On May 16, 1942, Matsunosuke Murakami, 62, became the first of 150 men, women, and children to die in camp. He and 14 others, most infants and older men without families, were laid to rest in the Manzanar cemetery. The cemetery was outside the barbed wire fence.
While some deceased were sent to hometown cemeteries, most were cremated. Their ashes were held in camp until their families left Manzanar. Six burials remain today.