San Fernando Mission Cemetery facts for kids

The San Fernando Mission Cemetery is a special place where people who have passed away are laid to rest. It is a Catholic cemetery located in the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles, California. You can find it right next to the historic San Fernando Mission and Bishop Alemany Catholic High School.

This cemetery has been around for a very long time, since 1797! It is owned and managed by the Los Angeles Archdiocese, which is a big organization that helps run Catholic churches and services in the area. A place called Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary, which helps families with funeral arrangements, is also on the cemetery grounds.

The San Fernando Mission Cemetery is still actively used today. It offers different ways for people to be buried, like in the ground or in special buildings called mausoleums. These options are mainly for people of the Catholic faith and their families. When you visit, remember that pets, picnics, and photography are not allowed on the grounds. This helps keep the cemetery a peaceful and respectful place.

Art and History at the Cemetery

Beautiful Mosaics by Isabel Piczek

Inside one of the buildings at the cemetery, there are four amazing artworks called mosaics. These were created by a talented artist named Isabel Piczek. Mosaics are pictures made from many small pieces of colored glass or stone. Isabel Piczek was known for her religious art, and two of these mosaics are dated 1963 and 1964. They add a touch of beauty and history to the cemetery.

Famous People Buried Here

Many interesting people are buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery. Some of them were actors, musicians, and inventors who made a big impact during their lives. Here are a few of the notable people you might recognize:

• Edward Arnold (1890–1956), a well-known actor.
• William Bendix (1906–1964), another famous actor.
• Walter Brennan (1894–1974), an actor who won many awards.
• Jerry Colonna (1904–1986), an actor and comedian.
• Chuck Connors (1921–1992), a popular actor and baseball player.
• Lee de Forest (1873–1961), a brilliant scientist and engineer who invented important things like the triode, which helped develop radio and television.
• William Frawley (1887–1966), an actor known for his roles in TV shows.
• George Gobel (1919–1991), a famous actor and comedian.
• Peter Graves (1926-2010), an actor known for his roles in movies and TV.
• Bob Hope (1903–2003), a very famous actor, comedian, and entertainer. His wife, Dolores Hope (1909–2011), a singer, is also buried here.
• Clarence Nash (1904–1985), the voice actor who created the voice for Donald Duck!
• William H. Parker (1905–1966), who was the police chief of Los Angeles for many years.
• William Perkins (1947–1967), a brave Marine who received the Medal of Honor.
• Penny Singleton (1908–2003), an actress who was also the first female president of an AFL–CIO union.
• Ritchie Valens (1941–1959), a talented singer and songwriter who was very popular in the 1950s.
• Jane Wyatt (1910–2006), an actress known for her roles in TV and movies.