She died in 1876 at the age of 2 years and 10 months. But when this unsuspecting family wanted to renovate their backyard, they did not expect to find her preserved cast iron casket and mummified body. The casket had a glass window that showed her in almost perfect condition. Who was she? Why was she in their backyard?
In 2016, this family knew their Bay Area home was on top of what once was the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Matter of fact many homes in the hills of San Francisco are on former cemetery locations.
Moving the bodies
In the early 20th century, leaders of the city banned burials within the city limits. Even the burials that existed had to be moved outside the city limits. Apart from the Presidio military cemetery, a little historic cemetery at Mission Dolores and an existing columbarium (structure that holds cremated remains urns). Those are the only places you will find dead bodies within the city limits. Or is it?
When the ban came into effect, the city and families moved the dead to the necropolis of Colma just outside of the city. Colma is basically the “City of the Dead.” A city who only has about 1,600 living residents and approximately 1.5 million dead.