The St Sava Serbian Orthodox Cemetery is located about a quarter of a mile north of downtown Jackson at 724 N Main St. The cemetery surrounds the St Sava Serbian Orthodox Church which was the very first Serbian Orthodox Church in North America. The cemetery is quite beautiful with mostly large marble and granite headstones. Many of the older headstones are in Serbian.

With the news of gold found in California, many Serbians, Croatians, and other nearby countries came to America to mine for gold, find wealth, and a better life.

But the times were very rough for miners, many dying in mining accidents, and for their families, with infant diseases and childbirth being common causes of death. Miners were not insured so if they died, no one is left to take care of the families, and remarrying was quite common.

None of the accidents was more tragic than the 47 who lost their lives in the Argonaut Mine Fire in 1922. There is a mass grave here where they were all laid next to each other. A plaque commemorates the disaster located near the front door of the church. Eleven of the miners are buried here.

The existing one acre property was purchased in the 1860s for a cemetery. Eventually a church was built in 1894. The earliest existing headstones are of Jovo and Marko Dragomanovich who died in 1877 at the age of one and three respectively. There are also family plots with no names other than the family name on the curb.

Father Sebastian Dabovich (1863-1940) was the first priest for Jackson and he encouraged the locals to build the church. He would travel to Jackson from San Francisco to perform marriages and baptisms. In 2007, his remains were relocated here next to the stairs leading up to the church.

One notable person buried here is John C. Begovich (1916-1999), a real-life GI Joe. During World War II, he was in the Army and saw battles in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. In Sicily, he led raids behind enemy lines on several occasions. He was awarded the Silver Star, the French Croix de Guerre, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. After the war he served as a judge, state senator, US Marshall, and County Supervisor. A section of Highway 49 is named in his honor.

Another notable person is Father Milidin Garic (1921-2012) who was a freedom fighter during World War II when Germany conquered his native Serbia. He was wounded twice and was given the national Medal for Bravery. He was the priest here for many years. Other priests who held services here are also buried here.

The cemetery is close to being full.