Why I visited the Columbarium

My interest about the Columbarium was peeked when I learned about the Cemetery relocation in San Francisco in the 1930s. When I found out a piece of Odd Fellows Cemetery still remained I was hooked. I'm a little bit morbid and was curious to see the cremated urns of San Franciscans from over 100 years ago. I had read an up on the site before deciding to visit and read that people really enjoyed the Emmitt Watson's tour, so I called to see when the tours were. I must admit it took the Columbarium a few days for the Columbarium to return my call, but it was worth it. Besides once I visited the Columbarium I found the staff to be genuine and courteous. They take pride in their work and it shows in every hello, smile, and gesture.

Q & A with Emmitt Watson

Q: How long have you been with the Neptune Society?

A: "I'll be 54 soon, so...23 years."

Q: Why did you take this job and what does it entail?

A: He said, "Survival", plain and simple. He began working with three other men on the restoration of the outside of the Columbarium. One day, the owner approached him and asked Emmitt, if he'd work like a job. Emmitt had no idea was the job was, but he said "yes" anyways. It wasn't until later that he found out what the building was for and that the dead inhabited it.

Q: Why wasn't the Columbarium demolished along with the rest of Odd Fellows Cemetery?

A: "It was saved by the Homestead Act of 1934, so they (demolishers) couldn't touch it."

Q: Do you have a favorite place at the Columbarium?

A: "Every spot is my favorite."

Q: What's one memory you have from working here?

A: For the record Emmitt has many funny memories from working at The Columbarium. My personal favorite was when he described being frightened by a

motion censored Santa Claus placed next to an urn in the Notus room. He said after recovering from his heart attack, he proceeded to trick other staff members into walking past the Santa and scaring the crap out of them. Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A: Emmitt very much enjoys the relatives of the deceased who come to visit. He thinks of the residents and their relatives as his own family. When he talks about his family at the columbarium he speaks with warmth and love. He also enjoys making his folks laugh and he definitely knows how to keep his tour groups in stitches.

Emmitt: "No other cemetery will make you laugh like this one."

(He is extremely lively and entertaining,Despite the seriousness of this photo.)

Getting There

Google maps estimated that it would take 45 minutes to an hour and a half to arrive at the Columbarium. My Aunt and I left at 10:30 am to fill up on gas and we're on our way by 10:45 am. The drive only took us about 45 minutes and put us at the site at 11:30am. The tour didn't start until 1 pm, so we walked down Geary in search of lunch. We ate at The Coffee Break Cafe, a lovely cafe that makes scrumptious Sandwiches, pastries, and coffee. We headed back to the Columbarium at about 12:30 pm to arrive on time for our tour. We stepped into the Columbarium office at 5 minutes to 1 and waited for our tour guide. The office was sweet; literally, there was a bowl of sugar high candies, a machine that made coffee, tea, hot coco, equipped with creamer, whip cream, and all sorts of free goodies. I helped myself to a few sour straws. Emmitt Watson, our tour guide, entered 10 minutes after us and informed us that the rest of our group would be a little late. The tour was delayed until 1:30pm, when 10 senior citizens entered and we were seated in the middle of the first floor. Emmitt began the tour by telling the history of the Columbarium, while passing around a black and white photo of the original Odd Fellows Cemetery. He then explained his personal history with the Columbarium.

There are for 4 levels in the Columbarium: the first two floors contained 8 rooms each that were all names pertaining to Greek and Roman mythology. The First floor's rooms were named after mythological winds and the second floor's rooms were named after constellations, before walking about all 16 rooms, Emmitt treated the group to stories about the individual residents of Columbarium and about the memorabilia with the urns. The stories Emmitt told were actually pretty hilarious, he had us laughing most of the time; that was when we weren't mesmerized by the beauty and glamour of the building and urns. As we moved from room to room, Emmitt showed us the urns that went with each story and memories of the people who visited the building. He even showed us his own niche, reserved for his ashes. Emmitt described the condition of the mausoleum before the restoration and to give the visitors a sense of how run down the building was he left an urn that was not restored. The tour ended in the office of the Columbarium after visiting the second floor. A lovely staff member name Mary Regan was waiting in the office to pass out packets of information about the Columbarium, which included articles, photos and a registration form for available places in the Columbarium. After the tour group dispersed, we took it upon ourselves explore the rest of the floors. I highly recommend visiting the Columbarium of San Francisco and that you walk about every floor to really absorb the genuine history of the building. This experience is truly one of a kind and it was one of the most memorable and surprisingly funny days I've ever had.

History

The Neptune Society SF Columbarium is a historical non-secular mausoleum, a resting place for those who are cremated. The Columbarium was opened in 1898 and was originally a part of San Francisco's Odd Fellows Cemetery established in November of 1865. The Odd Fellows cemetery was founded by the Odd Fellows Society, a group that formed in the 1700's and whose mission was to help those in need. The Cemetery stretched across 167 acres and when established was outside of the San Francisco city limits; however, the land's city limits were moved past the cemetery. The Cemetery was torn apart in the early 1930's, along with four other SF cemeteries, to make room for the Bay Area's steadily growing population. The burials were relocated to Greenlawn Cemetery and all that was left standing of Odd Fellows Cemetery was the Columbarium. Following the 1930's, the mausoleum had a variety of owners and during that time steadily began to depreciate. The Columbarium was abandoned and uncared for. It wasn't until 1979 when it first came under the care of The Neptune Society of Northern California that the building was restored. In 1996, the site was decreed a San Francisco Landmark and has been a thriving facility since its restoration. The urns of the building hold many infamous and beloved San Franciscans, such as the mother of Carlos Santana, Chet Helms and Harvey Milk.