Ocean View Cemetery
3127 West 18th St.
Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington 98363
360-417-4565
Ocean View Cemetery is owned and operated by the City of Port Angeles Parks & Recreation Department. The land for Ocean View Cemetery was acquired from the Federal Government largely through the efforts of Matilda C. (Dudley) Cooper. Mrs. Cooper started a petition in the early 1890s to secure land for the City to use as a cemetery. By 1894, the 54-acre cemetery was ready for business.
Cemetery History THE EARLY CEMETERY. Before 1894 Pioneer Cemetery in Port Angeles was established at Eight and Oak Streets, then on 14 Aug. 1894 the federal government gave 53 acres of land overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the city of Port Angeles. This area became Ocean View Cemetery. In 1940 the pioneer cemetery was moved to the present sight of the Ocean View Cemetery. Headstones, graves and other makers was moved up the hill. (It is believed that many of the graves was not disinterred but left with no headstones, and many of the stones was used in foundations in the city, but as I said, it is believed no fact.) The City now has responsibility for the operation of the cemetery.
Some of the first burials were in the early part of 1895. In what is known as the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) area, Civil War Veterans and their families may have a plot without charge which is carried on to this very day.
Port Angeles Ocean View Cemetery in Clallam County was founded in 1880. In 1911 the cemetery was handed to the City of Port Angeles.
The Port Angeles Ocean View Cemetery’s management was under the City of Port Angeles until 1937 when Port Angeles Ocean View Cemetery Association took over after its formation. The association took over the administration until 2011 when the cemetery land was deeded again back to the City of Port Angeles.
The Port Angeles Ocean View Cemetery has incorporated several graves from the local cemeteries. One of the notable relocations of graves is one done by Port Angeles Catholic Cemetery in 1993. After relocation, they erected a memorial with a list of names of the deceased whose graves were moved.
Port Angeles Ocean View Cemetery in Port Angeles ranks number 1st out of the two cemeteries in Port Angeles City in terms of popularity. Further, it ranks 7th out of 20 cemeteries in Clallam County, 39th out of the 222 cemeteries in Washington State, and 2591 in the United States.
