Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery

Last updated
Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
Phoenix-Greenwood Memory Lawn-1902.jpg
Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
Details
Established1906
Location
2300 West Van Buren Street, Phoenix, Arizona
CountryU.S.
Coordinates 33°27′17″N112°06′58″W / 33.4548313°N 112.1162051°W / 33.4548313; -112.1162051 [1]
Owned by Dignity Memorial
Size192 acres
No. of interments>72,000
Website Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary
Find a Grave Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery

Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery is the official name given to a cemetery located at 2300 West Van Buren Street in Phoenix, Arizona owned by Dignity Memorial. The cemetery, which resulted as a merger of two historical cemeteries, Greenwood Memorial Park and Memory Lawn Memorial Park, is the final resting place of various notable former residents of Arizona. Pioneers, governors, congressman, government officials, journalists, race car drivers, soldiers, actors and actresses are among the many notable decedents who are interred in the cemetery.

Contents

History

Greenwood Memorial Park

Phoenix-Cemetery-Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery-(A-5)- Greenwood Memory Cemetery Crematorium-1906.jpg
Original Greenwood Memorial Park 1906 crematorium.
Phoenix-Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery-Horse-drawn hearse-1.jpg
Late 19th century horse-drawn hearse on display in Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery

Greenwood Memorial Park, the first of the two cemeteries which make up Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery, was established in 1906, by the Arizona Lodge No. 2 of the Free and Accepted Masons. The first early structures in the cemetery were a crematorium, a columbarium and a mausoleum.

PFC Thomas C. Reed incident

According to the book "History and Memory in African American Culture"; by Genevieve Fabres and Robert O'Meally, the Greenwood Memorial Park cemetery had a racial policy and was involved in a controversy. In November 1951, the body of PFC Thomas C. Reed, a 19 year old African-American soldier who was killed in the Korean War, remained unburied in a mortuary owned by Lincoln Ragsdale because the Greenwood Memorial Park cemetery officials requested letters of petition from 3 veterans' organizations accepting the body. The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans organizations wanted to put an end to this procedure and to the discriminatory practices of the cemetery and therefore, did not provide the requested letters. Ragsdale worked with the Greater Phoenix Council for Civic Unity (GPCCU) with the intention of publicizing the controversy in the media, both locally and nationally. His actions caught the attention of Thomasena Grigsby, a fellow activist, who then published an editorial in The Chicago Defender . [2] [3] After a three-month standoff the Board of Trustees of the cemetery voted on January 8, 1952, to admit African-American veterans on the same terms as those of the "White" race. Reed was finally buried in the veterans' section of the cemetery. [4]

Memory Lawn Memorial Park

The Shumway family established another cemetery to the west of the Greenwood Memorial Park in 1947, named Memory Lawn Memorial Park. A fence separated the cemetery from the Greenwood Memorial Park. This cemetery added a mortuary, memory mausoleum and chapel in 1957.

In 1989, the cemeteries merged and became the Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery. The cemetery joined the Dignity Memorial network which provides funeral, cremation and cemetery services.

Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery with its 192 acres (78 ha) is the largest cemetery in Arizona. [5] The cemetery has 59 sections, including a front lawn section, a veterans garden and various other cultural and religious gardens. [6] The cemetery has a monument, which was organized in 1885 and erected in 1910, dedicated to the memory of the deceased members of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department.

Mausoleums

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. In Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery there are three mausoleums, they are: [7]

Notable interments

John H. Kibbey (c. 1913) Joseph Henry Kibbey-left profile.jpg
John H. Kibbey (c. 1913)
William John Murphy (c.1905) William John Murphy.jpg
William John Murphy (c.1905)
George Ulysses Young George Ulysses Young.jpg
George Ulysses Young
Walter Winchell (1960) Walter Winchell 1960.JPG
Walter Winchell (1960)
Oscar Palmer Austin (1969) Austin OP USMC.jpg
Oscar Palmer Austin (1969)
Edith Luckett Davis and daughter Nancy (1931) Formal Photograph of Nancy Davis and Edith Davis.jpg
Edith Luckett Davis and daughter Nancy (1931)
Dwight B. Heard Dwight B. Heard.jpg
Dwight B. Heard
James Miller Creighton James M. Creighton.png
James Miller Creighton

Among the notable people interred in the cemetery are three Arizona Territory Governors, six Arizona State Governors, a Secretary of Arizona Territory, a U.S. Congressman, a Mayor of Phoenix, two recipients of the Medal of Honor, the founders of the cities of Glendale, Arizona and Chandler, race-car drivers, including the winner of the 1958 Indianapolis 500, journalists and the mother and step-father of a former First Lady.

Graves

Associated historic properties

The following historic properties are associated with the notable people interred in the cemetery.

See also

Flag of Arizona.svg  Arizonaportal

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mausoleum</span> Burial chamber of a deceased person

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb, or the tomb may be considered to be within the mausoleum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward A. Tovrea</span> American businessman (1861–1932)

Edward Ambrose Tovrea was an American entrepreneur who is best known as a prominent Arizona cattle baron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo, New York)</span> Historic cemetery in Buffalo, New York

Forest Lawn Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Buffalo, New York, founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clarke. It covers over 269 acres (1.1 km2) and over 152,000 are buried there, including U.S. President Millard Fillmore, First Lady Abigail Fillmore, singer Rick James, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, and inventors Lawrence Dale Bell and Willis Carrier. Forest Lawn is on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis Catholic Cemetery</span> Catholic cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona

St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, established in 1897, is one of the oldest in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. It consists of 52 acres (210,000 m2), 45 of which are developed. Before 1969, the cemetery was run by the Order of St. Francis, under the Diocese of Tucson. However, following 1969 it became an independent cemetery and is now owned and run by the Diocese of Phoenix. Its inhabitants represent pioneer families, community and business leaders, miners, those who succumbed to tuberculosis, and others who helped write the history of Phoenix and Arizona. Margaret Geare of Dublin, Ireland, who was buried on Oct. 12, 1897, is believed to be the first to be buried in the cemetery. The cemetery is located at 2033 N. 48th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clinton Campbell</span>

Clinton Campbell (1865-1937) was a "locally prominent builder" who worked in Phoenix, Arizona. Several of his works both survive and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Campbell died in 1937 and was buried in Phoenix's Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Ragsdale</span> African-American rights activist and Tuskegee Airman (1926–1995)

Lincoln Johnson Ragsdale Sr. was an influential leader in the Phoenix-area Civil Rights Movement. Known for his outspokenness, Ragsdale was instrumental in various reform efforts in the Valley, including voting rights and the desegregation of schools, neighborhoods, and public accommodations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakdale Memorial Gardens</span> Historic cemetery in Scott County, Iowa

Oakdale Memorial Gardens, formerly Oakdale Cemetery, is located in east-central Davenport, Iowa. It contains a section for the burial of pets called the Love of Animals Petland. In 2015, the cemetery was listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, and as a local landmark on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties. It is also listed on the Network to Freedom, a National Park Service registry for sites associated with the Underground Railroad.

Columbian Harmony Cemetery was an African-American cemetery that formerly existed at 9th Street NE and Rhode Island Avenue NE in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Constructed in 1859, it was the successor to the smaller Harmoneon Cemetery in downtown Washington. All graves in the cemetery were moved to National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Maryland, in 1959. The cemetery site was sold to developers, and a portion used for the Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood Washington Metro station.

National Harmony Memorial Park is a private, secular cemetery located at 7101 Sheriff Road in Landover, Maryland, in the United States. Although racially integrated, most of the individuals interred there are African American. In 1960, the 37,000 graves of Columbian Harmony Cemetery in Washington, D.C., were transferred to National Harmony Memorial Park's Columbian Harmony section. In 1966, about 2,000 graves from Payne's Cemetery in D.C. were transferred to National Harmony Memorial Park as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pioneer and Military Memorial Park</span> United States historic place in Phoenix, Arizona

The Pioneer and Military Memorial Park is the official name given to seven historic cemeteries in Phoenix, Arizona. The cemeteries were founded in 1884 in what was known as "Block 32". On February 1, 2007, "Block 32" was renamed Pioneer and Military Memorial Park. The Pioneer and Military Memorial Park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The historic Smurthwaite House, which is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is located on the grounds of the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park and is used as the cemetery's main office. Pioneer and Military Memorial Park is the final resting place of various notable pioneers of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double Butte Cemetery</span> Historic cemetery in Maricopa County, Arizona

The Double Butte Cemetery is the official name given to a historic cemetery in Tempe, Arizona. The cemetery was founded in 1888 on the baseline of the Double Butte Mountain for which it is named. It is the final resting place of various notable pioneers of the City of Tempe. The cemetery, which is located at 2505 W. Broadway Rd., is listed in the Tempe Historic Property Register Designation #46. The pioneer section of the cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 30, 2013, reference #13000020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Mesa Cemetery</span> Historic cemetery in Maricopa County, Arizona

The City of Mesa Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1212 N. Center Street in the city of Mesa, Arizona. It is the final resting place of various notable early citizens of Mesa. Among those who are interred in the cemetery are early pioneers, mayors, businessman, criminals and veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wing F. Ong</span> Arizona state representative (1904–1977)

Wing Foon Ong was a Chinese-born Arizona businessman, lawyer, and politician. In 1946 he was eletected to the Arizona House of Representatives, becoming the first Chinese-born person elected to a state House of Representatives in the United States. In 1966, Ong was elected to the Arizona State Senate, becoming the first Chinese-American to enter the State Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Edward Tovrea Jr.</span> American WWII flying ace (1920–1981)

Philip Edward Tovrea Jr. was a U.S. Army Air Forces World War II flying ace who was awarded the Silver Star Medal for gallantry and the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as a P-38 Fighter Pilot of the 27th Fighter Squadron. He is credited with shooting down 8 enemy aircraft in aerial combat.

Dr. Winston Clifton Hackett (1881–1949) was the first African American physician in Arizona. He was the founder of the Booker T. Washington Memorial Hospital, which was the first hospital in Phoenix which served the African American community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodyear Farms Historic Cemetery</span> Cemetery in Maricopa County, Arizona

The Goodyear Farms Historic Cemetery is the official name given to a historic cemetery located at 3900 N Santa Fe Trail in the city of Avondale, Arizona. In the past the cemetery was known as the "Pioneer Cemetery" and also as the "Litchfield Cemetery". It is the final resting place of many Mexican migrants and Native-Americans who worked in the Goodyear Farms and the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park. The majority of the unmarked graves are of those who perished in the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic which spread throughout the entire globe. The Pioneers' Cemetery Association (PCA) defines an "historic cemetery" as one which has been in existence for more than fifty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Mission Cemetery</span> Historic cemetery in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States

The Home Mission Cemetery is a historic cemetery located on West Dove Wing Way in the Maricopa County of Arizona, United States, slightly outside of the Surprise town border. The cemetery is also known as the "Sleeping Bride Cemetery" and the "Thompson Cemetery". The Pioneers' Cemetery Association (PCA) defines a "historic cemetery" as one which has been in existence for more than fifty years.

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
  2. Finn 1998 , pp. 26–27
  3. Luckingham 1994 , p. 164
  4. "History and Memory in African-American Culture"; by: Genevieve Fabres and Robert O'Meally; ISBN   0195083970.
  5. "History".
  6. "Dignity Memorial". Archived from the original on October 10, 2013.
  7. Wilson, Scott; Mank, Gregory William (Forward) (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). McFarland. ISBN   978-0786479924.
  8. Goff 1978, p. 84.
  9. Goff 1975, p. 121.
  10. Goff 1975, p. 124.
  11. McMullin & Walker 1984, p. 53.
    • Goff, John F. Arizona Biographical Dictionary. Black Mountain Press. Cave Creek, Arizona 1983. p. 263
  12. "Our Campaigns – AZ Governor – D Primary Race – Sep 11, 1934". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  13. "Arizona Governor Robert Taylor Jones". Former Governors' Bios. National Governors Association. May 3, 2002.
  14. "Arizona Governor Sidney Preston Osborn". Former Governors' Bios. National Governors Association. May 3, 2002.
  15. "U.S. Senate: 404 Error Page". www.senate.gov.
  16. Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Vol. I. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
  17. McClintock 1916, p. 192.
  18. Silverman, Amy (1993-10-13), "The Stealth Congressman", Phoenix New Times , Phoenix New Times, archived from the original on 2012-10-09, retrieved 2016-06-11
  19. Stanton, Kathleen. "The Ong Dynasty – Growing Up Chinese-American". Phoenix New Times.
  20. "Chapter IV. Settlement of the Salt River Valley. p. 83 and Chapter IX, p. 186".
  21. "Arizona Women's Hall of Fame".
  22. Brad Hall. "The History of the Street Names in Phoenix, Arizona" (PDF). www.bradhallart.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  23. "Arizona Republic" (PDF). Legacy.com .
  24. "Women Heritage Trail Madge Copeland".
  25. "Appendix A: Descriptions of Important Historic Sites" (PDF)., part of Jonathan Mabry, ed. (April 2005). "Feasibility Study for the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area" (PDF). Center for Desert Archaeology.
  26. "History of Chandler".
  27. Arizona Republic; p. 107
  28. Arizona History
  29. "William J. and Laura (Fulwiler) Murphy Papers 1781–1983 Murphy, (William J. and Laura (Fulwiler)) Papers". www.azarchivesonline.org.
  30. "Dr. James C. Norton and the Del Norte Place Historical District".
  31. "Sunnyslope"; by: Reba Wells Grandrud; p. 14; Publisher: Arcadia Publishing; ISBN   978-0738599571
  32. Star, Bette and Ed Sharpe, Glendale Daily Planet, Special to The Glendale. "City officials rededicate Sine Building". The Glendale Star.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  33. "Women Heritage Trail Eleanor Ragsdale". Archived from the original on 2017-09-30. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  34. "Lincoln J. Ragsdale Sr. (1926–1995)". January 21, 2007.
  35. "Arizona's Women Hall of Fame".
  36. Guide to MS 10, James M. Creighton Collection, Photos and Documents. 2009. Web.
  37. "Women Heritage" (PDF).
  38. "Color Blind Care". Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  39. "Heard Museum". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008.
  40. Bradford Luckingham (1995). Phoenix: The History of a Southwestern Metropolis . University of Arizona Press. pp.  90–92. ISBN   978-0816511167.
  41. "John Lincoln". www.miningfoundationsw.org.
  42. Asian American Historic Property Survey
  43. "African American Historic Property Survey – City of Phoenix" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  44. Smith, Charles (1988). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p.  359. ISBN   978-1494287627.
  45. | African American Historic Property Survey.
  46. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. Medal of Honor recipients, 1863–1973, 93rd Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1973. (p. 329)
  47. Fields, Alison (Autumn 2022). "Confederate Memorials in Arizona: Imagining the Civil War in Arizona". Journal of Arizona History. Arizona Historical Society. 63 (3): 404. eISSN   2689-3908. ISSN   0021-9053. OCLC   940300462.
  48. "Winstona Aldridge Obituary (1917–2017) The Arizona Republic". Legacy.com.
  49. "Don Bolles' tragic death". Michigan Daily. 1976-06-16.
  50. "Fallen Heroes Haze Burch".
  51. 1957 Race of Two Worlds Monza on YouTube
  52. Fowler, Glenn (August 20, 1982). "Loyal Davis, Neurosurgeon, Dies; President Regan's Father-in-Law". The New York Times.
  53. Kahn, Bernard (February 22, 1961). "Racing Driver Dies in Practice Run". Daytona Beach Morning Journal . Daytona Beach, FL. p. 1.
  54. City of Phoenix Asian American Historic Property Survey
  55. "History of the Phoenix Fire Department". www.phoenix.gov.
  56. "From the Arizona Room | 850 N. 2nd Ave. – O.C. Thompson House". March 10, 2010.
  57. "Tovrea Castle". www.dupontcastle.com.
  58. Obituary Variety , February 23, 1972, p. 71.

Works cited