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Elmwood ~ Saint Joseph is a fascinating place filled with natural beauty and historical significance. Many of the area's early pioneers and city founders have their final resting place here, in addition to war veterans and famous citizens.
It is home to four walk-in mausoleums, four above ground crypts and several white bronze markers also known as zinkers/zinkies. There are many benches placed throughout the grounds and is a wonderful place to come and sit awhile or take a nice, leisurely walk and take in the wonderful history, nature and architecture.
The main cemetery entrance is located on South Federal Avenue at 14th Street SE, Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
Historical Highlights:
1853 – Mason City's first graveyard was a small one located northeast of town.
1867 – The Mason City Cemetery Association (MCAA) purchased land for a new burial ground at the present location. The first burial was in July 1867and was that of little Willie Doolittle.
1875 – The St. Joseph Cemetery was developed just north of MCCA's new burial grounds.
1891 – The Ladies Cemetery Improvement Society hired Cleveland & Son of Minneapolis, a well-known landscape gardener & architect, to design the plan for re-platting and landscaping of the cemetery grounds.
1893 – Bodies from the northeast graveyard were relocated to MCCA's new burial ground. There is very little known about this original burial ground and no records have ever been found.
1894 – The name of Elmwood Cemetery was adopted for the MCCA burial grounds.
1895 – A chapel was built with a receiving vault and sitting room with stained glass windows. It was removed in the 1950's.
1938 & 1951 – Additional acres were purchased, expanding the grounds to approximately 100 acres.
1949 & 1951 – Cemeteries were both deeded to Mason City and became the Elmwood – Saint Joseph Municipal Cemetery.
2018 – Elmwood-St. Joseph was added to the National Register of Historic Places
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