Volunteer bringing abandoned Oregon cemetery back to life April 11 2021
James Moriarty s retirement project hacks away at overgrown brush to restore Scheel family s German Hill Cemetery.
For decades, the old German Hill Cemetery near Estacada sat unattended, hidden under a tangle of brush and vulnerable to nature s fury and vandals.
Until now.
In early February, James Moriarty, chairman of the Estacada Cemetery Maintenance District, received permission from Oregon s Commission on Historic Cemeteries to clean up and adopt the George-area cemetery northeast of town.
It s a labor of love for Moriarty. He retired a few years ago after 24 years as a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Southern California. In 2018, Moriarty moved to the rural Clackamas County town to be closer to family.
Volunteer hopes to bring old cemetery back to life April 08 2021
James Moriarty s retirement project hacks away at overgrown brush to restore Scheel family s German Hill Cemetery.
For decades, the old German Hill Cemetery near Estacada sat unattended, hidden under a tangle of brush and vulnerable to nature s fury and vandals.
Until now.
In early February, James Moriarty, chairman of the Estacada Cemetery Maintenance District, received permission from Oregon s Commission on Historic Cemeteries to clean up and adopt the George-area cemetery northeast of town.
It s a labor of love for Moriarty. He retired a few years ago after 24 years as a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Southern California. In 2018, Moriarty moved to the rural Clackamas County town to be closer to family.