The History Museum of Hood River County Presents Cemetery Tales 2022
By Erica Roulier
The History Museum of Hood River County is proud to present Cemetery Tales 2022, featuring people who lived in Hood River County and the Gorge and were connected to music.
The documentary-style video from award-winning director/producer/writer team Joe Garoutte and Michael Friend will portray a diverse cast of characters from different cultures, backgrounds and time periods. From barbershop quartet members Maltie Dukes and Harry DeWitt in the early 1900s to mariachi musician Benigno Lopez in the recent past, with violinist/ conductor Dorothy McCormick, the Swiss Family Fraunfelders and others in between.
This is the first Cemetery Tales to include a segment in Spanish with English subtitles.
The video also portrays Japanese-American Nisei WWII veteran George Akiyama, to coincide with the dedication of the Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway (Hwy 35) in August and the current History Museum exhibit, A Long Road to Travel. While not a musician himself, George was honored with an original piece by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, about his experience returning to Hood River after the war.
A premiere screening and museum fundraiser will be held on Friday, September 30, 7pm, at the Bingen Theater.
Tickets are $20 for adults or $15 for students and will include refreshments and a cast talk back after the screening. Tickets can be purchased ahead from the museum’s website (www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org) or at the door.
Cemetery Tales 2022 will also be available for online streaming anytime, starting September 30, through October 9. Tickets for the video on demand can be found at the museum’s website www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/cemetery-tales or bit.ly/3L43Ap8
About Cemetery Tales
In 2021 the History Museum created the first video version of the beloved Cemetery Tales program. It was enjoyed by online viewers, at in-person screenings with cast talk backs, and shown to folks at senior living facilities and middle school students. Teachers at Hood River Middle School plan to use the video for years to come as part of their WWII Japanese internment curriculum. In May, 2022 the video won a Silver Telly Award. The video is available to watch for free now on YouTube: find the link on the museum's website (www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org) or search YouTube for "Cemetery Tales 2021."
For more information, email info@hoodriverhistorymuseum.org or call 541-386-6772.
Thank you to our Cemetery Tales 2022 business sponsors: Akiyama Financial Services, Stave & Stone Wine Estates, Neil Watanabe DMD, Copper West Real Estate, Hood River Lions, Hood River Valley Leos, Don Nunamaker Realtors, Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, Best Western Plus Hood River Inn, Hood River Hobbies, Apland Jewelers, Ackerman Orchards and Jafra Cosmetics.
About the History Museum of Hood River County
The History Museum is a vibrant center for engaging all people in a better understanding of the community’s heritage that preserves the past, relates it to the present and shapes our future. Led by the non-profit Hood River County Heritage Council, the Museum brings the region’s past and present to life through permanent displays, temporary exhibitions, and programs.
This beautiful place along the Columbia River has provided a home for successive peoples and generations. Their intriguing stories and struggles are told through a collection of artifacts, including art, decorative arts, costumes, photographs, tools, agricultural and sporting equipment, and archival documents. From Indigenous baskets and beadwork to the first windsurfing board, the diverse holdings of the museum mirror the area’s diverse people and their interests. The vintage photograph collection of over 20,000 items is a strong part of the collection which can be enjoyed by all online at historichoodriver.com.
Visitor Information
The History Museum of Hood River County is open Monday-Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. Admission is $5, free for children 10 and under and currently serving military personnel and families. The Museum is located at 300 E. Port Marina Drive, Hood River, OR 97031. For further information, call 541.386.6772, email info@hoodriverhistorymuseum.org ro visit www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org.
