Prest Ranch Cemetery
Prest Ranch Cemetery is located on the old Prest homestead, presently the Richardson Ranch, seven miles from Stewarts Point on Millers Ridge, in Sonoma County. Those known to be buried at the cemetery are listed below and others may be buried here as well. The information below was provided by Joyce Morrell a descendant who is researching this family and plans to try and locate the cemetery.
- Isaac Prest b. 1859 d. Aft. 1930
- Elizabeth Prest b. 1852 d. 1922-1927
- John Prest b. Feb 28, 1886 d. Mar 1, 1954
- Charlie Dahlquist b. Apr 23, 1887 d. Sep 25, 1957
Prest, Dahlquist and Soderlund Families
Provided by Joyce MorrellIsaac Prest was born about 1860 in Finland, probably the area of Vora, Vaasa in Osterbotten. He married Elisa about 1880, although she is listed as Marie in the 1920 census for Salt Point township. Isaac immigrated to the US in 1888 and sent for his family in 1893. Two children died, most likely in the Old Country, but John or Johannes was five years old at the time. Elisa was born about 1852. The area in Finland where they were from was considered a Swedish colony in Finland and they are listed in the Federal census as FinnSwedes.
The Prests had a tie cutting camp on Millers Ridge, near Stewarts Point, Sonoma county CA. They also farmed and raised cattle on the ranch. In 1892, one of the men at the camp was August Soderlund, also from the the same general area in Finland as the Prests. August's brother John also worked there for awhile and in 1906 their nephew Charlie Dahlquist arrived from Finland. He was christened Karl Johan Dahlquist but was always known as Charlie in the US.
In 1907, Charlie sent for his sister Marie Dahlquist. Their parents and two sisters had died and Marie had to work very hard to keep herself. Marie helped "Auntie Prest" cook for the men at the tie camp. She landed at the Richardson Wharf and walked up the hill to the ranch, because the mule pulling the wagon with her trunk was "too slow". Marie Dahlquist and August Soderlund met at the ranch and married in 1908.
Isaac and his wife spent the rest of their days on the ranch. Amanda, daughter of Gus and Marie Soderlund remembers going to Auntie Prest's funeral, about 1925. They left the farm house, crossed a little bridge over a creek to the top of a small hill. Here is where the family cemetery was established.
Isaac died sometime after 1930. Son, John Prest died about 1954 and is probably buried there. John Prest and Charlie Dahlquist, cousins, continued to live at the ranch. John was married for a short time, but divorced. He had one daughter Marion. Charlie never married. John and Charlie were referred to as the "twins by the family, contented bachelors on the ranch. Charlie is also buried at the family cemetery at the Prest ranch.
After all deaths, the property was puchased by members of the Richardson family, who owned the Stewarts Point General Store for many years. Access to the cemetery is now restricted. It is likely it is uncared for and there may not be any markers on the graves. My attempt to see it in 1988 was unsucessful.
Fort Bragg Advocate
October 1957
Ft. Bragg Woman Loses Brother By Death Last Month Charles Dahlquist, 70, a resident of Stewarts Point for the past 51 years, passed away Sept 25, while working in his garden. He was a citizen of Finland, coming to the United States at the age of 19. He is survived by his sister Mrs Marie Soderlund of Ft. Bragg, two nieces, Mrs Carl Johnson, Albion and Mrs Bruce Simpson of Weaverville, Trinity county, four nephews, John, Sidney and Chester Soderlund of Fort Bragg and Carl Soderlund of Hoopa, Humboldt county. Rev. Minkler of the Christian Church of Healdsburg officiated at the graveside services at the Prest Ranch Cemetery at 2 p.m. Sept (?) 1957.