CYPRESS CEMETERY

Graves in the Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery date to the 1870s.  Originally called the Cypress Cemetery, this was the burial place for important families in Southern Alameda County, including the Hellwigs, Grangers, Decotos, and Whipples, as well as those individuals who were not as well known or wealthy within the community.  A small portion of the Cemetery toward the southern end of the site originally served as the burial grounds for the Masonic Home.  There is a monument to the Masons at this location that is possibly the original Angel of Grief that was once located on the campus of Stanford University.  The Stanford Angel was damaged in the earthquake of 1906 and was replaced.  Comparison of historic photographs indicates that the Chapel of the Chimes Angel of Grief has been repaired in many of the locations where the original Stanford Angel experienced damaged.  It is possible that the Stanford Angel was given to the Masons after the earthquake.