The story of the historic Dundee Pioneer Cemetery is recorded in legal documents and gathered from oral histories.
It is located on a hilltop in Dundee, Oregon on what is now Viewmont Drive. Valley views and ancient Oregon oak trees are features visitors appreciate today.
The earliest known burial is Jacob Shuck, born January 17, 1784 and died January 18, 1855.
The tale is that Mr. Shuck walked to the top of the hill and, while resting under a tree, told a passerby that was where he’d like to be buried.
As part of the Donation Land Claim Act, the land was owned by Mr. Shuck and his friend Mr. Ramsey. They traveled to Oregon together on the same wagon train, and are both buried there, as are many family members.
Burials were free for many years and the graves are not plotted in lines of any sort. Some early graves are assumed to be lost, as wooden markers were sometimes used.
In 1900, a cemetery adjacent to the original graveyard was platted and Articles of Incorporation filed as the Dundee Cemetery Association. Today these two properties are combined and owned by the non-profit Dundee Pioneer Cemetery, Incorporated.
The Dundee Pioneer Cemetery was officially declared an Oregon Pioneer Cemetery by the Oregon Historic Cemeteries Association, Inc. on May 8, 2001.
As an active cemetery, it is licensed by the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board, (971-673-1500).