A look behind the scenes while filming this year’s Cemetery Tales: Jim Yue portraying George Akiyama, with April Sampson, narrator, and Joe Garoutte, director/producer.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
This year’s production includes George Akiyama, with wife Ruth Akiyama. While not a musician himself, Akiyama was honored with an original piece by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, about his experience returning to Hood River after the war.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
A look behind the scenes while filming this year’s Cemetery Tales: Members of Los Nietos de Beni (grandsons of Benigno Lopez).
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
A look behind the scenes while filming this year’s Cemetery Tales: Ely Solis (interviewer) and Jaime Lopez (portraying his father Benigno Lopez).
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
A look behind the scenes while filming this year’s Cemetery Tales: Jim Yue portraying George Akiyama, with April Sampson, narrator, and Joe Garoutte, director/producer.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
The History Museum of Hood River County debuts its 2022 Cemetery Tales production Friday, Sept. 30, with tickets on sale now. There will also be a special screening that evening at 7 p.m. at the Bingen Theater, a fundraiser for the museum (see info box for details).
This year’s production includes musician Benigno Lopez.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
This is the second year the museum has created a video version of the long-running Cemetery Tales, a move sparked by COVID that has expanded the range of stories that can be told to all of Hood River; previously, it was a walk-through event at Idlewilde Cemetery and featured only those buried there.
This year’s production, a documentary-style video from the award-winning director, producer, and writing team of Joe Garoutte and Michael Friend again portrays a diverse cast of characters from different cultures, backgrounds and time periods in Hood River history.
The common thread to these stories is music, “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,” said a museum press release.
This year’s production includes musician Dorothy Lingren McCormick.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
This is the first Cemetery Tales to include a segment in Spanish with English subtitles.
“The video also portrays Japanese-American Nisei World War II veteran George Akiyama, to coincide with the dedication of the Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway (Highway 35) in August and the current History Museum exhibit, ‘A Long Road to Travel,’” said the press release. “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.”
This year’s production includes George Akiyama, with wife Ruth Akiyama. While not a musician himself, Akiyama was honored with an original piece by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble, about his experience returning to Hood River after the war.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
Cemetery Takes 2022 will be available for streaming online at any time starting Sept. 30 and running through Oct. 9. Tickets for video on demand can be found at the museum’s website, www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org, or at bit.ly/3L43Ap8. Options for individual or family tickets, and individual or family museum membership with tickets are available.
This year’s production includes the Passtime Quartet, with Harry DeWitt (second from left) and Maltie Dukes (far right).
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
Several live, free community screenings are planned for October and November, details to which will be available soon.
It’s worth noting that the 2021 Cemetery Tales won a Silver Telly Award, and is available on YouTube free of charge, the link for which can be found on the museum’s website, www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org. The production was also shown at senior living facilities and to middle school students; Hood River Middle School teachers continue to use the video as part of their World War II Japanese internment curriculum.
This year’s production includes members of the Swiss Family Fraunfelder, Papa, Betty and Rheiny.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
The History Museum of Hood River County engages all people in a better understanding of the community’s heritage that preserves the past, relates it to the present and shapes the 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. Its vintage photograph collection of more than 20,000 items can be viewed at historichoodriver.com.
This year’s production includes Edith Kilbuck.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County
The museum is located at 300 E. Port Marina Drive, Hood River, and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5, free for children 10 and under and currently serving military personnel and families.
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