THE CEMETERIES OF YAKIMA COUNTY
Originally Compiled by
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
1968-1973
[The cemetery extracts were placed on cards and filed in the YVGS library by
surname, not by cemetery. For the subsequent 30 years, obits have been clipped
and placed in the same card file. Cards now number in the tens of thousands.]
Cemeteries below with links are online.
Cemetery Name Location and comment
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Anderson Family 2 mi. W. of Naches Ranger Station on Chinook Pass Hwy., just
above and across from Pine Cone Inn. Identification of
graves confirmed by member of family. Rec. pub. YVGS Bull.
2:33 (1970)
Black Rock 3/4 mi. S. of Hwy. 24, 6 mi. E. of Junct. of Hwy. 24 and Hwy.
(or Meeboer) 214, in E edge of Sect. 24, T 12 N, R 22 E on Merritt Fine Ranch.
Additional data from Mrs. Elaine Brader. Rec. pub.
YVGS Bull 2:86 and 3:36 (1970, 1971)
Calvary 1405 S. 24th Avenue, Yakima. Gravestones copied 1969, rechecked
and sexton's records copied 1973. Catholic.
Cowiche-Natches On bank above Pioneer Way, Cowiche, ca. 31 mi. from intersection
of Pioneer Way and Yakima-Cowiche Hwy., some 13 mi. W of Yakima.
Second oldest cem. in Yakima County. Some bodies removed to Naches
Cem. Record supplemented by reports from families and obituaries.
Rec. pub. YVGS Bull. 4:67 (1972)
Elmwood On road which runs from the Fort Rd. about 31 mi. W of Hwy 97.
Gravestones copied 1969. Sexton's records copied 1973,
including all except baby records from 1940 on.
Cem. divided into 5 sections coded as follows:
(N) - North (SW) - Southwest (Mid) -really should
(W) - West (SE) - Southeast be called East)
Grandview On Cemetery Rd.(extension of Elm St., Grandview), ca. 1 mi.
N of town. Gravestone and sexton's records copied by YVGS 1969.
New extraction 2002-2003 by Laura Ware & Theresa Wiggins.
[Note: 3/23/00 - Grandview records are administered by Grandview
City Dept. of Public Works (509) 882-9211.
Holy Rosary Ca. 1 mi. E. of Moxee City and 1/4 mi. E of Hwy 24 (first
northbound rd. E of intersection of Faucher Rd. & Hwy. 24)
in Sect. 6, T I0 N, R 17 E. Operated by Holy Rosary Roman
Catholic Church of Moxee. Parish records checked to July,
1969,when gravestones copied. Rec. pub. YVGS Bull 1:75 (1969)
together with list of internments performed by parish priests
between 1906 and Oct. 1930 where place of burial not stated
and not otherwise known. New extraction by Jeri Herbert 2003.
Lower Valley On S side of Van Belle Rd. at Cemetery Rd. and ca. 1 mi N
Memorial Gardens of Sunnyside, just across the road from Sunnyside cem,and W
of Sunnyside Memorial Park. Gravestone and sexton's records
copied 1969. Sexton's records included copies of obituaries
of all interred.
Mabton NE of Mabton on Cemetery Rd, ca. 1-1/2 mi. north of Euclid Rd.
Copied by YVGS 1969. Updated extraction from City of Mabton
records by E.F. Charvet. Current to October, 2003.
Meninick On Hwy.97, 16 mi. S of Toppenish in Sect. 7, T 8 N., R 18 E.
(Indian) Copied 1972
Meystre Family About 3 mi W of Naches in an apple orchard on the W side of
the Canal, where the canal crosses the West Old Naches Hwy.
Single stone,. copied 1973. To be pub. YVGS Bull. Jan. 1974.
Naches Ca. 1/2 mi. E of Naches on. W side of Kel-Lowery Rd., 1-1/2 mi.
S of its intersection with the Old Naches Hwy. Gravestone
and sexton records pub. YVGS BULL. 1:62 (1969)
Nelson Lies in the Suntides Golf Course. From Hwy.12 take Old Naches
Hwy. to Galloway, second road to right which is Suntides Blvd
where you will find it marked with a gate inscribed "Nelson
Cemetery, 1871 - 1904". Copied and rec. pub. YVGS Bull. 1:20
(1969). One additional grave discovered in 1973 to be pub.
YVGS Bull Jan. 1974.
Nile Cemetery This cemetery has been plowed over. It lay on what is now
the Pat Thomas Ranch, in the Nile District of the county, some
miles W of Naches. Record of burials furnished by descendant
of most buried in this cein. Rec. to be pub. YVGS Bull.
Jan. 1974.
Old Holland Lies N of Moxee City on Mieras Rd., 1 mi. E of the First Re-
formed (Old Holland) Church, which is at the intersection of
Beaudry and Mieras Rds. Gravestones copied and pub. YVGS
Bull. 1:71 (1969). Data from sexton's rec. to be pub.YVGS
Bull. 1974
Old Selah Pioneer Said to have been on land on which the NPRR depot was built
when the Railroad came through Selah about 1885. The only
record so far obtained of a burial there came from the source
of information about the Nile Cem. Abandoned - 3 internment listings
Outlook On Cemetery Road, SE of Outlook in Sect. 28, T 10 N, R 22 E.
Gravestones and sexton's records copied 1969.
Pioneer The oldest cemetery in Yakima County. At the E end of Ahtanum
Rd., Union Gap (originally Yakima City). Part of cemetery
swept away in a flood in 1906. Many bodies removed to Tahoma
Cemetery, Yakima, and recorded there. Gravestones copied
and supplemental information from descendants pub. YVGS Bull.
3:33 (1971).
Also see Photos in USGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project.
Reservation Also known as the Wapato Cemetery. Located in Sec. 11, T 11 N,
Memorial Park R 18 E, 5 miles W of Hwy 97 (Wapato) on the West Wapato Rd,
between Lateral C Rd. and N. Harrah Rd. It is also 3 miles
north of Harrah. Copied 1969.
St. Mary's Lies 1/2 mi. S and 1-1/4 mi. W of White Swan and is reached by
Catholic a road that intersects with the road to Fort Simcoe ) 1/4 mi.
W. of White Swan. Copied and rec. pub. YVGS Bull. 2:87 (1970)
Selah Pioneer Lies beside the new road connecting the No. Wenas Rd. and
Interstate 82, about1-1/2 mi. N. of Selah. Now abandoned.
Copied with additional data from families in area, newspapers,
etc., and published YVGS Bull 5:4 (1973).
Shaker Lies in the NW 1/4, Sect. 2, T 10 N, R 17 E, about 3 mi. E
(Indian) of White Swan and near the Shaker Church. Copied 1973.
Simmons Cemetery An abandoned cemetery, location unknown, but believed to have
been in the vicinity of 6th and Fruitvale Aves, Yakima. All
bodies moved to Tahoma Cem., Yakima, Jan. 1901 and so recorded
as in Tahoma Cem. with suitable notation. Rec. pub. YVGS
Bull. 1:16 (1969)
Sunnyside (Old) On the N side of Van Belle Rd. at Cemetery Rd. ca 1 mi. N. of
Sunnyside. Contains graves from most Lower Valley private
cemeteries abandoned after it was formed. This and Sunnyside
Memorial Park operated by Ball Memorial Chapel, and funeral
home records are also sexton's records. Copied by YVGS 1969.
Transcribed by Laura Ware & Theresa Wiggins 2001-2002.
Note: 11/22/00 - Sunnyside cemeteries now operated as:
Lower Valley Memorial Gardens & Sunnyside Memorial Park
7800 Van Bell Rd
Sunnyside, WA 98944
(509) 837-2233
Sunnyside On S side of Van Belle Rd., across from Sunnyside Cem. (see
Memorial Park above). Copied by YVGS 1969.
Tahoma Cemetery 1802 Tahoma Ave., Yakima. Resulted from the union of the
City Cemetery and ones established by the Masons, the Odd-
fellows and the GAR. Some early records fail to record actual
gravesites. Some gravesites, especially in pauper areas, have
disappeared and their plats lost. Copied 1968-9. Cemetery
divided into sections. Sections A, B, D and L being the more
recent. Sections and coding:
City - A, B, C, D, G, H. I, J, L.
F & AM - Masons (Free & Accepted Masons)
IOOF - Oddfellows
E - Military section
F - includes mostly GAR plots
K - plot 63 - Modern Woodmen of America - MWA
K - plot CC - Knights of Pythias - KP
K - plot DO - Eagles - FOE
[Tahoma cemetery is managed by the City of Yakima. The cemetery
office is located at 1802 Tahoma Ave, off S. 16th Ave just north of
Washington. The office hours are 8-12 Mon-Fri. (509) 575-6026. They
can give directions to a specific grave and have additional info on
most interments.]
Toweatmy (Indian) On Hwy. 97, 20 mi S of Toppenish in Sect. 13, T 8 N, R 18 E.
Terrace Heights 3001 Terrace Heights Dr., Yakima, WA 98901 (509) 453-1961 Copied
Memorial Park 1970. Sexton's records not copied since all grave markers have
name and date of death.
Wenas On S side of No. Wenas Rd., about 11 mi. NW of Selah. One of
earliest cemeteries in County.. Gravestones.and sexton's records
copied and pub. YVGS Bull 1:56, (1969)
Online version has been updated to 2000 by Judy
Schuster and Gene Jenkins.
West Hills 11800 Douglas Rd, Yakima, (509) 966-6622
Memorial Park Lies on the S side of Wide Hollow Rd., just beyond Harwood
and W of Yakima. Sexton's records in hands of Langevin-
Mussetter Funeral Home. Copied 1969-70.
White Swan On NE edge of White Swan, 1/8 mi. E on gravel road that takes
Methodist off E just as No. White Swan Rd. turns north, in Sect. 5,
T 10 N, R 17 E. Rec., Pub. YVGS Bull. 2:92 (1970)
Zillah Lies on the S side of the Zillah-Toppenish Rd. at Cheyne Rd.,
and just W of the Zillah city limits. Gravestones and Sexton's
records copied in 1969 for Old Section by YVGS. New extraction
of complete cemetery made by Jeri Herbert in 2002. Updated October 2007.
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Additional Yakima County Cemeteries
Note: Most of these cemeteries are located on the Yakima Reservation. It is
understood that permission to record them could not be obtained from the
Yakima Nation at the time when all the Yakima county cemeteries were being
recorded.
Beaver - Yakima Resv. N of Jo Jo Rd on BIA 15: T7N R20E Sec10
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Poisel Butte SE
Colwash - Yakima Resv. SE of Fort Simcoe off BIA 132, S of Hwy 220: T10N R16E Sec26
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Fort Simcoe
Emeunot - SW of Wiley City off W South Ahtanum Rd: T12N R17E Sec14
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Wily City
Glade - South of Mabton: T7N R22E Sec20
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Tule Prong
McCoy - McCoy Rd East of Toppenish: T10N R20E Sec2
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Toppenish
Meninik - Yakima Resv. Hwy 97 & BIA 63: T8N R19E Sec7
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Poisel Butte NW
Onepennee - Yakima Resv. Jo Jo Rd & BIA 256: T7N R19E Sec35
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Poisel Butte SW
Saluskin - SW of Wiley City off W South Ahtanum Rd: T12N R17E Sec16
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Wiley City
Sampson - Yakima Resv. Hwy 97 & BIA 216: T7N R18E Sec3
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Logy Creek NE
Sloutier - SW of Wiley City off W South Ahtanum Rd: T12N R17E Sec15
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Wily City
Smina - Yakima Resv. West of Hwy 97, N of Intersec with BIA 51: T12N R17E Sec15
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Poisel Butte NW
Toweatmy - Yakima Resv. Off Hwy 97 & BIA 79: T8N R18E Sec13
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Logy Creek NE
Wah-Lal-La-Kite - SW of Wiley City off W South Ahtanum Rd: T12N R17E Sec18
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Wily City
Yemowat - McCulloch Rd between 42 Ave & 54 Ave: T12N R18E Sec9
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Yakima West
Yesmowit - Yakima Resv. NW of White Swan off Medicine Valley Rd: T11N R16E Sec34
USGS Topographical Quad Map: Medicine Valley
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The following cemetery information was submitted by Jim Roberts.
1. Winnier Cemetery - private cemetery for the Yakama Nation's Winnier Family,
just S of Larue Rd and E of Hwy 97 about a mile S of Toppenish.
2. Toppenish Creek Cemetery - tribal cemetery probably related to the Toppenish
Longhouse and Toppenish Creek Longhouses (tribal Washat religion), On a bluff
just S of Slide Ranch Rd (formerly BIA Rd 103) 1/2 mile east of Signal Peak Rd.
On another bluff just east of this cemetery, it looks like there could actually
be another small cemetery or a couple of independent graves.
[Note: Fishing-rights pioneer Agnes "Myra" Sohappy, 18 Oct 1925 - 25 Mar 2005,
was buried 28 Mar at Toppenish Creek Cemetery. Also, Jim Kiutus, Jr., 3 Jan 1942
- 4 Jun 2005, of Wapato, bur. 6 Jun 2005.]
3. "Parker Dam" Cemetery (I don't know it's true name but it may be related to
the Smarlowit family) - On the hill behind a Yakama Nation fruit orchard, just
NW of the intersection of Hwy 97 & Lateral A Rd. This cemetery also contains a
stone monument inscribed with the names of some of the Yakama Nation's most
notable Chiefs. There was once a thriving Yakama Indian community at Parker
Dam which is the basis for the community that uses the Wapato Longhouse.
4. Klick-Peter Cemetery Located at the SE corner of Fort Rd Extension and Signal
Peak Rd at White Swan, (across from the schools). 46* 22' 29" N, 120* 43'56" W
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