Editing Colma, California (section)

==History==
The community of Colma was formed in the 19th century as a collection of homes and small businesses along [[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]] and the adjacent [[San Francisco and San Jose Railroad]] line. Several churches, including Holy Angels Catholic Church, were founded in these early years. The community founded its own fire district, which serves the unincorporated area of Colma north of the town limits, as well as the area that became a town in 1924.

Heinrich (Henry) von Kempf moved his wholesale nursery here in the early part of the 20th century, from the land where the Palace of Fine Arts currently sits. The business was growing, and thus required more space for von Kempf's plants and trees. Von Kempf then began petitioning to turn the Colma community into an agricultural township. He succeeded and became the town of Colma's first treasurer.

In the early 20th century, Colma was the site of many major [[boxing]] events. Middleweight world champion [[Stanley Ketchel]] fought six bouts at the Mission Street Arena in Colma, including two world middleweight title bouts against [[Billy Papke]] and a world heavyweight title bout against [[Jack Johnson (boxer)|Jack Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=009028&cat=boxer|title=Stanley Ketchel - Boxer|website=Boxrec.com|date=October 15, 1910|access-date=July 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518100852/http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=009028&cat=boxer|archive-date=May 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{wide image|colma-california-panoramic1w.jpg|1200px|A [[Panorama|panoramic]] view of Colma, California, looking down from [[San Bruno Mountain]]}}

{{anchor|cemetery relocations}}

===San Francisco cemetery relocations===

Colma became the site for numerous cemeteries after San Francisco outlawed new interments within its city limits in 1900, then evicted most existing cemeteries in 1912. In the 1910s, many of the roads to Colma were not maintained.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Wells|first=Madeline|date=October 14, 2021|title='Sworn to secrecy': Ex-employees say The Chapel's ghost was real|url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Haunted-Chapel-SF-venue-ghost-girl-video-not-hoax-16527965.php|url-status=live|access-date=October 14, 2021|website=SFGATE|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014112334/https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Haunted-Chapel-SF-venue-ghost-girl-video-not-hoax-16527965.php |archive-date=October 14, 2021 }}</ref> Bodies were transported by street cars in San Francisco down [[Valencia Street]] in the [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]]; which resulted in many mortuaries and funeral homes in this location for quick access to Colma.<ref name=":0" /> Approximately 150,000 bodies were moved between 1920 and 1941, at a cost of $10 per grave and marker. Many of the remains in Colma came from the [[Lone Mountain Cemetery]] complex. Those for whom no one paid the fee were reburied in mass graves, and the markers were recycled in various San Francisco public works.<ref name=Branch /> Some examples include drain gutters at Buena Vista Park and bolstering breakwater near the [[St. Francis Yacht Club]]. They can be seen at low tide on Ocean Beach.<ref name=Branch /> The completion of the relocation was delayed until after [[World War II]]. The [[San Francisco and San Jose Railroad|main rail line]] between San Francisco and [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] running through Colma had been bypassed by the [[Bayshore Cutoff]], completed in 1907 and providing a route closer to the [[San Francisco Bay]] shoreline, and the former main line was repurposed as a branch line to move coffins to Colma. Decades later, the right-of-way for the branch line through Colma was purchased by [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] for use in the [[San Francisco International Airport]] extension project.<ref name=Branch />

An early effort to incorporate in 1903 was condemned by the ''[[San Francisco Call]]'' as "a scheme whereby the town of Colma is to be made a plague spot of vice" to benefit gamblers and crooked politicians.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19030812.2.7 |title=Blacklegs seek to make Town of Colma a plague spot of gambling hells |date=August 12, 1903 |newspaper=San Francisco Call |access-date=September 6, 2023}}</ref> The Town of '''Lawndale''' was incorporated in 1924,<ref name=Branch>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/sports/football/the-town-of-colma-where-san-franciscos-dead-live.html |title=The Town of Colma, Where San Francisco's Dead Live |author=Branch, John |date=February 5, 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DNL19240802.2.6 |title=Lawndale will become a city |date=August 2, 1924 |newspaper=Daily News Leader |location=San Mateo |access-date=September 6, 2023}}</ref> primarily at the behest of the cemetery owners with the cooperation of the handful of residents who lived closest to the cemeteries. The residential and business areas immediately to the north continued to be known as Colma. As another California city named [[Lawndale, California|Lawndale]] already existed, in [[Los Angeles County]], the post office retained the Colma designation, and the town changed its name back to Colma in 1941.<ref name=Branch />

[[File:Colma – cemetery city – aerial.jpg|thumb|center|upright 2|Aerial view of Colma, from the south; San Francisco is visible in the distance at upper right and [[Interstate 280 (California)|I-280]] runs north in the lower left corner. The prominent rectangular green space in the foreground is the western campus of [[Cypress Lawn Memorial Park]], acquired in the early 1900s.]]

===Notable interments===
{{OSM Location map
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 |mark-coord1 ={{Coord|37.6847|-122.4662}}
 |mark-title1 =[[Colma station|Colma (BART)]]
 |mark-image1 =Colma station from parking garage, March 2018.JPG
 |mark-description1 =Colma was opened in 1996 as part of the [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] extension to [[San Francisco International Airport]]

 |mark-coord2 ={{Coord|37.6838|-122.4581}} |shape-color2 =#080
 |mark-title2 =[[Japanese Cemetery (Colma, California)|Japanese Cemetery]]
 |mark-image2 =咸臨丸水夫（源之助･富蔵･峰吉）の墓 - panoramio.jpg
 |mark-description2 =The Japanese Cemetery is a nondenominational memorial park founded in 1901, with internments of Buddhist, Shinto, and Christian faiths.

 |mark-coord3 ={{Coord|37.6814|-122.4643}} |shape-color3 =#080
 |mark-title3 =[[Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Colma, California)|Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery]]
 |mark-image3 =Woodlawn Memorial Park 3.jpg
 |mark-description3 =Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery was founded in 1905 and includes internments relocated from the former [[Masonic Cemetery (San Francisco, California)|Masonic Cemetery]] in San Francisco.

 |mark-coord4 ={{Coord|37.6797|-122.4607}} |shape-color4 =#080
 |mark-title4 =Eternal Home Cemetery
 |mark-image4 =Eternal Home Cemetery, Colma California 4.jpg
 |mark-description4 =Eternal Home Cemetery was founded in 1901, serving the Jewish community.

 |mark-coord5 ={{Coord|37.6813|-122.4596}} |shape-color5 =#080
 |mark-title5 =Italian Cemetery
 |mark-image5 =Italian Cemetery, Colma, California 7.jpg
 |mark-description5 =The entrance to Italian Cemetery is on F Street.

 |mark-coord6 ={{Coord|37.6821|-122.4562}} |shape-color6 =#d00
 |mark-title6 =Colma Historical Park and Community Center
 |mark-image6 =Colma depot building.jpg
 |mark-description6 =The former [[Southern Pacific]] depot was relocated to Colma Historical Park in 2003.

 |mark-coord7 ={{Coord|37.6826|-122.4539}} |shape-color7 =#080
 |mark-title7 =[[Olivet Gardens of Cypress Lawn Memorial Park|Olivet Gardens (Mount Olivet)]]
 |mark-image7 =Mount Olivet cemetery, Colma California.jpg
 |mark-description7 =Mount Olivet Cemetery was founded in 1896.

 |mark-coord8 ={{Coord|37.6802|-122.4505}} |shape-color8 =#080
 |mark-title8 =Serbian Cemetery
 |mark-image8 =Serbian Cemetery, Colma, California 4.jpg
 |mark-description8 =Serbian Cemetery was founded in 1901 and is open for burials from the Orthodox Christian community. Several internments were relocated from the former Serbian Cemetery, which was part of [[Lone Mountain Cemetery]] (1854) in San Francisco.

 |mark-coord9 ={{Coord|37.6778|-122.4672}} |shape-color9 =#00d
 |mark-title9 =280 Metro Center
 |mark-image9 =280 Metro Center.jpg
 |mark-description9 =280 Metro Center, which opened in 1986, is credited as one of the first [[Power center (retail)|power centers]] in California. It has {{cvt|228000|ft2}} of retail space.

 |mark-coord10={{Coord|37.6777|-122.4626}} |shape-color10=#080
 |mark-title10=Greenlawn Memorial Park and Greek Orthodox Memorial Park
 |mark-image10=Green lawn Memorial Park, Colma, California.jpg
 |mark-description10=Greenlawn Memorial Park was founded in 1904 as a non-sectarian cemetery. Burials from the [[International Order of Odd Fellows]] cemetery in San Francisco, some dating back to 1865, were relocated to a private section here in the 1930s. Greek Orthodox Memorial Park serves members of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]].

 |mark-coord11={{Coord|37.6767|-122.4583}} |shape-color11=#00d
 |mark-title11=Serramonte Boulevard / Serramonte Auto Row
 |mark-image11=Serramonte Road, the main street 2014-04-17 09-52.jpg
 |mark-description11=Serramonte Boulevard bisects Colma; the town hall and police offices are at the intersection of Serramonte and [[California State Route 82]] (El Camino Real). Many [[automobile dealership]]s lie along both sides of Serramonte between [[Junipero Serra Boulevard|Junipero Serra]] and Hillside.

 |mark-coord12={{Coord|37.6774|-122.4527}} |shape-color12=#080
 |mark-title12=[[Hills of Eternity Memorial Park]] and [[Home of Peace Cemetery (Colma, California)|Home of Peace Cemetery]]
 |mark-image12=Wyatt & Josephine Earp grave.JPG
 |mark-description12=These two adjoining cemeteries serve Jewish communities. Hills of Eternity was originally founded in 1850 for [[Congregation Sherith Israel (San Francisco, California)|Congregation Sherith Israel]] and Home of Peace was originally founded in 1860 for [[Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco, California)|Congregation Emanu-El]]; both were in San Francisco and moved to Colma in 1889.

 |mark-coord13={{Coord|37.6727|-122.4646}} |shape-color13=#00d
 |mark-title13=Serra Center
 |mark-image13=Serra Center sign, Colma, California.jpg
 |mark-description13=Serra Center is a [[Power center (retail)|power center]] that is geographically close to but distinct from the enclosed [[Serramonte Center]] shopping mall. Serra Center is anchored by a large [[Target Corporation|Target]] store.

 |mark-coord14={{Coord|37.6742|-122.4531}} |shape-color14=#080
 |mark-title14=[[Cypress Lawn Memorial Park]]
 |mark-image14=Cypress Lawn cemetery, Colma, California 11.jpg
 |mark-description14=Cypress Lawn was founded in 1892 as a non-sectarian cemetery; it has since been expanded by nearly four times its original size through land purchases and acquisitions, including the former Mount Olivet cemetery.

 |mark-coord15={{Coord|37.6677|-122.4627}} |shape-color15=#080
 |mark-title15=Hoy Sun Ning Yung Cemetery and Chinese Christian Cemetery
 |mark-image15=
 |mark-description15=The Hoy Sun Ning Yung cemetery was founded in 1898 to serve the Chinese immigrant community in San Francisco.

 |mark-coord16={{Coord|37.6724|-122.4434}} |shape-color16=#080
 |mark-title16=[[Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California)|Holy Cross Cemetery]]
 |mark-image16=Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery (Colma, California) 2.jpg
 |mark-description16=Holy Cross opened in 1887 to serve the Catholic community of San Francisco; the site is {{cvt|300|acre}}.

 |fullscreen-option=1
 |caption=Selected locations in Colma, California&nbsp;<small>{{flatlist|
* {{color box|#080|Cemeteries|#fff|border=silver}}
* {{color box|#00d|Shopping/Retail|#fff|border=silver}}
* {{color box|#dd0|Transportation|border=silver}}
* {{color box|#d00|Points of interest|#fff|border=silver}} }}</small>
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}}
Many, if not most, of the well-known people who died in San Francisco since the first cemeteries opened there have been buried or reburied in Colma, with an additional large number of such burials in [[Oakland, California|Oakland's]] [[Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California)|Mountain View Cemetery]]. Some notable people interred in Colma include:
* [[Cypress Lawn Memorial Park]]
** [[William Henry Crocker]], business magnate
** [[Charles de Young]], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' founder
** [[Phineas Gage]], famous 19th-century medical curiosity
** [[Edward Gilbert]], California politician and co-founder of the [[The Daily Alta California|''Alta California'']]
** [[William Randolph Hearst]], newspaper [[tycoon]]
** [[Ed Lee (politician)|Ed Lee]], first Asian American Mayor of San Francisco
** [[Willie McCovey]], Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
** [[John McLaren (horticulturist)|John McLaren]], horticulturist
** [[Turk Murphy]], jazz musician and bandleader
* [[Hills of Eternity Memorial Park]] and [[Home of Peace Cemetery (Colma, California)|Home of Peace Cemetery]] (side-by-side Jewish cemeteries, serving different congregations)
** [[Wyatt Earp]] is buried next to his wife, [[Josephine Marcus]] Earp<ref name=Pogash/><ref name="Roisman, Jon">{{cite web|url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/73140/local-jewish-history-comes-to-life-at-cemetery-walk/|title=Local Jewish history comes to life at cemetery walk|author=Roisman, Jon|date=November 6, 2014|work= JWeekly.com}}</ref>
** [[Julie Rosewald]], America's first female cantor<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/73140/local-jewish-history-comes-to-life-at-cemetery-walk/|title=Local Jewish history comes to life at cemetery walk|publisher=[[J. The Jewish News of Northern California]]|first=Jon|last=Roisman|access-date=November 7, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224028/http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/73140/local-jewish-history-comes-to-life-at-cemetery-walk/|archive-date=March 3, 2016|quote=Actors, many of them professional, portrayed a number of local Jewish luminaries, such as [[Levi Strauss]], [[Alice B. Toklas]] and Joshua Abraham Norton, a late 1800s San Francisco celebrity better known as “[[Emperor Norton]].” [...] notable Jews buried there, including [[Julie Rosewald]] (America’s first female cantor) and [[Josephine Earp]] (wife of famed lawman [[Wyatt Earp]], who is buried at her side). }}</ref>
** [[Levi Strauss]], denim trouser pioneer
** [[Alice B. Toklas]] is not buried in Colma, though there is a large Toklas cenotaph for her and markers there for some of her relatives<ref name="Roisman, Jon"/>
* [[Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California)|Holy Cross Cemetery]]
** [[Joseph Alioto]], San Francisco mayor
** [[Jimmy Britt]], lightweight boxer
** [[Pat Brown]], 32nd governor of California
** [[Beniamino Bufano]], sculptor, noted for peace monuments and other statues
** [[Frankie Crosetti]], [[New York Yankees]] shortstop
** [[Joe DiMaggio]], Yankees center fielder<ref name=Pogash/>
** [[Abigail Folger]], coffee heiress and [[Manson family|Manson]] murder victim
** [[Amadeo Giannini|A.P. Giannini]], [[Bank of America]] founder
** [[Vince Guaraldi]], jazz musician
** Capt. [[Michael A. Healy]], [[United States Revenue Cutter Service]] Officer, and first man of African-American descent to command a ship of the United States government.
** [[James D. Phelan]], senator
* [[Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Colma, California)|Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery]]
** [[Thomas Henry Blythe]], developer of [[Palo Verde Valley]]
** [[Henry Miller (rancher)|Henry Miller]], California cattle rancher
** [[Emperor Norton]], a late-1800s San Francisco celebrity known as "Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico"
** [[José Sarria]], LGBT political activist who styled himself "The Widow Norton" in reference to Norton<ref name="Roisman, Jon"/>
* Eternal Home Cemetery (Jewish Cemetery)
** [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]], music promoter
* Greek Orthodox Memorial Park
** [[George Christopher (mayor)|George Christopher]], San Francisco mayor
* Serbian Cemetery
** [[Boris Pash]], Russian-American [[military intelligence]] officer
** [[Gregory Udicki]], Serbian Orthodox Bishop of the Diocese of Western America 
* [[Greenlawn Memorial Park (Colma, California)|Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery]]
** [[James Rolph]], San Francisco mayor and 27th governor of California
*[[Japanese Cemetery (Colma, California)|Japanese Cemetery]] 
**[[George Shima]], businessperson