Pioneer Cemetery, Mukilteo

While I was coming home from Mukilteo, I found this small cemetery on the cliff above the beach. Cemeteries are always interesting.

If for no other reason, these places where early settlers are buried provide a glimpse of the art and traditions in use in this place at that time.

The west coast of the US, especially, the PNW feels much closer in many ways to the far east than to the Atlantic east. It is not surprising to find people from all around the Pacific rim buried here. It is, however, a little jarring to our modern sensibilities to see their internment labeled in this way. Imagine seeing a gravestone that stated across the top in bold capital letters "French" or "Dutch". It is hard to know if the owner wished to not be confused with other Asians whose character sets we westerners could not discriminate or if those who operated the cemetery were insistent so be sure that everyone knew who was allowed in. It makes me both sad and happy at the same time.