Turlock Memorial Park is a destination where history and reflection intertwine, creating more than just a resting place for those who have passed. It is enriched with local history, its stories etched onto the memorials on the well-tended grounds. CemeTours offers a unique opportunity to dive into the history of those who have shaped Turlock in the peaceful scenery of the park.

On Sept. 15, CemeTours provided a tour of the park, with each stop unveiling captivating stories about the people and events that helped shape Turlock. The park is located at 575 N Soderquist Rd, where tour guide David Seymour led tourists who were able to explore the rich history contained within the grounds.

David Seymour is the executive director of the McHenry Museum and Historical Society, which covers historical sites throughout Stanislaus County. He also happens to be a professor at Modesto Junior College where he teaches history.

The Historical Society wishes to give these tours often as Halloween is coming up, creating a fun way to connect with history.

Seymour discusses how he ended up giving cemetery tours stating, “Well, I run a historical society, and cemeteries are part of it. Our current president of the Historical Society is a mortician at Allen Mortuary. Unfortunately he couldn’t make it today, but this is his bag and it connects him as well.”

Seymour talks about his hopes for what participants will take away from the experience.

“To be able to appreciate their community more and want to continue to pass on history,” he says. “The love of history and the love of one’s community only continues if the generations that are here pass it on to the younger ones, to pass it on again. Which I find to be a somewhat dying art.”

Throughout the tour David Seymour and the group utilized Turlock’s cemetery website to find the many different graves talked about by using their “cemetery search.” Which allows you to enter the name of a deceased, and it will provide you the plot of where they are buried and how to get there via google maps. If you would like to find the same graves that the tour group visited, you can use it at their website.

The city we know today would not have been made possible without the help of the Porters. We have them to thank for naming our lovely city, and opening its first post office.

“John Mitchell founded Turlock, but the reason Turlock has its name is because of the Porters: Florence Lander Porter and her husband Stephen V Porter. Turlock basically got its name because they’re the ones who submitted the name ‘Turlock’ to the United States Government. They had also started the city’s first post office,” says Seymour.

Joe Debely was a football, track and golf coach at Turlock High School from 1933-1941 and 1946-1953. He is considered a local legend, due to his accomplished 20-year coaching career, and they honored him by naming Turlock High School’s stadium after him.

“There he is. Turlock’s big sports guy, Joe Debely. The stadiums named after him there at Turlock High School,” Seymour says before breaking into a laugh. “My father used to always say that he remembers going into the locker room, and he’d be sitting there naked in the shower. That’s something I don’t ever want to think about again.”

John H. Pitman was a former principal and superintendent of the Turlock High School District for twenty years from January 1, 1947 to June 1966. To commemorate his memory they named the newer John H. Pitman high school after him, which opened its doors in 2002.

“The Pitmans are right over here,” Seymour says, “Pitman High School was actually named after John H. Pitman who worked here at Turlock High School as a principal and superintendent.”

Dave Stevens was a famous American illustrator and comic artist who was most well known for creating the character and comic strip of the same name, The Rocketeer, which eventually was picked up and released as a film by Walt Disney Studios in 1991.

“There is a website that puts famous people here, and we actually have a cartoonist buried here named Dave Stevens who wrote the comic strip, The Rocketeer,” explains Seymour.

John William Mitchell founded the city of Turlock on December 22, 1871. He was a prominent grain farmer who owned over 100,000 acres of land. At the time of his death, he had no wife or children.

“Over here, the grave you really want to see is the founder of Turlock John Mitchell,” Seymour says. “Actually, the land we are currently standing on, John Mitchell owned. All of that land, all the way to almost Modesto. Mitchell Road was named after John Mitchell himself, seeing as he founded Turlock.”

Jazmin Sanchez-Garcia (Veterinary Technician, Sophomore) is a student at Modesto Junior College who came with a friend to tour the memorial. She claims that while it was not her first time visiting the memorial, it was her first time on a tour of this sort.

“The cemetery is very well kept and the overall atmosphere of the tour made me feel welcome! It was nice to meet new people who were interested in Turlock’s history,” she says.

After the tour, Garcia expressed how fun the tour was as she was able to hear the history behind those who assisted in building Turlock into the town it is today.

“My favorite part of the tour was looking at names and pictures of those who have passed,” she says. “It gave me a sense of who made up the community before me. I don’t have any family members who are buried in Turlock, but it made me feel closer to this town nonetheless.”

Another tourist who was experiencing this sort of thing for the first time was Fernando Hernandez. He attended with his daughter and was interested in learning something about the dead. He claimed his favorite part was listening to the many stories the tour guide had to tell.

When asked what he found most interesting he said, “The Mitchell Family History, and learning that the Mitchell Family owned almost all of Turlock and Modesto.”

The Historical Society hosts many events throughout the year, exploring the unique history that Stanislaus County has to offer. Their events are free so anyone can attend. If you have a love for history, these events might be for you. Any future tours or historical events can be seen on the McHenry Museum website.