Saturday Visit to Mom and Dad's Gravesite, Calvary Cemetery in East LA, August 20, 2011

This is Margaret Walgenbach, my dad's mom.  I don't know the date of the photo, but it could very well be very near her passing date.  She looks tired. 

This is the gravestone that belongs to my grandmother, my dad's mother, Margaret, who is pictured below.  

Next is Josephine's gravestone.  Josephine was my dad's only sister.  I don't know what year she was born but she was older than my dad who was born in 1914.  That inscription again was written by my dad, "Wish You Were Here."  He and his sister teased each other relentlessly, but there was no greater hero or heroine in my dad's life than his older sister.  He loved to tell the story of how she stormed out of the house one day to take on the kids who were bullying her little brother.  What a great Athena.  Looking at Josephine's date of July 26, 1953, it is a little painful to realize that Pa outlived his daughter by 13 years.  Pa passed away on August 19, 1966.  His funeral was held at St. Luke's in Temple City.  Though this marker reads "Josephine Pullman," our magnificent cousin Chuck Pullman is interred in the same plot.  As of this writing on January 3, 2012, I don't know when his name will be recorded on the marker. 

The following obituary is written by Nick Owchar, who at the time was a book reviewer for the LA Times.

PULLMAN, Charles Kevin Born Nov. 10, 1941, in Glendale, Calif., Charles Kevin Pullman died Aug. 16 in Glendora after a sudden illness. Known to all as Chuck, he was an excellent storyteller, a longtime fan of the Dodgers and the Rams, a lover of horseracing and a regular on the infield of Santa Anita. He was a beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle and cousin. His family will miss the sound of his voice, his laughter and his smile. He taught his girls to always face life's challenges with a good sense of humor. Chuck was not only the life of the party, but also a fantastic dancer and an amazing cook. He is survived by his wife, Sally; his daughters Alicia and Coco; his four grandchildren; and by a large extended family which he cherished and adored. A rosary will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at Calvary Cemetery, 4201 Whittier Blvd., in Los Angeles. A funeral mass will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Holy Angels Catholic Church, 370 Campus Drive in Arcadia. Burial will follow the mass at Calvary Cemetery.

 Josephine's gravemarker.  Notices that there's no birth date for her.  Strange.  The "Wish You Were Here" inscription is pure Dad's.

This gravestone belongs to my grandfather, my dad's dad.  You can see his dates and my dad's inscription of "We Love You, Papa."  It's that kind of sentiment that keeps my dad's memory alive.  That was one of his characteristic expressions.  I love it.

Chuck Walgenbach considering his mother's absence and her influence, her life and the life of our father's.  It was Chuck and Mei who placed the beautiful bouquet at Mom and Dad's site.  

This is the new grave marker that Dan purchased following my mother's passing.  At the left, it reads faintly "Charles W. Walgenbach / 1914-1988."  To the right, submerged beneath pooled water from the sprinklers, it reads "Sally Celestine Walgenbach / 1920-2010."  I wasn't too pleased with the marker because the previous one had a clever inscription that was Dad's own, wry though it may have been.  Dad's lettering is faint because it is not painted white as Mom's is.  I'll contact the cemetery today to tell them.  It's since been fixed.  Calvary Cemetery, looking east from Mom and Dad's gravesite.

 Calvary Cemetery, looking east from Mom and Dad's gravesite.  

 A Catholic Mausoleum.  

 The cemetery and beyond, overlooking East LA.