Long Beach Municipal Cemetery

1151 E Willow St, Long Beach, CA, 90755

Tombstone & Sexton Records

Compiled by: Maggie Rail
Date Compiled: June 11-12, 2002
Dates of Death Range: 1798-2002
Total Records: 2,058

Long Beach Municipal Cemetery is maintained by the City's Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. When I was there reading this cemetery on Jun 11-12, 2002, I have to say I found the cemetery in excellent condition.

This cemetery is situated just east of Sunnyside Cemetery, which is a privately owned cemetery, abutting the west side of the Municipal Cemetery. The Municipal Cemetery is the oldest and first cemetery in the city of Long Beach.

Long Beach Municipal is sometimes referred to as Signal Hill Cemetery, and I have finally found out why. Tim Thomas provided me with a copy of the Jul 06, 1914 deed from the city of Long Beach to Norman Argetsinger, for $20.00 land was granted to Norman at West 1/2 of Lot 56, Block B, for the Signal Hill Cemetery. This means the cemetery was established by Norman Argetsinger in 1914. Here is a copy of the deed. Since there are burials listed earlier than that, it is presumed it was used for burial for sometime previous to that date, some may have been moved here or Mr Argetsinger did not deed the land right away.

Information in the Questing Heirs Genealogical Society book mentioned below, says the land was donated by the Bixby Family, along with land for several parks. First burial was in 1887. All of the early burial records were lost in a fire in 1936. I have no official documents to back this up. There are many possiblilties. It would be interesting to find out when it was decided to change the name from Signal Hill Cemetery to Long Beach Municipal.

There is another story about some burials being moved from land sold to the oil company. I have found nothing concrete on this, except the records do mention some being removed, but do not say where from.

I am told that each year since 1995, the Historical Society of Long Beach sponsors a walking tour of the Municipal Cemetery around Halloween time, to help cemetery appreciation and historical preservation.

I have acquired a previous recording of this cemetery, which does not have a date of transcription. Judging from the dates, it was sometime between 1965 and 1967. This work was published in 1974 by Questing Heirs Genealogical Society, of Long Beach CA.

(*) Most of these added records appear to be from the Sexton files, with the dates being either the death or burial date. I have placed an asterisk (*) at the end of each of these entries, which means there is no marker and no photo. Information in parentheses came from a family member.

In 1936 many of the early records for this cemetery were lost by fire. Some have been and still are being replaced by researching obits and death records. This is as complete a record as I was able to create thus far. Please contact me if you find an error I should correct.

Using a digital camera I walked and read this cemetery, with some hand copying, on Jun 11, 2002. This work contains all existing and legible headstones and markers, with additions from the above mentioned work. I estimate at least 30+ were not able to be read, and there must be dozens of burial places which have no markers.

- Maggie Rail

Burial Records (Page 1 of 21)

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??, ?: b. 1830, d. 1902
??, ?: b. 1853, d. 1885
??, Charles: d. 1900
??, Myrtle: b. Jul 17 189-, d. Dec 10 1903
??, Oriental writing:
??, Our Pearl: b. Sep 06 1881, d. Jan 06 1898
??, Ruby Eleanor: can't read dates
??lly, Jay: b. May 26 1861, d. Dec 19 1901, very difficult to read
Abbott, Elizabeth Staley: b. 1837, d. 1907, s/w and w/o John
Abbott, John: b. 1830, d. 1904, s/w his wife Elizabeth, 2nd military stone, Co D, 12th Kans Inf
Abercrombie, Lawrence C: b. Mar 07 1890, d. Jan 12 1946, California Sgt Q M Corps WWI
Able, George: d. May 16 1913, bur. Jul 17, 1914, L-6 C, pottersfield *
Adair, Hazel Nona: b. 1889, d. 1958, Sister
Adams, Addie Waterman: b. 1854, d. 1925, L-80 E
Adams, Adeline L: d. May 21 1928, s/w Albert S, L-90 A
Adams, Albert B: d. Feb 20 1900, age 50yr, s/w Adeline L, L-90 A
Adams, Charles B: b. 1830, d. 1899, s/w Mary S, L-39 F
Adams, Harry W: b. 1877, d. 1963, s/w Nora L
Adams, Hattie A: b. 1858, d. 1930
Adams, James B: no dates, Capt Co C 5 MO Inf, L-80 E
Adams, Josephine: d./b. Jun 12 1931, L-59 B *
Adams, Mary S: b. 1838, d. 1906, s/w Charles B, L-39 F
Adams, Maude B: b. 1903, d. 1918
Adams, Nora L: b. 1884, d. 1969, s/w Harry W
Addy, Eva Smeltzer: b. Oct 14 1905, d. Feb 07 1936
Aikins, Esther M Cox: b. 1894, d. 1975
Aitken, Thomas H M: b. 1883, d. 1962, Beloved Father
Alexander, Henry J: b. Jan 28 1942, d. Apr 01 1997, Husband, Father and Friend
Alexander, Wilson J: b. Sep 20 1928, d. Mar 02 1997, Beloved Husband, Pops, Grandpa, Dad and Friend
Allam, Orrin S: b. 1897, d. 1911, L-78 B
Allan, Minnie B: b. 1870, d. 1904, erected by Women of Woodcraft, L-104 F
Allen, J. H.: d. 1897, L-26 F *
Allen, Mary: d. 1904, L-26 F *
Allison, Edward V: b. 1868, d. 1930
Altenburg, Bertha L: b. 1835, d. 19--, s/w William L
Altenburg, William L: b. 1871, d. 1944, s/w Bertha L
Alvarez, Infant: d./b. Jul 13 1917, pottersfield, Mexican *
Ama, Eliza: d./b. Dec 09 1918, L-? A, Mexican *
Ames, Betty Webb: b. May 26 1902, d. Mar 11 1976
Ames, Parshall M: d./b. Dec 09 1918, L-26 A *
Ames, Z: d. 1899, L-27 A *
Ammen, Mary: d./b. Nov 13 1916, pottersfield *
Anderson, Clarence: b. Sep 11 1896, d. Feb 17 1903, s/w Harriet, Esley and Daniel W, Mason, L-53 A
Anderson, Daniel W: b. Feb 1847, d. Apr 02 1924, s/w Harriet, Esley and Clarence, Mason, L-53 A
Anderson, Danniel W: d./b. Apr 1921, L-50 A *
Anderson, Elizabeth: bur. Apr 17 1918, removed from San Bernadino, L-37 B *
Anderson, Elizabeth M: d./b. 1924, L-37 B *
Anderson, Esley E: b. Nov 23 1877, d. Feb 25 1920, s/w Harriet, Daniel W and Clarence, Mason, L-53 A
Anderson, F. B.: d./b. Apr 13 1916, L-90 A *
Anderson, Frank J: b. 1877, d. 1944
Anderson, Harriet: b. Aug 27 1851, d. Nov 12 1935, s/w Daniel W, Esley and Clarence, Mason, L-53 A
Anderson, Infant: d./b. May 22 1916, pottersfield *
Anderson, T. B: d./b. Apr 13 1917, L-90 A *
Anderson, Vern R: b. Oct 27 1887, d. Jun 05 1956
Anderson, William E: d. 1912, bur Apr 17, 1918, removed from San Bernadino, L-37 B *
Andrews, Frances Porter: b. 1878, d. 1939
Andrews?, Herbert: b. 1906, d. 1915
Anglin, Anna Lee: b. 1891, d. 1977, Mother, Sister and Grandmother
Annis, Infant: d./b. Sep 14 1914, L-63 B *
Anturres, Mercedes: d./b. Nov 07 1918, pottersfield *
Apple, Mary: d./b. Nov 16 1907, L-51 B *
Argetsinger, Julia A: b. 1851, d. 1943, Mother, L-56 B
Argetsinger, Norman J: b. 1839, d. 1921, L-56 B
Armstrong, Daniel G: b. 1881, d. 1934, L-79 B
Armstrong, Harold: d. 1899, L-56 A *
Armstrong, John: d. 1908, L-56 A *
Armstrong, Lucy J: b. 1855, d. 1924, Mother, s/w William, L-79 B
Armstrong, William: b. 1850, d. 1918, Father, s/w Lucy J, L-79 B
Arroys, Armando: d./b. Nov 22 1918, pottersfield *
Arthur, R. F.: d./b. Apr 13 1912, L-41 E *
Ashworth, Infant: d./b. Jul 06 1907, L-55 A *
Ashworth, Infant: d./b. Jul 07 1907, L-25 E *
Atkins, Simon Warren: b. Aug 16 1889, d. Feb 17 1965, L-35 A
Atwater, Archie J: b. 1864, d. 1916, L-33 E
Aubin, Ernie L: b. Nov 27 1901, d. Jul 22 1904, s/o L.O.& K.L., L-9 F
Augeerus, L. L.: d./b. Jun 05 1907, L-55 A *
Austin, Albert B: b. 1876, d. 1924, L-40 B
Austin, E. H: d./b. May 22 1907, Infant, L-33 E *
Austin, Florence M: b. 1854, d. 1932
Austin, Mary E: no dates, L-40 B *
Austin, Samuel: d./b. Jul 07 1920, L-35 E *
Austin, William H: b. 1837, d. 1910, L-40 B
Avery, Infant: d./b. Aug 01 1916 *
Avila, Santis: d./b. Jun 20 1916, pottersfield D, Mexican *
Ayles, Blanche M: b. 1868, d. 1938
Ayles, Elizabeth Julia: b. May 12 1831, d. Apr 07 1904
Babb, Charles: d./b. Oct 06 1955, L-51 B *
Babb, Garnet: d./b. May 19 1914, L-51 B *
Babb, J: d./b. Sep 14 1927, L-51 B *
Babb, William H: no dates, L-51 B, stone on lot 51B, bur. Apr 14, 1950, L-50 B *
Bachman, Infant: d./b. Sep 1913, L-73 E *
Bacon, Alice M: b. 1884, d. 1905, L-31 F
Bacon, Edward M: b. 1866, d. 1945
Bacon, Harriet: b. May 17 1839, d. Feb 17 1901, w/o J.I., L-38 F
Bacon, Myrtle: b. 1892, d. 1964
Badger, Emma C: b. 1858, d. 1916, L-123 A
Bailey, Emory D: b. Aug 21 1885, d. Apr 22 1907, L-74 E
Bailey, Ivy Ada: b. 1895, d. 1953, Mother
Bailey, Lorinda: d./b. Jun 11 1930, L-74 E *
Bailey, Mrs Fannie: no dates, age 74yr, Mother