Florey's Books welcomes author and long-time Pacifica Tribune writer Jean Bartlett to discuss her most recently published book, "125 Years of History, Ministry and Service" Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma. The book's cover art is by Canton-born artist Hugh Zeng, who runs Millbrae Frame-Art on El Camino in Millbrae.
***Saturday, November 10th, 2-4pm***
About the book:
In 1880, nearly 234,000 individuals called San Francisco "home," and the population was expanding in leaps and bounds. But the City, at a fixed size of 46.7 square miles was not. Property owners living near San Francisco's big "four" cemeteries – Laurel Hill, Calvary (the Catholic cemetery), the Masonic Cemetery and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery (all in the Lone Mountain-Laurel Heights area) – began to make serious noise about the removal of the dead, so the living would have room to grow. In 1886, San Francisco's second archbishop, Archbishop Patrick Riordan, purchased 300 acres of farmland to build a new Catholic cemetery just five miles south of San Francisco, an area now known as the town of Colma. People thought that was crazy. Who would travel that far south to bury their dead? But on June 7, 1887, when Holy Cross opened its gates for the very first time, two funeral carriages sped out of San Francisco – each racing to have the honor of carrying the first "interred." Screeching to a halt first was the carriage carrying the late Timothy Buckley, formerly of 438 Minna Street. Coming in at a close second, was the carriage of the late Bridget Martin, formerly of 1827-1/2 Bush Street. Since that day, 370,000 individuals have come to rest within the gates of Holy Cross, including some of the nationally and locally famous – Joe DiMaggio, A.P. Giannini, George Moscone, Louise M. Davies, Kathryn Forbes and Hildreth Meière. This book contains historical snapshots of some of the Cemetery's interred, with a gravesite locater, as well as a history of the establishment of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. It is written in honor of the 125th year of Colma's first and largest cemetery.
About the Author:
Born in San Francisco, Jean Bartlett has worked as the Arts and Features Correspondent for the Pacifica Tribune for the past 13 years and continuing. She is additionally the Arts and Features Writer for the Peninsula Progress. Along with these papers, she has written for such print and online media as the San Jose Mercury, the Oakland Tribune, the San Mateo Times and Bay Area Business Woman. A family history biographer, she writes individual histories for both private clients and memorial websites such as Making Everlasting Memories. The author of the award-winning children’s book IndiAsia and the Dragon, Ms. Bartlett has additionally written theater for American Conservatory Theater’s Young Conservatory, the Barefoot Play Readers Repertory Theatre Company and the Pacifica School District . Her online website, Jean’s Magazines, provides press (in-depth interviews and reviews) for artists and musicians. She is the scriptwriter behind the online, Quip Films by Bartlett. Additionally she has written for Hallmark Cards, Inc. and worked as a Bay Area lyricist/melody writer. Her grandparents are interred at Holy Cross.
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We hope to see you!
***Saturday, Nov. 10th, 2-4pm***
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