City of the Silent, Cemeteries of Colma, CA

A small incorporated town in San Mateo County just south of San Francisco is a place were the dead out number the living one thousand to one.

Walk into a local bar and you are bound to have someone tell you, "It's great to be alive in Colma." (Their local joke.)

In 1902, San Francisco outlawed interments within the city limits and the largest cemeteries had to move their populations out of town. Business was moved to the first town outside of the city limits that was accessible by train...hence the creation of Colma's new (lasting) business. 

There is one cemetery for pets and 17 for humans.

They include: Catholic, Jewish, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Greek Orthodox (Russian), Oddfellows, & Serbian, to name a few.

The famous located here include: William Randolph Hearst at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Wyatt Earp and his wife Josephine Marcus at the Jewish Cemetery, Hills of Eternity, as well as Levi Strauss who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans; at Holy Cross, is baseball star, Joe DiMaggio (who became more famous for marrying Marilyn Monroe) and Abigail Folger, the coffee heiress who was murdered by Charlie Manson.

This one looks more like a Valentine card than a grave marker:

There are some statues that have faces which are so distinct that must have been custom made. 

Not sure if this is Romanesque or the hair style of the period.

Very similar but different robes.

Again, similar yet different statues.

Then there are some statues that leave me undecided as to the best angle.

This is one of my all time favorites:

To view more of my cemetery images: EnfocusGallery.com