Friends of Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries

10/16/2026

There's still time to sign up for the WWHC tour of the Stubblefield Cemetery on Friday, October 23! To enroll, go to

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05/13/2026

Thanks to generous donations received through the Valley Giving Guide, WWHC was able to purchase GPS equipment, which we recently tested out at the Stubblefield Cemetery! This equipment will help us to log all monuments and artifacts found, eventually creating a map.

01/31/2026

There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to restoring an historic cemetery. Especially if historical records have been lost or yet to be discovered. One of the unknowns about Stubblefield Cemetery is the location of the original entrance. It is thought to have been located at the south end of the cemetery off Foster Road although no documentation has been uncovered to confirm its location.

Shown below is a scan from the 1909 WW County Atlas and you will find a small cross in Section 31 (left-hand bottom corner) above the Green Investment Co. The cross identifies the location of the cemetery but, of course, no road.

Do you have memories of visiting the cemetery and do you remember how you gained access?

01/11/2026

In Steve Skafte’s book “The Dead Die Twice: Abandoned Cemeteries of Novia Scotia”, he writes, “Abandoned cemeteries are like stories read backwards. I almost always find the finale first, creaking coda to a forest full of sorrow. Pushing deeper takes me nearer the beginning, until I stumble over where it started.”

You never know what you might find in an abandoned cemetery, but in Stubblefield Cemetery we find lots of headstone fragments. You might find the base of a stone broken halfway off leaving the occupant of the grave unknown, or you might find the top of a stone with a name and date of birth but no clue to when the person died. Vandalism has left so many graves with no stones, no names, no stories.

01/05/2026

Thank you to all of those who donated to WWHC via the Valley Giving Guide. We surpassed our goal to raise enough money to purchase GIS/GPS equipment for mapping the property and are grateful for the generosity of community members.

Stay tuned to this FB page for more stories about Stubblefield Cemetery and other abandoned burial grounds in Walla Walla County.

12/30/2025

Greetings,
Tomorrow is the last day to participate in the Walla Walla Valley Giving Guide for 2025 and I am writing to ask you to consider making a gift to Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries.

Our current efforts to restore historic Stubblefield Cemetery are moving along but like many small nonprofits, we operate on a shoestring. We incur expenses in maintaining property and cleaning of headstones, and this year, our goal is to purchase GPS equipment to map the graves and artifacts we've uncovered. This will allow us to create a digital map to track what we have found and provide insights as to where we might uncover the resting places of other early pioneers buried there between 1863 and 1920.

A gift of any size will help! To make a gift, click on the link below and join others who have already donated to Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries:
https://www.valleygivingguide.org/organizations/walla-walla-historic-cemeteries

With warmest regards,
Nancy Mitchell, WWHC Secretary and Stubblefield Cemetery Project Leader
WWHC Board Members include: Sarah Davies, Dan Clark, Sherilyn Jacobson, Bob Carson, Heidi Postlewait, Robert McKinney

12/12/2025

The Stubblefield Cemetery was established by John Saling, who came to Walla Walla from Missouri in 1859 along the Oregon Trail, and claimed a homestead here that year. The original cemetery was known as the Saling Cemetery. Later Joseph Stubblefield, a member of the Saling Cemetery Association, left a trust to support the cemetery, and the name was changed to Stubblefield Cemetery. The first burial was that of Andrew Morgan, a neighboring farmer, in 1863. The burial was Kristy Sornson, wife of Bror Sornson in 1920.

12/02/2025

Greetings,
The 2025 Valley Giving Guide is now available for you to make a donation to Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries.

Our mission is to restore and preserve historic cemeteries in Walla Walla County. Our current focus is on Stubblefield Cemetery, a pioneer burial ground abandoned, vandalized and forgotten.

Please consider making a gift to help us bring this beautiful site back to life. A gift in any amount can make a difference. Thank you!

https://www.valleygivingguide.org/organizations/walla-walla-historic-cemeteries

11/28/2025

In April 2024, Bob Carson and Gordon Hesse, two volunteers for WWHC, were working to clear debris in the rock enclosure. Over the decades, leaves, broken branches, soil and tumble weeds had drifted into a corner of the enclosure. Bob’s shovel struck what he thought was a rock, but it turned out to be the headstone of Thomas E. Stubblefield. He was one of seven children of Frances Sr. and Adeline Stubblefield lost in an epidemic. Thomas lived only two months from October 1-November 30, 1892.

11/26/2025

Greetings,
As the 2025 Walla Walla Valley Giving Guide is launched, we hope you will consider making a gift to Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries.

Our mission is to protect and maintain historic cemeteries in Walla Walla County. Our current focus is the restoration of Stubblefield Cemetery. We are working to restore dignity to this quiet place where early pioneers are buried and rediscover their forgotten stories.

Your donations will help us with maintenance and allow us to purchase GIS/GPS equipment so that we can create a digital map of the burials.

Thank you for considering WWHC in your list of organizations to support via the WW Valley Giving Guide.

Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries Board of Directors
https://www.valleygivingguide.org/organizations/walla-walla-historic-cemeteries