Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery...

No trip is complete without an explore of a town's cemetery, and unbeknownst to us, Fallbrook's is pretty interesting and officially 100 this year.

The Masonic Cemetery is located on land that was homesteaded by A. D. Wentworth, who received a patent in 1883, after a preempted payment of $199.62. Over the years, the land that would be the cemetery, changed hands a number of times. Fallbrook suffered a period of economic depression, with floods causing the end of the train to town, too.
However, upon the arrival of the Smelser family, things began to change. Horatio S. Smelser, and sons, rode into town as heroes saving the local bank. They were active in the local community, serving both the Masons and Odd Fellows. In 1916, Horatio Smelser was authorized by the Masonic Lodge to locate suitable land for a cemetery.
It was an opportune endeavor and none too soon, for in 1917, Horatio's sister, Eliza Smelser and...
...Reasylvia Fair, the mother-in-law to both his sons died during that year, and were buried in the new Masonic Cemetery.
The following year two more headstones were added, that of Horatio himself and son Harry's wife, Dot Fair Smelser, who succumbed to influenza during the epidemic. By the end of 1919, the platting and staking of the cemetery were finished. In 1921, the Masonic Cemetery Association received the deed to 10 acres of land from the Citizens Commercial Bank. Such incredible local history can be found in a cemetery. Wow.
While I have no idea who the Brands were, I loved the sentiment engraved on their headstone, "Love you. Miss you. Meet you back at the ranch." So sweet!
This was only one of two statues. This one marks a section dedicated to the children. This part of a cemetery is always the toughest for me to view. So sad.
Besides those of the children, lost way too soon, this was the saddest of the headstones and I remember the reason for it well. On April 9, 2004, Weird Al lost his parents, together, from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. His statement at the time was, "My mom and dad, Nick and Mary Yankovic, passed away in their home in Fallbrook, California. It was the result of a terrible accident: That morning, they had started a fire in the fireplace with the flue closed, and were asphyxiated by carbon monoxide poisoning." It breaks my heart all over again seeing them here. I knew the accident had occured in Fallbrook. We were big fans of Weird Al's zany talent and felt such sorrow for him at the time, and now seeing their final resting place, those emotions return all over again.
History (some of it sad), great hiking trails, and avocados, Fallbrook possesses something for everyone. And it's only 13 miles from our house. Yes, we'll be back.

Christopher Columbus had it right when he proclaimed, "Tomorrow morning before we depart, I intend to land and see what can be found in the neighborhood."

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