The next morning my hosts suggested a nice back roads way up to Detroit Lakes, and I used that as a jumping off point to turn what would normally be a drive of about an hour into an adventure that took four hours. Of course, that meant stopping at a bunch of cemeteries.

Starting at Pioneer Cemetery just north of Fergus Falls (8 graves, 1880-1890), I started planning my trip by using the Find a Grave app on my iPhone, and picking another cemetery, and then another, with a general direction of “towards Detroit Lakes” as my guide.

On my way I traveled back roads, dirt roads, and even had to hike into one stop. The area is covered by oak forests, open prairies, farmland, and is studded with lakes and ponds like jewels, and the fall colors were amazing. It was quite awesome, and I mean that in its truest sense. I didn’t take pictures everywhere I stopped, what follows will be where I did.

East Lida Lake Cemetery, Lida Township, Pelican Rapids, Minnesota.

The cemetery is located near Lake Lida east of Pelican Rapids, MN. According to my GPS I was supposed to park on the road and walk to my destination. I learned that that’s not the case later, but had a nice short walk into the woods. The cemetery is very small, and according to the sign at the entrance it is still active, and a grave costs a mere $400. I’m assuming that’s pretty cheap, although I really don’t know having never priced one out before. I doubt $400 would get you an ashcan in Minneapolis.

East Lida Lake Cemetery has 69 graves and markers dating to 1881.

West Dora Cemetery, Dora Township, Pelican Rapids,

MN

A short ways away is West Dora Cemetery, also known as Claypool Cemetery, is very small with only 22 graves dating to 1892. It is located along a dirt road. Several of the markers show signs of having been recently cleaned and maintained. Whoever did the work did an amazing job.

Dora Catholic Cemetery, Dora Township, Pelican Rapids, MN

Dora Catholic Cemetery is a very small plot with only 14 graves dating to 1880. It’s located in a very pretty spot along a crossroad.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, Candor Township, Vergas, MN

St. Paul’s is a cemetery with 481 graves and markers dating back to 1886. It is at the top of a long sloping hill. I was struck by how the graves were so crowded together, and how treeless the area was. It was simultaneously cramped and lonely. At the top of the hill you are presented with a sweeping vista, with a view that goes for miles across farmland and hills. It was simply beautiful.

I did re-visit Oak Grove Cemetery in Detroit Lakes before I finally called my adventure to a close, but first I went to someplace that wasn’t a cemetery at all.

Dunton Locks County Park, Detroit Lakes, MN

Spoiler alert: DL is in Becker County.

Dunton Locks County Park is a 53-acre park nestled on the shores of Muskrat Lake and Lake Sallie just south of Detroit Lakes. I went for an hour-long hike here along the shores of Muskrat Lake through a maple forest that was teeming with color. It also featured something I’d never seen before: a boat tramway. During the summer season you can get your boat moved to either Muskrat Lake or Lake Sallie.

So that’s what I’m calling my one-hour-four-hour adventure. I really love autumn, and this trip was worth every mile of dirt road I drove on.

For the first time I noticed what I later learned were very common motifs on the stones, such as weeping willow trees, hands clasped together, hands with fingers pointed heavenward, doves, drapery, etc. We also found a few Civil War vets.

It was after visiting here in October of 2019 that I started going to cemeteries on purpose to witness the history, and find some of the stories of the people buried there.

Woodland Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Des Moines, is a large, rolling expanse studded with oak trees. Included within it is Emmanuel Cemetery. If you combine them, around 30,000+ people are buried there, with the oldest grave being from 1835. The markers include those of Congressmen, Governors, Medal of Honor recipients, and a whole bunch of Civil War generals. On some of the more famous mausoleums there are QR codes you can scan which will direct you to a short YouTube video about the famous person entombed therein.

Judging by my photos of Woodland taken in November of 2020, I was super interested in the Woodmen of the World stones, having never really seen them before. Likewise the white zinc cast markers. Anyway, the 4 PM autumn light made for some nice shots.

Then there is the cemetery complex that includes Glendale Cemetery, the Jewish Glendale Cemetery, and the Masonic Cemetery. Added together there are over 92,000 graves and cenotaphs (a marker for a person buried elsewhere), the oldest of which is from 1811.

The more famous markers are those of (once again) Senators, Congressmen, and Governors, as well as Medal of Honor recipients, the 33rd Vice President of the US (Henry Wallace, who was VP under Harry S. Truman), a couple of Pulitzer Prize winning photographers (Donald Ultang and John R. Robinson), and a “noted stage, screen, and Big Band star” (Joy Hodges).

This place is HUGE. It is wide open, rolling, and for the most part kind of low on a coolness factor, except for the Masonic Cemetery which has some very impressive statuary and installations.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery, New Ulm Catholic Cemetery, and New Ulm City Cemetery all share the same area, and abut against each other. Most of the graves I photographed were in the City Cemetery. That’s where you find the graves of local “royalty” including August Schell, the founder of August Schell Brewing Co., and Whoopee John Wilfahrt, the Polka King.

Quick facts: St. Paul’s has 3,600+ graves dating to 1854, N.U. Catholic has 5,900+ dating to 1862, and the City Cemetery has 6,900+ dating to 1856.

The tree trunk markers are from a life insurance company called Woodmen of the World, which formed during the American Civil War and is still in business. The City Cemetery had the highest number of Woodmen markers I’ve seen in one place.

There’s a lot of history in New Ulm, and the cemetery is full of stories. Including this mostly unknown one. John J. Laudon served in the 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry during the Civil war, fought in the Battle of Prairie Grove, and lived to be 102 years old.

The first was North Lawn Cemetery, a large, gently sloping expanse with over 11,000 markers dating back to 1836. Most of the markers are fairly modest. One of the larger ones is for a man named Karl L. King.

King was a composer of band music and was known mostly for his marching or military band pieces, although he wrote in many different styles. He composed his most famous work, Barnum & Bailey’s Favorite while playing in Barnum’s circus band.

King is buried next to his wife, Ruth, near the main entrance. I left him a 35¢ tip, which would have been equal to around two bucks back when he was writing for the circus.

The second was Oakland Cemetery, which is one of the most beautiful spaces I’ve ever seen. The newest section is flat and featureless, but the older section is extremely hilly, I would even say challenging in its topography. There are close to 8,000 people buried there, with the oldest grave dating to 1840.

The markers range from ostentatious to humble, from 30+ foot obelisks to simple cement markers with the deceased’s name hand written before the stone hardened. It was so interesting to see the difference between the graves of the rich, and those of the poor.

My favorite “famous” grave was that of Lili Damita (1904-1994) who was at one time married to Erroll Flynn. You see her glamorous Hollywood photo on her Find A Grave page, but on her marker the photo is that of just someone’s grandma. Sadly, I didn’t take a picture of it.

I would love to visit Oakland Cemetery again. There is so much to see there.

Oakwood is a classic oak studded midwest cemetery. It’s somewhat large and rolling, with over 2,500 graves, the oldest of which dates from 1847.

Zinc monuments, also called “white bronze” were popular right around the time of the US Civil War. They stand out due to their white-gray color, and the incredible clarity of the filigree and text. One of the companies that made them was the American Bronze Co. of Chicago, IL. They made markers for soldiers on both sides of the war, and for civilians as well. They closed down during WWII.

This must have been one of my first experiences with a cast zinc marker. Either that or the design of this particular marker grabbed me. In any case, 1874 wasn’t a good year for James and Mirnerva Douglas. Losing two children in under four months must have sucked hard.

Then there was this poor fellow. The 27th Iowa Infantry mustered out of Dubuque, and were deployed in Minnesota during the Sioux Uprising of 1862.

You don’t see a lot of Engholm markers around, at least not where I’ve been. Since I know one, I had to take a picture or two. Although Jeff has done no genealogical research to confirm it, he says he’s not related to this gentleman.

Finally, a couple of stones that make me marvel at the skill involved such beautiful stonecraft. There are stone workers on both sides of my family, so I feel some small level of kinship with the creators of these fantastic markers.

Oak Knoll is right in the corner of MN Hwy 95 and US Hwy 169 in East-Central Minnesota. There are 5,500+ people buried there with graves dating back to 1850. It is aptly named with its gently rolling hills and towering oak trees.

They also have a tank, I don’t know what kind, and an anchor from the USS Courtney (DE-1021), a Cold War era destroyer.

• Name: Berry Cemetery, Princeton, MN
• Location: 45.55810, -93.54470
• Date Visited: October 19, 2021

Berry Cemetery is located east of Princeton. It is very small with only 147 graves dating back to 1885. It is named for Loumus Berry, a Civil War soldier with the 6th Maine Infantry, and his family. Eleven of the graves are Berrys either by blood or marriage.

• Name: Pease Cemetery, Pease, MN
• Location: 45.69787, -93.65095
• Date Visited: October 19, 2021

The town of Pease is a few miles south of Milaca, MN, just off US Hwy 169. Its cemetery is built on a single large mound of earth crowned by a gigantic oak tree. This is the only picture I took there.

The cemetery, by the way, has 826 graves dating back to 1896.

Oak Grove is very aptly named. It is large and oak studded with rolling hills. In the autumn is was lovely, in the summer it must be stunning. There are 8,600+ graves, the oldest of which is from 1868.

This one drew my attention. The small brass cap flips up and reveals a photo of the deceased when they were still alive. Mr. John Johnson was known as “Mr. Photography” (I don’t know where I learned that… it might be on the other side of the stone. Anyway, here’s a photo of the photographer himself, and if you look closely you can see me taking the photo in the reflection.

And finally this stone belonging to Miss Edith Clement. It’s not often you get the cause of death marked on a stone, and poor Miss Clement was struck by lightning, which you can see here was misspelled.

• Name: Lake View Cemetery, Lake View Township, MN
• Location: 46.76058, -95.85932
• Date Visited: October 22, 2021

Lake View is in the middle of nowhere. The cemetery is small with only 554 graves as of this posting, the oldest of which is from 1876. The coolest part is the dilapidated old chapel, that to my knowledge still gets some occasional use. The sun and sky were cooperating quite nicely this day, so I got a little artsy-fartsy with my photos.

• Name: St. Marys Cemetery, Waverly, Minnesota
• Location: 45.06920, -93.98170
• Date Visited: October 30, 2021

St. Marys is a medium sized, with around 2,200+ graves the earliest of which dates from 1863. It’s fairly typical for the area, but it does have an interesting half-buried mausoleum.

• Name: Guardian Angels Cemetery, Chaska, Minnesota
• Location: 44.78750, -93.61190
• Date Visited: October 30, 2021

Guardian Angels is similar in size to the previous cemetery with 2,200+ graves (1864). It is on a hill, and features some very nice stones and monuments, as well as a grotto. On a sunny Saturday in October, it was quite beautiful.

• Spring Lake Cemetery, Prior Lake, Minnesota
• Location: 44.70504, -93.45783
• Date Visited: October 30, 2021

Spring Lake is small, with only 526 graves as of this posting, the oldest of which is from 1831. These photos show just how beautiful a place like this can be.

• Name: Credit River Catholic Cemetery, Prior Lake, Minnesota
• Location: 44.69155, -93.37929
• Date Visited: October 30, 2021

Another small cemetery with only 800+ graves dating to 1861. I took only one picture here. The carving on this very old stone is amazing. To think that that was all done by hand with a hammer and a chisel.

• Name: Old St. Thomas Cemetery, Corcoran, Minnesota
• Location: 45.12420, -93.58420
• Date Visited: October 29, 2021

Old St. Thomas is a very small, very rural cemetery surrounded by farm fields. It has only 290 graves as of this posting, the oldest of which is from 1860. I noticed that most of the people buried here were Irish.

There are three cemeteries adjacent to one another on the northern part of Dubuque. Linwood Cemetery (23,500+ graves, the oldest of which dates from 1824), Mount Calvary Cemetery (29,200+ graves, 1817), and St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery (2,700+, 1862). That’s over 55,400 graves in one location.

Linwood is by far the prettiest in terms of topography, and statuary.

Mount Calvary also has some cool things to offer in terms of aesthetics. St. Johns is pretty dull and flat with very ordinary headstones.

We also had the opportunity to visit the grave of the founder of the town, Julien Dubuque at the Julien Dubuque National Historic Site.