91569 Highway 202 Astoria, Oregon 97103
Greenwood Cemetery
Listen below to the one-minute radio spots Michael Leamy recorded in 2020, each featuring a unique 'backward glance' into the cemetery's history.
Greenwood Cemetery was established in 1891. It occupies a part of a donation land claim whose documentation was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. The 30-acre cemetery lies on a knoll overlooking Young's Bay, and gives a panoramic view of the valley and surrounding hills, with views of the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
Greenwood is a historic pioneer cemetery, as are all Clatsop County cemeteries. It was founded during the waning years of the Rural Cemetery Movement with its emphasis on the romance of rustication, and now the grounds offer an opportunity to enjoy bird watching, quiet strolls, and the chance to watch wildlife including deer, elk, the occasional coyote, and the smaller creatures like rabbits and squirrels.
Greenwood Cemetery
At a Glance
Jasmine
Jasmine, or Jaz, is trying out for the recently vacated position of Greenwood greeter and emotional therapy friend. She is young and shy, but promises to grow into the role.
She is a country girl, raised on a farm in eastern Washington. She is socially awkward...she was, indeed, born in a barn.
A black tri Aussie, she is a quick learner, has an impeccable pedigree, and would best be classified as soft Jaz. She has signed on as an apprentice for the position, and is in the early stage of her training.
Her present skills include theft, shredding, and middle-of-the-night soul singing.
Her first response to strangers is to draw back, and then to hide under the furniture. She has bonded with the Greenwood team, and is learning the grounds. Her next task is to meet visitors without diving under the sofa.
Success at that task is variable.
Watch her grow!
The art of Farewell
The earthly journey was ending for beloved entertainer Burl Ives. Internationally acclaimed harp guitarist John Doan sat at his bedside, his fingers dancing over his 20-stringed instrument, that Ives' wife had termed 'magical.' Ives wanted more...always more, even when John had played through his entire repertoire.
John Doan plunged his empty bucket into the well of creativity, closed his eyes, and what poured forth became his signature song, Farewell.
Cemeteries mark the journey's end for those who rest there. Gravestone graphics and messages hint of the hopes, the lives and personalities of those beneath the sod, either from their own point of view, or from that of those who remember them. Take a pictorial stroll through Greenwood, pondering the images, the words and gravestone artistry, and the lives between the dates, as John Doan's Farewell echoes in your journey, stirs your thoughts...your very soul.