‘Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery’ Archives
Readers may decide “The Rest of the Story” of Ruff Neff may be hopeful
by Sue Hunter Weir In 1909, when she was 15 years old, Ruth Neff was arrested for indecent conduct. After that, things went straight down hill. She was sent to a reform school for a few months but her mother managed to persuade the court to let Ruth out on parole. According to her mother, Ruth had always been a difficult child. Ruth”'s parents separated shortly after she was born because, in the words of her mother, Ruth”'s father had become “more or less dissipated.” In order to support herself and her four children, Ruth”'s mother had to work. Ruth did poorly in school and often skipped class. One of her teachers described Ruth “as not quite normal mentally.” The same teacher admitted that they”'d promoted Ruth “to simply get her on in school.” Even so, Ruth never got beyond the fourth grade. (more…)
157th Cemetery Season Ends as Picket Restoration Begins
By Sue Hunter Weir Another cemetery season (the 157th) has drawn to a close: the Cemetery officially closed for the year on Friday, October 15th. You will still see plenty of signs of life during the next few months, though. On September 20th, restoration work began on the Cemetery”'s fence and gates. The thirteen sections of the fence that are in the worst shape have been removed and have been temporarily replaced by 8-foot chain link. The gates, which weigh roughly 300 pounds apiece, have been removed. The restoration process involves many steps: sandblasting, filling, galvanizing, and painting before they will be reinstalled in late November or early December. Most of the kickbacks (the braces that support each fence section by extending at an angle into the ground and anchored in concrete) are too badly damaged to be restored and will be replaced. The stone where the gates and picket sections attach to the masonry columns will need to be [...]
P.T. Barnum Circus”' elephants, tigers, tents, and Tom Thumb, amidst urban, pioneer, frugal splendor “paints” image of the Layman Family and their Cedar Avenue homestead
by Sue Hunter Weir When Martin and Elizabeth Layman arrived in Minnesota in 1852-53, they set up housekeeping in a log cabin. It was a tight fit. They had ten children at the time and three more after they arrived. In 1857, Martin Layman built what is believed to be the sixth permanent house in what later became Minneapolis. There is no question that the Laymans worked hard, and they certainly prospered. In addition to owning the cemetery, they had a large farm where they grew fruit and vegetables. They sold their surplus food as well as wheat and oats that they grew. They sold the hay that they mowed and gathered in the cemetery. The sons hired out to work on other farms during the harvest season. They raised their own farm animals and sheared sheep for their neighbors. If there was work to be done, the Laymans could be counted on to do it. In 1876, the Martin and Elizabeth Layman built their dream house directly across the street from the cemetery”'s gates near what [...]
