Lakewood Cemetery is a large private,

non-sectarian Nonsectarian institutions are Secularity, secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Examples of US universities that identify themselves as being nonsectarian i ...

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is located at 3600 Hennepin Avenue at the southern end of the Uptown area. It is noted for its

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

which is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and was modeled after the

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

in Istanbul, Turkey.

History

About 250 acres in size, Lakewood memorializes the dead with more than 200,000 monuments, markers and memorializations. Long considered one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country, it was modeled after the rural cemeteries of 19th-century France, such as Père-Lachaise in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. When Lakewood was established in 1871 rural cemeteries were becoming more popular as part of a growing trend away from churchyard burials in the heart of the city. In July 1871 Colonel William S. King, local businessman and newspaper publisher, proposed to community leaders of the city that they work together to establish a cemetery "on some of the beautiful locations out near the lakes, where the encroachments of the city would never seriously interfere." In August of the same year a meeting was held for establishing the Lyndale Cemetery Association (Changed to Lakewood in Feb of 1872). According to the minutes of the original meeting recorded by

Thomas Lowry Thomas Lowry (February 27, 1843 – February 4, 1909) was an American lawyer, real-estate magnate, and businessman who oversaw much of the early growth of the streetcar lines in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding com ...

, "that after an examination of various localities they had chosen the land owned by William S. King lying between Lakes Calhoun and Harriet." Colonel King agreed to sell his land for the purpose at a cost of $21,000, "to be paid back over a year at 7 percent interest." The first trustees voted to raise $25,000 to purchase the land and make improvements at a time when the cost of a home in Minneapolis was about $500. The money was raised by selling 250 shares of stock at $100 a piece, two-thirds of which was purchased by the trustees themselves. The remaining balance was solicited by a committee and sold to other local investors. In April 1872 Superintendent A.B. Barton and the board of trustees employed C. W. Folsom, Superintendent of Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts to develop plans for the new cemetery. In October 1872 the Association reacquired all stocks that had been sold to the public. The public dedication of Lakewood was held on September 16, 1872, with "a large number of lots being selected at the close of the exercise by the citizens present." Many of the earliest lots sold in the 1870s-1880s remained unused until 1972 when they were reclaimed for resale to the public. The first person buried in Lakewood Cemetery was Maggie Menzel who died on January 24, 1872, at the age of nineteen. Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel interior 2015-05-25 - 1

Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel interior 2015-05-25 - 1

Architect Harry Wild Jones designed the cemetery's chapel which began construction in August 1908. Built of the finest materials, the chapel seats about 200 and is renowned for its beauty and superb acoustics. The dome is 65 feet high with 24 stained glass windows inset its full circumference. Charles R. Lamb of New York orchestrated the design of the chapel's interior mosaic artwork. Six highly skilled artists of Italy were enlisted to create 10 million tessellae in Venice, which were then shipped to Lakewood, where those same artists performed the arduous task of assembling them in the chapel's interior. Completed in 1910, the chapel's total cost of construction was $150,000. Lakewood Chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 20, 1983. Cremation services were begun in 1910 and have continued to the present day. In 1965-67 a community mausoleum and columbarium was built with enough space for over 5000 crypts and niches. One of the building's more notable features are the 24 eight-foot stained glass windows by Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia. A large reflecting pool just outside the mausoleum's east side extends toward the garden crypt area and Lakewood's historic chapel nearby. Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum 2015-11-15

Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum 2015-11-15

In 2012, a new Garden Mausoleum, designed by HGA Architects of Minneapolis, was opened alongside the reflecting pool, adding a further 879 crypts and 4,620 cremation niches. Since its inception in 1872 Lakewood has continued to operate as a non-profit, non-denominational cemetery providing funeral services to the public. Many Minneapolis streets, parks, and monuments bear the names of the Lakewood's original founders —

, William D. Washburn, and

Charles M. Loring Charles Morgridge Loring (November 13, 1833 – March 18, 1922) was an American businessman, miller and publicist. Raised in Maine to be a sea captain, Loring instead became a civic leader in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he was a wealthy flour mi ...

, to name a few. The cemetery itself memorializes many notable persons, including former Vice President

Hubert H. Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

, Civil War General Lewis A. Grant, and Senator

Paul Wellstone Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American academic, author, and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002. A ...

who was killed in a plane crash in 2002. Lakewood 0

Notable burials

*Albert Abdallah (1878-1968), founder of

Abdallah Candies Abdallah Candies is a fifth-generation, family-owned chocolatier and confectionery in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It was established as the Calhoun Candy Depot in Minneapolis in 1909 by Lebanese immigrant Albert Abdallah and his wife of Swedish des ...

* Cedric Adams (1902-1961), Journalist and radio personality of Minnesota *

Buzz Arlett Russell Loris Arlett (January 3, 1899 – May 16, 1964), also known as Buzz Arlett, was an American baseball player, sometimes called "the Babe Ruth of the minor leagues." Like Ruth, Arlett was a large man, and , who began his career as a pitch ...

(1899-1964), American baseball player, sometimes known as the "

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

of the minor leagues." *

William F. Beck William Frederick Beck (August 28, 1904 – October 24, 1966) was an American Lutheran Minister (Christianity), minister best known for his Bible translations, biblical translation, Beck's American Translation, ''The Holy Bible, An American Tr ...

(August 28, 1904 – October 24, 1966), Bible translator * Robert Sirelle Brown, first black doctor *

Curt Carlson Curtis Leroy Carlson (July 9, 1914 – February 19, 1999) was an American businessman and founder of Carlson and Radisson Hotel Group. Early life and education Carlson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Charles and Leatha Carlson. C ...

(1914-1999), founder of

Radisson Hotels Radisson Hotels is an international hotel chain headquartered in the United States. A division of the Radisson Hotel Group, it operates the brands Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, Radisson Collection, Country Inn & Suites, and Park Inn by Rad ...

* John Crosby (1828-1887), founder of the Washburn-Crosby Company, the forerunner to

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...

* H. David Dalquist (1918-2005), inventor of the Bundt pan, and founder of

Nordic Ware Nordic Ware (also known as Northland Aluminum Products, Inc.) is a company based in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, suburb of St. Louis Park, notable for introducing the Bundt cake pan in the early 1950s. It was founded in 1946 by Henry David Da ...

*Ron Daws (1937-1992), one of three USA 1968 Mexico Olympic Marathon racers
finished 22nd
* George Dayton (1857-1938), founder of Dayton Dry Goods, which became

Target Corporation Target Corporation ( doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a com ...

William Hood Dunwoody William Hood Dunwoody (March 14, 1841 – February 8, 1914) was an American banker, miller, art patron and philanthropist. He was a partner in what is today General Mills and for thirty years a leader of Northwestern National Bank, today's Wells Fa ...

(1841-1914), businessman, and Kate L. Dunwoody, founders of

Dunwoody College of Technology Dunwoody College of Technology is a private technology school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It offers Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees. History Dunwoody College was ...

* Mary Jackson Ellis, first African American schoolteacher in Minnesota. * Steve Foley (1959-2008), drummer for The Replacements *

William Watts Folwell William Watts Folwell (February 14, 1833 – September 17, 1929) was an educator, writer and historian who was the first president of the University of Minnesota. Biography Folwell was born in 1833 in Romulus, New York. He attended Hobart Coll ...

(1833-1929), first president of the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

Orville Freeman Orville Lothrop Freeman (May 9, 1918February 20, 2003) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 29th Governor of Minnesota from January 5, 1955, to January 2, 1961, and as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1961 to 1969 under ...

(1918-2003), 29th Governor of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, Former US Secretary of Agriculture * Abram M. Fridley (1817-1892), politician and capitalist, after whom

Fridley, Minnesota Fridley is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 29,590 at the 2020 census. Fridley was incorporated in 1949 as a village, and became a city in 1957. It is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area as ...

was named *

Frances A. Genter Frances A. Genter (February 17, 1898 – November 24, 1992) was a major figure in American Thoroughbred horse racing. She is best known as the owner of Unbridled, the 1990 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and winner of the 1990 Kentuck ...

(1898-1992), Thoroughbred racehorse owner who won America's two most important races, the 1990 Kentucky Derby and

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...

* Lewis A. Grant (1828-1918),

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

general and Assistant U.S.

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

* Barton S. Hays (1826-1914), artist *

(1911-1978),

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

, U.S. Senator * Muriel Humphrey (1912-1998),

Second Lady of the United States The second gentleman or second lady of the United States (SGOTUS or SLOTUS respectively) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast ...

, U.S. Senator *

Isaac Wilson Joyce Isaac Wilson Joyce (October 11, 1836 – July 28, 1905) was an American bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1888. Early life Isaac Wilson Joyce was born in Colerain Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, Colerain Township, Hamilton Co ...

(1836-1905),

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

* William S. King (1828-1900), Republican

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for Minnesota and journalist *

Robert Koehler Robert Koehler (November 28, 1850 – April 23, 1917) was a German-born Painting, painter and art teacher who spent most of his career in the United States. Biography Koehler was born in Hamburg; his family spelled their name Köhler until ...

(1850-1917), German-born painter and art teacher * B. Robert Lewis (1931-1979), first African American Minnesota state senator *

(1833-1922), Business man, co-founder of Lakewood Cemetery * John Hugh MacMillan (1928-2008), businessman *

Bobby Marshall Robert Wells Marshall (March 12, 1880 – August 27, 1958) was an American sportsman. He was best known for playing football; however, Marshall also competed in baseball,

(1880-1958), first African American to play football in Western Conference (later known as the Big 10), one of the first African American NFL players * Forrest Mars Sr. (1904-1999), creator of

M&M's M&M's (stylized as m&m's) are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M ...

candy * Frank Clarence Mars (1882-1934), creator of the

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...

candy bar A candy bar is a type of candy that is in the shape of a bar. The most common type of candy bar is the chocolate bar, including both bars made of solid chocolate and combination candy bars, which are candy bars that combine chocolate with othe ...

*Maggie Menzel (1853?-1872), First person buried at Lakewood Cemetery * Maren Michelet (1869-1932), first teacher of Norwegian in any public high school in the United States and promoter of Scandinavian culture. *

George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (; June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of ...

(1924-2005), professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player * Karl Mueller (1963-2005),

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of Dav ...

bassist * Della Whitney Norton (1840-1937), poet, author and Christian Scientist * Emil Oberhoffer (1867-1933), founder of the

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Em ...

William Olander William "Bill" R. Olander (July 14, 1950 – March 18, 1989) was an American senior curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City. He previously worked as curator and director of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. He was a co-founder ...

(1950-1989), senior curator at

New Museum The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is a museum in New York City at 235 Bowery, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. History The museum originally opened in a space in the Graduate Center of the then-named New Sch ...

of Contemporary Art, New York City. *

Floyd B. Olson Floyd Bjørnstjerne "Skipper" Olson (November 13, 1891 – August 22, 1936) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 22nd Governor of Minnesota from January 6, 1931, to August 22, 1936, dying in office of stomach cancer. Olson wa ...

(1891-1936), 22nd

Governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

*Bryan Ottoson (1978-2005),

American Head Charge American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

guitarist *

Rudy Perpich Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota, serving a total of just over 10 years. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34t ...

(1928-1995), 34th and 36th

* John S. Pillsbury (1827-1901), eighth Governor of Minnesota, founder of the

Pillsbury Company The Pillsbury Company is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company that was one of the world's largest producers of grain and other foodstuffs until it was bought by General Mills in 2001. General Mills brands consist of Annie's, Betty Crocker, Nat ...

Carl Pohlad Carl Ray Pohlad (August 23, 1915 – January 5, 2009) was an American financier from Minnesota. Pohlad is best known as the owner of the Minnesota Twins baseball franchise from 1984 (succeeding Calvin Griffith) until his death in 2009. In ...

(1915-2009), owner of the Minnesota Twins * James Sample (1910-1995), conductor of many orchestras including the

Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the 'Portland Symphony Society' in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. I ...

Sibyl Sanderson Sibyl Sanderson (December 7, 1864May 16, 1903) was a famous American operatic dramatic coloratura soprano during the Parisian Belle Époque. Biography She was born in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Sibyl's father Silas Sanders ...

(1864-1903). famous American operatic soprano during the Parisian Belle Époque. * George M. Scott (1922-2006), MN Supreme Court Justice, Hennepin County Attorney, candidate for MN Governor *

Clifford D. Simak Clifford Donald Simak (; August 3, 1904 – April 25, 1988) was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master, and the Horror W ...

(1904-1988), American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

writer * Lena Olive Smith, first black female lawyer * John Pillsbury Snyder (1888-1959),

RMS Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

survivor, and grandson of John S. Pillsbury *Nellie Snyder (1889-1983),

survivor and wife of John Pillsbury Snyder * Tiny Tim (1932-1996), singer, musician, and TV personality *

Harriet G. Walker Harriet Granger Hulet Walker (10 September 1841 – 13 January 1917) was an American hospital administrator and leader in the temperance movement. Early life She was born in Brunswick, Ohio in the United States. She attended Baldwin Univer ...

(1841-1917), president of Northwestern Hospital, now part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics *

T. B. Walker Thomas Barlow Walker (February 1, 1840 – July 28, 1928) was an American business magnate who acquired lumber in Minnesota and California and became an collection (artwork), art collector. Walker founded the Minneapolis Public Library. He was amon ...

(1840-1928), lumberman and art collector, founder of Walker Art Center *

(1944-2002), US senator for Minnesota *Lyle Wright, (1898–1963) businessman, events promoter, United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductee

Photo gallery of notables

File:Maggie gravestone.jpg, Maggie Menzel's gravestone File:Paul Wellstone Grave Minneapolis Minnesota (17210337379).jpg, Senator Paul Wellstone's grave marker File:Pohlad Grave Minneapolis Minnesota (16785853953).jpg, Carl Pohlad's monument File:Hubert H. Humphrey Grave (17397340615).jpg, Monument of Hubert H. Humphrey File:Mars-Lakewood-20100912.JPG, Mars family private mausoleum File:Loring-Lakewood-20100912.JPG, Charles M. Loring, a.k.a. "Father of the Parks" File:Fridley burial monument.jpg, Fridley family monument File:Emil Oberhoffer's obelisk.jpg, Emil Oberhoffer's obelisk File:Tiny Tim Lakewood2.JPG, Entertainer Tiny Tim's mausoleum crypt

Other images

File:Garden of Remembrance (17406088595).jpg, Garden of Remembrance File:Lakewood in Winter.jpg, Lakewood Cemetery in Winter File:Cemetery Lake (Jo Pond), June 2016.jpg, Cemetery Lake (Jo Pond), June 2016 File:Lakewood Cemetery Cross (17198616857).jpg, Lakewood Cemetery Cross File:Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis (17380132016).jpg File:Lakewood Mausoleums.jpg, Lakewood Mausoleums File:Millers' Monument, Lakewood Cemetery 2016-09-17.jpg, Memorial to the 1878 Washburn A mill disaster

Notes

External links

*
Find a Grave.com listing for Lakewood Cemetery
{{National Register of Historic Places Cemeteries in Minnesota Protected areas of Hennepin County, Minnesota Tourist attractions in Minneapolis 1872 establishments in Minnesota