March 11, 2025

Fotoposa begins another year. Between unpredictable winter weather and the full lives we lead as retired country women, our outings took a brief pause in January and February.

We reunited in March for a photography session in a historic cemetery—a setting that, to me, begs to be captured in black and white.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, built in 1862.

On that gorgeous spring-like afternoon, we gathered behind my parish, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, and strolled through the quiet paths of gravestones, pausing to photograph the moments that spoke to us.

The cemetery is the final resting place for many individuals who played a vital role in shaping Mariposa County’s early history.

As we wandered through the cemetery, we encountered headstones marking the lives of people from countries like Spain, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, and beyond.

Others, however, had spent their entire lives in Mariposa County, leaving their own lasting imprint on its history.

Statue of the Virgin Mary.

Departing

Some individuals found their final resting place here long before the church itself was established. One area of the cemetery holds the graves of many Native Americans who embraced the Catholic faith and became part of its community.

As the afternoon sun cast long shadows, we felt a quiet connection to the past, a reminder that every name carved in stone once had a story to tell.

Until next time, happy shooting