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Edit: A few more additional pictures on page 2.....

I was fortunate enough to live in Santa Barbara, just a short drive (about 60 miles) from Karen's final & current resting place in Westlake Village, CA. Last week over the Thanksgiving break, on my way down to Los Angeles, I decided to stop by Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks cemetery to pay homage to the most beautiful angel there's ever been.

As it was my first time there, it was quite a somber yet surreal moment, really. There she was, Karen resting in peace, in front of me. Well, not literally, but you all know what I mean. For a while, I couldn't believe that she was indeed resting inside the mausoleum, right in front of me . As I sat down on the small bench in front of the mausoleum gathering my thoughts, images of Karen just flashed before my eyes. I ended my visit by saying a little prayer and good bye to Karen, as well as mom & dad Carpenters who were also resting inside the same mausoleum .

The all-granite mausoleum is quite nice actually. But for some reason I find that it is actually smaller in person than I thought it would be when I first saw the pictures of it on the internet. I also heard that some people preferred the original resting place in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress (near Downey) to this one as the former was, according to them, more homey and not out in the open like the latter. Can't really comment on this as I've never been to the one in Cypress.

Anyway, just thought I'd share the pictures from my visit. I managed to take only a few and some of them are kinda blurry as my stupid camera began running out of battery just as I was about to start. So, I had to snap the pics really quickly.

Cheers!!
















Edited by pininf4r1na, 02 January 2008 - 12:26 AM.

Thanks for the nice pictures. Its almost like having a visit myself. I find it interesting that Karen is on the top, Harold is in the middle and Agnes on the bottom. I wonder who the other 3 people will be on what is presumed to be the other side of the mausoleum. Its a really nice memorial site. I wish I could give respects to Karen in person too.

(Weird, Agnes passed away on my cat's 3rd birthday. and Karen died the day before my own Grandpa did.)

Glad you like the pictures . I was actually thinking about the same thing too regarding Karen's parents being underneath her. You're also correct about the 3 empty spaces on the other other side; they are on the left side (if seen facing the front of the mausoleum). I didn't manage to take pictures of those 3 empty ones, but they have no names (obviously) on them. Maybe Richard is just preparing for the future.

I heard from my Asian friends that in Chinese culture, it is believed that if a burial space/plot/etc. is provided in advance for someone who is still alive well and healthy, it can make that person live longer. Not sure if it's true or not, but you know how different cultures have their own believes and all.

My next mission will be to visit the various Carpenters' locations in Downey, hopefully soon, before the Newville house is gone forever.

PS: Karen's B-day is the same as my ex-girlfriend's , but she doesn't really like Carpenters. Also, Karen's B-day is just 3 days before her mom's. What a coincidence.
Edited by pininf4r1na, 01 December 2007 - 02:29 PM.

Thanks for sharing the pictures and the experience. I was in the LA area last year and was trying to decide whether to visit the crypt or the Newville house. I chose the house, and lucky for me because the house is no longer intact.

The pictures are appreciated!

Thanks for sharing the pictures and the experience, i just got chills seeing the mausoleum and just remembering Karen, thank you !!

Thanks to admin for moving my post to the correct forum. I thought Karen Carpenter's was the right one, as opposed to General Chat forum. I apologize for the inconvenience .

Cheers!
Edited by pininf4r1na, 02 December 2007 - 05:34 PM.

Thanks so much for the pictures and sharing the experience. It always looks so peaceful there. Blue skies, I can imagine birds singing and it just being so calm and beautiful!! One day I will experience it for myself!! RIP Miss Carpenter

You've taken some beautiful pictures. I've never seen the writing on the crypts so well.
Thank you for sharing.

I must say that I've always wondered what Richard must think of people taking pictures of his family's mausoleum. On one hand, yes, perhaps he understands that it's his and his sister's fans who are doing this, but on the other hand, isn't it a little intrusive?

Just my opinion.

I never thought taking pictures of gravestones, etc, or graveyards is intrusive. Graveyards are places where anyone can visit the dead and taking pictures is rather common since its a public property.

I agree, Leanne. I even have pictures of both my grandparents' funerals, including the wake. I guess everyone has different ideas about what is appropriate.

I'm just glad I have these kinds of pictures at hand, it brings me right there.

I wish I had come to the world two days earlier...C'mon why did I have two wait two days more for coming to the world ....My best friend's mum birthday is the same day as Agnes' and she's one day before me. I believe things happen for some reason inb life, not everything has to be a coincidence.

I wonder If Bon Jovi likes the carps, his birthday's on Karen's too

Btw and before I forget it, nice caps It's easier for the ones who are not able to go there.....I just have to say ThankYou

I've also been there many times, in fact, I was the first C's fan to find the Mausoleum. Westlake Village is a heck of a long drive for me and it was satisfing to find it.

Karen's mausoleum in Westlake is nice, but nothing like the Forrest Lawn crypt in Cypress was. The Forrest Lawn crypt was very beautiful inside and protected from the weather. The first time I visited in July 1999, it was quite an experience. This is going to sound weird, but everytime I visited Karen at Forrest Lawn, I got goosebumps and I could actually feel her presence. I don't get that feeling at the Westlake location. The new mausoleum seems isolated and cold compared to warmth of the Forrest Lawn crypt... just my opinion.

Almost forgot... very nice pictures Pinin. I have pics of the inside as well, but that was before the signatures were added.
Edited by Goody4shoes, 02 December 2007 - 10:59 PM.

Whoserman, I know what you meant. I also thought the same while I was taking those pictures above. Some, maybe even Richard himself for that matter, might consider those strangers taking pictures of his beloved family members' mausoleum as intrusive. At first, I wasn't even planning to post them online. Just wanted to keep them for my personal collection. Had the mausoleum been off-limit to public or in a private property, I would never be that close to it, let alone taking such pictures.

But then I realized that I was one of the more fortunate ones who happen to live not too far from Karen's final resting place. And that enables me to pay my tribute and respect to her with relative ease whenever I wish. I also realized that many of Karen's fans throughout the world might never have a chance to do so. With that in mind, I then decided to share the pictures with fellow Carpenters fans here in the forum. No ill intentions at all trying to be intrusive to Richard nor even to make profits from the pics; just wanting and trying to share the moment with others who, for whatever reason, might never be able to visit Karen's mausoleum.

That being said, I'd like to say very much for all the nice comments! It's comforting to know that the pics can at least bring some of us ever closer to the Karen Carpenter who had left this world and all of us years ago.


Cheers and Happy Holidays!!
Edited by pininf4r1na, 05 December 2007 - 10:57 PM.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I wasn't trying to accuse you of any maltreatment. I don't believe for one second that you didn't have only the best intentions. I guess I'm just putting myself in Richard's shoes. If it was my sister in my family's mausoleum, would I want people I didn't know taking pictures? That's all.