Lakewood Cemetery

06/18/2026

On this day in 1918, the famous Twin Cities brothel madam Ida Dorsey passed away. Her business was controversial, but brothels were commonplace in late 19th and early 20th century Minneapolis — and were often among the few businesses of that era that were commonly run by women. Dorsey was born in Kentucky in 1866, and researchers figure that she was born to a Black American mother and a white father. Dorsey moved to the Twin Cities around age 20 and opened a brothel in St. Paul, before moving her business across the river to Minneapolis. At the time, prostitution was technically illegal, but it was also big business, and an open secret. Given their popularity, brothels and their madams paid significant tax money, and had real influence in city politics. At one point, the madams even led an initiative to move their businesses into a contained red-light district downtown, and the city agreed. Enforcement tended to be light, just so long as brothel madams and staff regularly paid fines to the city. However, Dorsey, as a Black businessowner, sometimes received particularly harsh scrutiny: In one 1886 raid, Dorsey was put in prison for 90 days, while the white madams who were swept up in the same raid only received fines. Dorsey, however, knew how to market herself, and she leaned into this scrutiny and drama in her marketing, ultimately building a long-running and high-rolling business. But in the early 20th century, Minneapolis started cracking down on the trade more seriously, and all of the city’s brothels were shut down by 1915. Dorsey passed away in 1918 and is buried in Lakewood’s Section 11. Her story and those of other brothel owners lives on in accounts like Penny A. Petersen’s book “Minneapolis Madams: The Lost History of Prostitution on the Riverfront.” The brick building Dorsey built to house her business at 212 Eleventh Avenue is also the only surviving building from Minneapolis’s red light district.


Image: Dorsey’s grave at Lakewood. Image 2: Dorsey’s still-standing building in downtown Minneapolis, via Wikimedia

06/17/2026

Due to the forecasted weather, the Legacy Trees of Lakewood: Public Walking Tour is cancelled. The next Legacy Tree Tour is on Wednesday, July 15. Be sure to explore Lakewood's other tour offerings until then.

lakewoodcemetery.org/legacy-trees-of-lakewood-public-walking-tour-jul15/

06/17/2026

Stop by our Welcome Center this Saturday, June 20, between 8 AM - 4:30 PM to pick up a free white rose, a symbol of love and remembrance for a father who has passed. You can also decorate a ribbon to tie to our Living Memory Tree in honor of the fathers and fatherly figures you are remembering this weekend.

🌸Learn more at:
lakewoodcemetery.org/event/fathers-day

06/16/2026

Lakewood Cemetery is very proud to support Doors Open Minneapolis as a venue and sponsor. We’re grateful for the opportunity to welcome visitors and share Lakewood’s stunning spaces with the Doors Open Minneapolis community each year.

We are truly grateful to Lakewood Cemetery for championing Doors Open Minneapolis year after year. Not only do they open their breathtaking chapel to visitors, they support the event as sponsors. Thank you Lakewood for all you do for Doors Open!

06/16/2026

Calling all amateur and professional photographers!

Our summer 2026 Focus on the Seasons photo contest is now open for submission through July 31.

Submit your favorite Lakewood summer photos for a chance to be featured in our annual calendar. Learn more or submit today by visiting our website: lakewoodcemetery.org/focus-on-the-seasons/

06/15/2026

Our neighbor to the south, Roberts Bird Sanctuary, takes its name from Thomas Sadler Roberts (1858–1946), a pioneering Minnesota ornithologist who is buried here at Lakewood.

Roberts grew up exploring the woods, wetlands, and lakes of Minneapolis, where his fascination with birds began early. He started keeping a bird journal at just 9 years old. As a teenager, he helped found the Young Naturalists Society, and although he later became a prominent physician, his passion for birding never left him. In 1932, after retiring from medicine, he published Birds of Minnesota, a groundbreaking guide still available in print today, and went on to play an important role in bird conservation and education.

Today, he rests in Lakewood’s Section 10, not far from the landscapes that first inspired his curiosity, while his name lives on just beyond our gates.

🐦 Late June is a beautiful time to listen for birdsong and spot a few of your own. Join our expert-led birding tour Sunday, June 28th, 9–11am.
https://www.lakewoodcemetery.org/event/june-morning-birding-at-lakewood/

Image 1: Roberts in the field via The Bell Museum. Image 2: Roberts’ 1877 School Photo (pictured top row, third from right) via Hennepin County Library. Image 3: Roberts portrait via Hennepin County Library. Image 4. Lakewood Birding.

06/13/2026

Join Lakewood for a quiet and meditative tea ceremony to honor the summer solstice in our beautiful Memorial Chapel on Monday, June 22.

Tea has been used for thousands of years for deep meditation and sacred transitions. It allows us to connect more deeply with nature and our own feelings and emotions. We are honored to bring this beautiful practice to Lakewood to help those on their grief journey.

There are two time slots available at 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Limited tickets are still available at both times.

For more information, or to reserve your tickets, visit: lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/tea-ceremonies-at-lakewood/

06/12/2026

Did you know that Lakewood has multiple shared memorial areas tied to various fraternal, professional, and social groups? In addition to our Firefighter’s memorial and the Elks’ area, Lakewood is also home to a shared memorial for people connected to St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church. Situated in Section 35, the plot was designated by the early 1950s by Lakewood and St. Mary’s – which is located just a few blocks from Lakewood – to serve as a community burial site for parishioners who wished to be buried together. Gathered around a central altar-like memorial monument, this community burial area serves as the eternal resting area for many leaders of Minnesota’s Greek community. Among them is candymaker Thomas Canelake. He and his brothers started their candy company and store, Canelake’s Candies, in 1905 in Virginia, Minnesota. Eventually the brothers passed the business onto the next generation. Though Thomas passed away on this date in 1968, Canelake’s Candies remains in Virginia, and is still run by the Canelake family.



Image 1: The St. Mary’s memorial at Lakewood. Image 2: The old Canelake’s Candies store in Virginia, via Duluth News Tribune. Image 3: Canelake’s Candies today, via Canelake’s.

06/10/2026

🧘‍♀️ Yoga Reflect is this Saturday (and most Saturdays this summer), on the Lakewood Welcome Center Lawn.

Join Lakewood and Yoga Sanctuary for a peaceful, guided yoga practice on the Welcome Center lawn. Set against a serene, nature-filled backdrop, this meditative class blends mindful movement, breathwork, and moments of rest to support strength, flexibility, balance, mental clarity and healing.

All levels are welcome—whether you’re brand new or a seasoned practitioner. Modifications are offered throughout so you can move at your own pace.

🌿 Most Saturdays all summer 8 AM - 9 AM

🌿 Drop-in—no registration needed

🌿 Rotating instructors each week

Hosted by Yoga Sanctuary, a nonprofit studio dedicated to making yoga accessible, inclusive, and supportive for every body.
https://www.lakewoodcemetery.org/events-calendar/yogareflect/

06/09/2026

On this day in 1859, the architect of Lakewood’s Memorial Chapel, Harry Wild Jones was born in Michigan, the only child of a Baptist minister. Jones studied at Brown University and later at MIT. After graduating, Jones was hired as a draftsman for an architectural firm in Boston. Eventually, Jones made his way to Minneapolis, where he took on a variety of clients. His work ranged from commercial buildings, including the Butler Square Building, to the Scottish Rite Temple and the First Congregational Church. He also designed many residential homes, including homes for T.B. Walker (memorialized at Lakewood in Section 46), Marion Savage (memorialized in Section 23) and his own abode in South Minneapolis. He was described as possessing both an artist’s eye and an engineer’s intellect. One of Jones’ masterpieces is undoubtedly Lakewood’s Memorial Chapel, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For this work, Jones drew inspiration from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Along with his architectural work, Jones also served as the first formally trained professor for architecture at the University of Minnesota. Jones worked throughout his life taking on a commission at age 72 for a new water tower in Minneapolis’ Tangletown neighborhood. The project was completed in 1932, and the tower stands 110 feet tall. Though no longer in use, it remains a favorite spot for local walkers and architectural buffs. You can pay your respects to Harry Wild Jones by visiting our beautiful chapel and his memorial in Lakewood’s Section 4.

Image1: Harry Wild Jones via Star Tribune. Image 2: Lakewood Chapel. Image 3: Washburn Water Tower via Wikimedia. Image 4: Harry Wild Jones' home via Henn County Library. Image 5: Scottish Rite Temple via Henn County Library.