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  This 50 acre cemetery is situated on rolling farmland surrounding a historic church building and mausoleum. The original St Joseph Church was completed in 1892 with a total cost of $1650. It was built by about 30 volunteers and Jesuit missionaries under the supervision of Father Held. The Church served the needs of the parish well, but a fire left by a careless camper burned the church down in 1928. The current church building was erected in 1929. When completely finished it cost $16,500. The first Requiem Mass in the church was for James McLaughlin who had donated the acre of land on which the church was built. He is interred at St Joseph Cemetery. You can find him buried very close to the southeast corner of the church. In the 1950’s, Henry Arbes, a retired painter who had worked at the Naval Supply Depot began work on a shrine on the hill behind the cemetery grounds. His family had a long distinguished history in supporting St. Joseph. They assisted in the building of the original church in 1891 and Henry himself had helped build the new church in 1929. Henry’s cousin, Mrs. Ida Blessing Donahue, made donations and organized parties and bazaars to get funding for Henry’s work on the shrine. The shrine was dedicated in May of 1956, with the Rev Ronald Schenk officiating. Henry devoted himself to the building of the shrine until his death in September of 1961. During the years of his work he created the pathway, the altars, the stone cross and the 14 Stations of the Cross. He started the work inspired by faith and created what we see today letting the shape of the rock guide his hands. It is a result of immense dedication and is a Spokane Valley Landmark today. It makes St Joseph Cemetery unique. In 1992, St Joseph Cemetery became part of Catholic Cemeteries of Spokane. Through the efforts of Father Richard Hemenway and the St Joseph Parish Council this agreement was reached August 1 of that year. This historic change came at a fortunate time for St Joseph’s Parish. The church had long since become too small. Parishioners were standing in the aisles and outside the front door on many Sundays. The property on Arden Road was ready. The payment by Catholic Cemeteries of Spokane was enough to cover the major portion of the construction cost for the new church. The existing cemetery endowment was passed on to Catholic Cemeteries of Spokane. So the agreement was a win-win for all parties, and it ushered in a new period for the cemetery with advance planning and endowment care entrusted to Catholic Cemeteries of Spokane.
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PO Box 18006, Spokane,
WA 99228-0006
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