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The Hood River News, Hood River, OR., May 12, 1933, page 6

CEMETERY HISTORY TELLS OF PIONEERS
By Mrs. Max L. Moore

Some time during the early the early part of 1889, it was decided by the families of the Winchell-Neal-Odell-Turner clan that the grounds which had to this date been used as a family burial ground, and which was situated on the Jerome Winchell estate at the base of the Van Horn Butte, then known as the Butte, could be best made to serve the purpose for which it was being used by making it a public instead of the private burial place.
Accordingly, Virgil Winchell, on whose part of the Winchell estate this place was located, and D.A. Turner, solicited the signatures of those settlers immediately surrounding to find if they would care to use these grounds for this purpose and would be interested in clearing it and fencing and generally looking after the upkeep, if the grounds were given for cemetery purposes. They met with success for the undertaking, all persons approached signing for a lot, and agreeing to give their support to the matter.
They met at the district school house the evening of June 15th, 1889, and bound themselves together in a sort of organization and formulated a set of laws to operate by. They never took any particular steps to put themselves in legal state barring only the setting aside of the one and one-half acre tract and deeding it to a set of trustees they elected at that time.
Wm. Odell, John Monroe, Harrison Corum, R.E. and S.M. Harbinson, D.A. Turner, and Hans Lage and Virgil Winchell were the first members of the Butte Cemetery Association, as they chose to call themselves. These men gave much of their time and a great deal of necessary funds toward maintenance during the years which followed. Of these men, who have gone to their last rest, all lie here in the place they helped to create excepting only Mr. Turner, whose last rest is in a niche in the Portland crematorium.
Later, about 1900, many other members became interested with these men, some forty-four families altogether.
During all the years in which these grounds have been in use, it was always the practice to make all the necessary arrangements for funerals by a donation of the services of the neighbors and friends. A very small fee was charged for the space used and occasionally when a new fence was needed or the grounds would get so bad that they would have to be cleaned up, the community would turn out and clean up a little and some person would solicit enough funds to make the necessary improvements. The burial fee was so small that nothing could be done in the way of really putting the grounds in shape and hiring someone to care for them.
It has been coming increasingly evident the past several years that it would not be possible to carry along in this old helpful, neighborly fashion. Families would clean up a plot and keep it in nice condition for a time, then circumstances would compel them to move from this community and the weeds and growth would claim the plot again. Also in this fast moving age we are in, it was becoming more and more difficult to find friends with time enough at hand to oversee the necessary details of an interment.
Families were growing to manhood and womanhood and finding other localities more suited to their needs. Other people who had no sentimental interest in the old grounds were taking their places. Most of the second generation of oldtimers were drifting too far away to lend any assistance in looking after the last resting places of their loved ones. Those few of us still making this our home began to feel that some systematic arrangement for the care of the grounds should be arrived at before all of the old timers who could give information regarding those burials now in the old grounds had drifted away or had gone to their last, long rest. To that end we have been working this past several months, toward getting as much of the information together regarding the past affairs of the organization as possible. As there were no funds of any amount involved, the book-keeping and general records were of a somewhat sketchy nature.
We have organized an entirely new association which has been properly recorded under the state corporation laws governing the operation of cemetery associations. We have tried to use as many of the old laws, rules and regulations which our originators saw fit to govern themselves well as we consistently and yet be able to put the association in a self supporting condition. The only funds on hand to start with was an endowment left by late Mr. D.A. Turner, of $100.00, the principal of which could not be touched, but the interest from which was to be used for the upkeep of his family graves. To remedy this, we have levied a yearly assessment on all independent individuals and heads of each separate family represented by relatives buried in the cemetery of a minimum of $1.00. This money is to be used to pay a caretaker for the grounds and to purchase the necessary tools and equipment to render this care with. Before a caretaker was installed a lot of real work was necessary to put the grounds in shape and once more we took refuge in the old basic principle governing all the past operations of this organization. April 25, we called for donation of labor to put these grounds in shape and the following list of neighbors and friends gathered there and put in three good full days of hard work. We are certainly proud of the results of these three full and really pleasant days. The work was hard and everyone gave their time pleasantly and willingly and the ladies served such a good dinner that they were all glad they had come out.
We broke the ground all up, raked and sowed it to lawn, then we rolled it down as nearly even as possible. A fairly adequate sprinkling system has been installed to which we shall add from time to time or alter to meet requirements. We thinned out the trees leaving just enough for ornamental purposes and some shade, but not enough to interfere with the lawn.
Future interments will have to be a arranged for with the Board and the necessary cash payment made, the money so received will be properly invested to establish a fund, the interest from which will in time to come to pay for the care necessary to keep the grounds in good shape. At present this cost of care must be met by the annual assessment mentioned before.
Those good people who, for the benefit of their friends and the community in general, so willingly gave their time were: B.H. Lage, Keith Lage, E.E. Lage, Riddell Lage, Walter Wells, Perry E. Wells, Clifford Wells, J.P. Thomson, Elmer Hausinger, Earl Moore, A.I. Mason, John Plogg, Howard Shoemaker, Jimmie Blackner, Ole Blackner, O.H. Rhodes, Bill Cochran, Bill Lester, Babe McCoy, Tony Mohr, Andrew Stricker, Otto Ehrck, Morris Whitecotton, Harry Kemp, Will Kemp, Dane Kemp, Bill Ehrck, Gus Hukari, H. Hukari, ED. Hawkes, Earl Dietz, M.D. Odell, Leonard Miller, Max L. Moore, Pete Paget, Dan Friedley, Mark Thomas, Clifford Hymer, Dory Rickard, John Olson, Olaf Olson, Pete Balcum, J.M. Taylor. A few who could not work there themselves paid someone to work in their place. These were: Mrs. Whitecotton , Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Weber, Mrs. Annie O. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Marion L. Moore, E.L. McClain sent over two men for the full three days.
The ladies sending in the supplies and giving their time to the preparation of three of the best dinners we ever sat down to were: Mrs. E.E. Lage, Mrs. Ed Hawkes, Mrs. Emma Hendon, Mrs. J.E. Malloy, Mrs. J.D. Lester, Mrs. Annie O. Johnson, Mrs. Dane Kemp, Mrs. John Koberg, Mrs. J.P. Thompson, Harriet Thompson, Mrs. Rod Olson, Mrs. Mark Thomas, Mrs. Will Kemp, Mrs. Meta Scobee, Mrs. Albert Miller, Mrs. John Plog, Mrs. Perry E. Wells, Mrs. Clifford Wells, Mrs. Walter Swyers, Mrs. Max L. Moore, Mrs. J.M. Taylor, Mrs. Howard Shoemaker, Mrs. Otto Horn, Mrs. Amede Hicks, Mrs. John Wirrick and Mrs. B.H. Lage. After the dinner was over each day many of the ladies helped at the grounds raking and picking up trash.

The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., May 5, 1933, page 1

HISTORY OF OLD CEMETERY GIVEN
(By Mrs. Max Moore)

Some time during the early part of the year of 1889 it was decided by the families of the Winchell-Neal-Odell-Turner clan that the grounds which had to this date been used as a family burial grounds; and which was situated on the Jerome Winchell estate at the base of the Van Horn Butte, then known as the Butte, could be best made to serve the purpose for which it was being used by making it a public instead of a private burial place.
Accordingly, Virgil Winchell, on whose part of the Winchell estate this place was located; and D.A. Turner solicited the signatures of those settlers immediately surrounding to find if they would care to use these grounds for this purpose and would be interested in clearing and fencing and generally looking after the upkeep, if the grounds were given for the cemetery purposes. They met with success for the undertaking, all persons approached signing for a lot, and agreeing to give their support to the matter.
They met at the district school house the evening of June 15, 1889 and bound themselves together in a sort of organization and formulated a set of laws to operate by. They never took any particular steps to put themselves in legal state baring only the setting aside of the on and one-half acre tract and deeding it over to a set of trustees whom they elected that that time.
Wm. Odell, John Morse and S.M. Harbison, D.A. Turner, Hans Lage and Virgil Winchell were the first members of the Butte Cemetery association, as they chose to call themselves. These men gave much of their time and a great deal of the necessary funds toward carrying on during the years which followed. Of these men those who have gone to their last rest all lie here in the place they helped to create excepting only Mr. Turner, who last rest in a niche in the Portland crematorium.
Later, about 1900 many other members became interested with these men, some forty four families altogether.
During all the years in which these grounds have been in use it was always the practice to make all the necessary arrangements for funeral; by a donation of the services of the neighbors and friends. A very small fee was charged for the space used and occasionally when a new fence was needed or the grounds would get so bad that they would have to be cleaned up the community would turn out and clean up a little and some person would solicit enough funds to make the necessary improvements. The burial fee was so small that nothing could be done in the way of really putting the grounds in shape and hiring some onto care for them.