Pushing on with “The Great L.A. Gravecation of 2011 Revisited” series of articles. The next installment is about Westminster Memorial Park, which is in Westminster, CA. Geographically speaking, located a few blocks to the north is the Garden Grove Freeway, located about a block to the west is the I-405/San Diego Freeway. Facing east you will find Beach Blvd, to the south is Bolsa Ave, facing west you will find Hoover St., and finally north you will face Hazard Ave.

Westminster Memorial Park sign. Photo from Find A Grave

The History:

Most of the terrain that cover the picturesque views Orange County, California is known for. Used to be inhabited by Spanish ranchos, dairy farms, fruit & citrus orchards, along with various family homesteads. As time went on and more people from various ethnic backgrounds started relocating to the area. The ranchos, farms, orchards, and small homesteads, were replaced with sprawling tree-lined residential subdivisions, shopping meccas, various businesses, a thriving school system, among other amenities. One of the neighborhoods you will find nestled in suburban Westminster is the “Little Saigon” neighborhood. This hamlet of Asian markets, restaurants, and other shops, boasts the largest Vietnamese community in America.

Behind the gated tranquil confines of Westminster Memorial Park. You will stroll along 150 acres, of beautiful manicured lawns, an overabundance of various miniature waterfalls, and a vibrant small lake, which is the home to many wildlife species. As your strolling along this tranquil godly acre, you will no doubt visualize the palm trees, swaying in the wind, or the aroma of olives growing on nearby trees. There are over 1300 tree varietals planted in this memorial park. The sections are a representation of names reflecting:  Four Seasons, Memories, Pines, Good Shepherd, Apostles, among others. There are also various columbarium’s (where cremains are stored), and mausoleum buildings.

The Tour:

Joining me at Westminster Memorial Park, was my good friend and Orange County based grave hunter Terry Myers. While there isn’t a large representation of celebs, and athletes buried in Westminster Memorial Park. Compared to say the Forest Lawn conglomeration, Westwood Memorial Park, or even Hollywood Forever. There is a decent amount of well-known personalities, whose names you might recognize. Before we begin with the grand tour I invite you to check out the Westminster Memorial Park, Find A Grave page to get the 411 on the personalities buried there. Or if you’re a bookworm like me, a very good well-rounded alternative to Find A Grave, is the highly informative grave hunting literary work “Final Resting Places: Orange County’s Dead & Famous” by Michael Thomas Barry. You can buy this book at your local book store or the website Amazon.

While I can’t recall who Terry, and I found first. I’m just going to go over the rather short list in alphabetical order. I’m also going to throw together a concise overview on other people who live peacefully in this beautiful memorial park, who Terry, and I didn’t get a chance to find. So lets begin.

Neal Leslie Frederick portrait photo. From Find A Grave

First on the list is American motion picture cinematographer Neal Leslie Fredericks. Raised in Newport Beach, CA, Fredericks is mostly known for the cinematography work he did on the American psychological horror film The Blair Witch Project, the film received high accolades by critics because the cinematographers on the film utilized the distinctive Cinéma vérité style of camera techniques. Fredericks other film credits include but is not limited to Dreamers, Killer Me, The Stonecutter, Erosion, The Burkittsville 7, Abominable, and CrossBones. While filming aerial footage for the film CrossBones, the Cessna 206 aircraft, Fredericks, and the films writer/director Daniel Zirilli were traveling in crashed into the sea below, after encountering engine trouble. Out of the five people aboard the aircraft, Fredericks was the only one who didn’t survive. If your interested in checking out the films this promising cinematographer was involved with, I invite you to check out his page on the IMDb website.

Next up is another cinematographer Loyal Allen Griggs. Born in 1906 Griggs got his start in the motion picture industry in the mid 1920’s, during the silent era, as an assistant in the special effects department at Paramount Pictures. During his highly productive, & storied career he was a camera operator for thirty years, before being promoted to director of photography. In 1953 he won an Academy Award in Cinematography for the film “Shane” In 1978 Griggs passed away at his home from unknown causes. If your interested in checking out the versatile projects Griggs was an integral member of I invite you to check out his IMDb page.

The next person on the list of gravesites Terry, and I checked out was that of Brad Nowell who was the lead singer of the Southern California based musical group “Sublime“. The band formed in Long Beach, CA in 1988, the line-up of Sublime included drummer Bud Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson. After the band formed, the trio began to play at parties, small clubs, and other small venues. In 1992 the band independently released the album “40 Oz. To Freedom,” in 1994 Sublime released another album “Robbin’ The Hood.” On May 25, 1996 while the band was on tour in Northern California, Nowell tragically lost his life after suffering from a heroin overdose. If your interested in learning about Nowell’s life, I invite you to visit his biography on the Wikipedia website.

The last graveside Terry, and I checked out was that of Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth Lee Worley. Worley served in the United States Marine Corps, at the time of his death his rank was that of Lance Corporal. Worley was an orphan in his youth, who was eventually raised by Don and Rose Feyerherm who resided in Modesto. In June of 1967 Worley enlisted in the Marine Corps. After basic training Worley was deployed for combat to the Republic of Vietnam and was Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On August 12th 1968 while serving as a machine gunner Worley was killed in action, saving five fellow Marines in the process, and was thus awarded the Medal of Honor. Worley’s Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Machine Gunner with Company L, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division in action against enemy forces in the Republic of Vietnam. After establishing a night ambush position in a house in the Bo Ban Hamlet of Quang Nam Province, security was set up and the remainder of the patrol members retired until their respective watch. During the early morning hours of 12 August 1968, the Marines were abruptly awakened by the platoon leader’s warning that “Grenades” had landed in the house. Fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions, Lance Corporal Worley, in a valiant act of heroism instantly threw himself upon the grenade nearest him and his comrades, absorbing with his own body, the full and tremendous force of the explosion. Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved his comrades from serious injury and possible loss of life although five of his fellow Marines incurred minor wounds as the other grenades exploded. Lance Corporal Worley’s gallant actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

To Close:

So that pretty much covers who Terry, and I found at Westminster Memorial Park. Out of the eighteen personalities ranging from politicians, athletes, celebs, and a Medal of Honor recipient. Terry and I just found one musician, a hand full of celebs, and the lone Medal of Honor recipient. I wasn’t really interested in the politicians, or the athletes. Over all it was a great day, after Terry, and I went to Westminster, we cruised over to Melrose Abbey Memorial Park, which I chronicled the other day. The next blog article I plan on writing, is a revisited recap on Pacific View Memorial Park cemetery which is in Corona del Mar, CA.

On a final note if your interested in learning more about Westminster Memorial Park, or any cemetery in Orange County, California. The book I highly recommend you pick up is “Final Resting Places: Orange County’s Dead & Famous” by Michael Thomas Barry. This book is THE definitive guide to pretty much any celebrity, athlete, politician, & military figure buried in Orange County. Most of what is in the book is not listed online.

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