Three Amigos of East Union Cemetery
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Janice Zacharias, Janet Fiore, and Gloria Stanley make a great team. Along with a host of many others, these three are responsible for saving, and now maintaining, the East Union Memorial Cemetery at the corner of Louise and Union. The cemetery was incorporated in January 1877, and remains open today because of their efforts. In the early 2000s, the cemetery was struggling until Janice Zacharias joined the Board of Directors as its Treasurer. Janice, whose father and great-great grandfather are buried there, has a significant personal connection and wanted to improve the cemetery. In June 2015, a new board was sworn in, with Janice as President, Gloria Stanley as Vice President/Treasurer and Janet Fiore as Secretary/Office Manager. Janice retired in 2014 as a reading teacher for the Manteca Unified School District. Gloria retired in 2013 as a hospital unit clerk from San Joaquin General Hospital. And Janet retired as a secretary from Center Plumbing in 2012. Their first task was to work with the State of California to earn back the cemetery’s operating license, clean up the physical environment of the cemetery, and organize a garage full of old records. In addition, they needed to create an up-to-date plot map, fix the irrigation system and restore the office that is on site. With the help of many community volunteers during the cemetery’s spring and fall cleanups, they have accomplished many of their goals and tasks. These determined women are planning to build a cremation wall and a veterans’ area around the flag pole. The cemetery still has space for 800 plots and 1,000 cremated remains. Through a private donation, they were also able to construct a new wrought iron fence and new paving. These three dedicated women, often refereed to as the “The Three Amigos of East Union Cemetery,” have gone beyond the call of duty to resurrect one of Manteca’s oldest historical sites. |