanctuary, to San Mateo’s private cemetery. There’s all kinds of different names and labels that have been put on it,” Wade said.

Abby Parrott’s legacy

The small site stems from Abby Parrott, a devout Catholic who was known for her altruism toward the San Mateo community, said Mitch Postel, executive director of the San Mateo County Historical Association.

“Abby in particular was a saint,” Postel said. “After her husband died in the 1880s, she opened her home to tramps going up and down El Camino Real. She would feed all these people, she might have as many as 100 of these vagabond types at her estate at a time. And she would serve them the same kind of food as she would serve the most sophisticated people she would entertain.”

The property now belongs under the umbrella of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and, although a portion of the cemetery was set aside solely for Catholics, it has since been intermingled with people of all faiths, said Wade and Tom Ames, who is on the cemetery’s 11-member Board of Trustees.

“The property itself, when Ms. Parrott donated it, was originally donated to St. Matthew Catholic Church [of San Mateo], but she did so with a provision that it would be for more than just Catholics, she wanted to take care of the community,” Wade said.

Differences in grave markers

There’s a stark divide between some of the gravesites, with the Parrott’s mausoleum reflective of the family’s affluence in the community contrasted against simplistic crosses of those Wade said could likely have barely afforded funerals. During the cemetery’s formative years, and because Abby Parrott’s wishes were for it to be open to all, some would bury their loved ones by paying year to year, Wade said. Initially, some family members would tend to the graves themselves, but as time and people passed and payments stopped, Wade said the area has been difficult to maintain.

The cemetery continues to steadily sells plots, however, some sold generations ago remain vacant, Wade said. Often people purchased multiple plots for family members and as the decades passed, some were forgotten about or descendants are unaware they’re entitled to the land, Wade said.

With websites like Ancestry.com and genealogy research more accessible than ever, Wade said she’s been able to track down people who may not know their full lineage. And by the same technology, sometimes they find St. John’s, Wade said.

“There are families who more than 100 years ago, got a family plot and still have space; which was very customary at that time. So we’re dealing with third generations of families,” Wade said. “Because of genealogy [research] these days, people find us and find out their grandmother or someone was there. And may find out that some [graves] were unmarked and some remedy that.”

For a keen eye wandering through the cemetery, it’s easy to discern the older graves as city codes concerning the headstone sizes have changed, Wade said. There are even a few monumental mason companies spanning generations and some producers who visit St. John’s can tell who manufactured an older tombstone simply by eyeballing the craftsmanship, Wade said.

As St. John’s Cemetery is a tribute to the legacy of Abby and John Parrott, so too are the caretakers and creators of the gravestones. Wade said she continues to seek out families who have roots at the historic site and vacant plots that could allow them to rest with loved ones.

“I think that gives families, individuals, tremendous amounts of comfort,” Wade said. “So even though maybe they can’t get in the same plot or be next to them, for a small cemetery like this, to still be in the same cemetery, descendants can go to one spot and visit, one spot and pray, one spot and explore history.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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