Fisher Cemetery

Schwoebel-Simmons-Knapp

8 x 10

I have been painting quite a bit of late, which is why my blog is suffering from larger than i would like gaps between postings. Last saturday i decided to spend the morning with the oldest public cemetery in Clark County, Fisher Cemetery. There is something deep, soulful and enriching about visiting cemeteries. They allow our thoughts to run rampant with the figuring out of who is buried there and how they ended up there; what is their story?

Headstones date back to the 1850's, some with beautiful carvings, some with amazing quotes, and some that are unassuming, but most possess names and dates that hit me like a sledge hammer. Why, for instance, on December 17,1903 did Clara Stamp die at the age of 24 Yrs. 6Ms. 11Ds....? and why did her mother parish the following year, while her father lived until 1920. These are questions that i just cannot put down, i have to know more. This is the essence of story telling in a most textured way.

Solomon Fisher and William Simmons established the Fisher Community in today's SE corner of Vancouver,WA along the Columbia River. There was a grade school, general store, blacksmith and a post office. Fisher built a riverboat landing where wood was sold to passing by steamboats. William Simmons donated an acre of his own land for the cemetery and named it in honor of his wife Ann J. (Fisher) Simmons.

In order to move forward, one must have balance, one must know where they have came from. In the case, where a community came from. It brings light and perspective to the senses, and frees our thoughts allowing forward progress.