‘Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery’ Archives
A Busy and Exciting Year
from the series Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery... Number 227 By SUE HUNTER WEIR Cemetery Fence RestorationIf you’ve driven, walked or pedaled down Lake Street during the past two months, you’ve probably noticed a lot of activity in the Cemetery. The initiative to restore the cemetery’s 1928 fence began in 2009. It took several years to raise the funds and then Covid intervened, delaying the work. But we’re almost there. The fence should be fully restored this fall.That’s only one of many (some might say amazing) things that have happened in the Cemetery this year. The Hennepin History Museum is located at 2303 3rd Ave S. in Minneapolis. Photo: Harvey Winje ExhibitBeginning October 19th, the Hennepin History Museum 2303 3rd Avenue South will be hosting an exhibit about the Cemetery titled In Memorium: Residents of Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. The exhibit answers the same question that we’ve been addressing in the alley [...]
Family Drama Plays Out in the Press
from the series Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery 226th in a Series By SUE HUNTER WEIR Julie Klamm’s Caveat to Stories “Your most cherished family stories are, I hate to break it to you, almost certainly at least somewhat false. I’m not calling anyone a liar, this is simply how it goes---stories degrade (or improve, depending on your perspective), details are lost, tweaked, censored, sensationalized. I don’t mean to disillusion you; I say this in the spirit of encouragement. The story only really gets going once it begins to unravel.” from, The Most Legendary Morris Sisters. FAMILY “LAUNDRY” AIRED IN PUBLICMany, perhaps most, families have secrets—stories that go unspoken. That’s what makes the story of the Westling family so strange. The dispute between Olof Westling and his second wife, Agnethe, over the custody of their children played out in the press for a period of three weeks. Each used the newspapers to plead their case. Olof [...]
Mystery Solved: Young Woman Found and Remembered
An Elusive Tombstone No. 225 in the series Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery By SUE HUNTER WEIR This started as a mystery story. During its research, the mystery was more or less solved. The solution seemed like it would be complicated, but it turned out to be quite simple. Hazel Anderson’s granite marker found in a Powderhorn Park Neighborhood backyardthat was discovered decades later while clearing overgrown greenery.The marker reads: Our Daughter, Hazel K. L. Anderson and includes her birthdate, August 5, 1894, and her death date, March 22, 1915. PHOTO: Courtesy Sue Hunter Weir HAZEL ANDERSON AUGUST 5, 1894 - MARCH 22, 1915The story began when Powderhorn Park Neighborhood residents, Heidi and Renae, found a headstone in their backyard. They’d moved into their house about three years before. Neighbors told them that their house had been unoccupied for about ten years before they moved in. When they were weeding and clearing out scrub trees in the [...]
