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Partly cloudy. High around 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 53F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.

Climer talks about the history of the cemetery and its residents, which she researches in her spare time. 

 Climer places flags on the graves of veterans as she works, keeping them conveniently in her overall pockets.

This is an example of one of the hundreds of veterans buried in the cemetery where Climer volunteers. 

Climer talks about the history of the cemetery and its residents, which she researches in her spare time. 

 Climer places flags on the graves of veterans as she works, keeping them conveniently in her overall pockets.

This is an example of one of the hundreds of veterans buried in the cemetery where Climer volunteers. 

On a hot, sunny afternoon the week before Memorial Day, the Enterprise found Gail Climer where she can often be found—at the People’s Cemetery in San Andreas with a microfiber towel in one hand, a screwdriver in the other, overall pockets stuffed with mini American flags to place on the graves. 

Climer volunteers for the cemetery district in San Andreas and spends three or four days a week caring for and cleaning the headstones of those buried in the cemetery. 

Climer, a deacon, gives special attention to the veterans in the hilltop cemetery and has created a census of the 200 buried there. She takes care to clean each of the graves, removing caked-on dirt with her screwdriver, towel, brushes and water that she brings herself. For some of the older stones, Climer uses a special biological cleaner, which she says is also used by the national park service, to remove built-up dirt and organic growth.  

Climer is familiar with not only the stones but the stories of those buried beneath them, telling the Enterprise that she researches and writes their histories in her free time. Climer says that there are veterans from the Spanish American and Civil Wars and even two female veterans buried in the cemetery, which has been in use since 1851.

“ There’s so many interesting people here, even after death,” said Climer.

While Climer is not a veteran herself, she says that she cares for these graves in the memory of her father, who was an army veteran.

“I do this because I have not had the opportunity to go down where my father is buried and do anything for him,” she said.

She is also married to a veteran and worked in law enforcement, so she is no stranger to service. Her husband, Jack, who left home to serve at age 16 and enlisted at 18, has medical issues stemming from exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. 

“He would be right here with me if he could,” said Climer.

Climer is one of only a handful of volunteers who serve on the San Andreas Cemetery District and says that the cemetery needs help. They need more hands to keep the cemetery neat and orderly, repair broken headstones, remove trash and vandalism, and maintain the landscaping—all things that Climer does now. She also hopes to get help with bringing running water to the cemetery, which would make cleaning and maintenance much easier. Until then, she’ll keep caring for the site and those buried there.

For more information or to volunteer, contact the San Andreas Cemetery District at sanandreascemetery@gmail.com.

Marie-Elena studied creative writing, art, and photography at University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating with a BA in Studio Art -Visual Media. She moved to California from Nebraska in 2019 and is happy to call Calaveras County her home.

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