Prior to 2010, Pioneer Cemetery was believed to have between 600 and 750 people buried on the grounds. In 2011, the San Fernando Valley Historical Society hired Geophysicist Brian Damiata to conduct a survey of the cemetery using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). His survey found only 214 gravesites. GPR is not infallible though, as it cannot always detect the graves of young children and babies. Still, it is unlikely that more than 400 graves exist. We now believe this list of 600+ people were not individuals buried at Pioneer Cemetery, but rather a compilation of clients belonging to former owner, Will Nobel, who also owned a mortuary. Damiata also discovered a large ditch that could possibly be the resting place of victims of some mass disaster.
Until recently, SFVHS had posted on this website the names of all the 600+ individuals believed to be buried at Pioneer Cemetery in the hopes that relatives would come forward and help identify and perhaps help restore their family plots. That posting of unconfirmed burials, unfortunately, has caused more harm than good. The magic of the Internet has made it possible for other individuals to copy the unconfirmed information and distribute it throughout time and space, often misleading many eager researchers and websites such as Find A Grave and Ancestry.com. For this error, we are deeply sorry.