Archive for February, 2019
She waited 50 years ”“ and the city kept its promise
Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery By Sue Hunter Weir 163rd in a Series People often ask whether it is still possible to be buried in the cemetery. The answer is ”“ maybe. It is possible, but not likely. On May 23, 1919, the Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance that closed Layman”'s (now Pioneers and Soldiers) Cemetery to future burials. They did so in response to a petition circulated by business owners and neighbors from the surrounding area who complained that the cemetery had become an eyesore and a health hazard. The burial ban went into effect on Aug. 1, 1919. The ordinance did not condemn the cemetery, which would have required disinterring the 27,000 people buried there, but simply said that no more could be added; there was enough misinformation and confusion about what the cemetery”'s future that family members arranged for the removal of more than 5,000 people. More that 22,000 remain. The last [...]
