Forest Lawn Memorial Park, also known as Forest Lawn Cemetery, is located at 7909 Mormon Bridge Road in North Omaha, Nebraska. It was established in 1885 when the mutual Forest Lawn Cemetery Association was donated in northwest of the city. In 1886, the first interment in the cemetery was the donor of the land, John H. Brackin. Forest Lawn is Omaha's largest cemetery and the burial location of many of Omaha's second generation of leadership.

History

Before Forest Lawn Cemetery was founded, the northwest corner of the property was used as a

Potter's Field A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pu ...

for poor people and people whose identities were not known. It was used from at least the 1880s through the 1960s. The present area of is designed according to a park-type plan, with rolling hills, forests and lawns. Historic Omaha family names are scattered throughout the cemetery, along with veterans from the

Civil Civil may refer to: *Civic virtue, or civility *Civil action, or lawsuit * Civil affairs *Civil and political rights *Civil disobedience *Civil engineering *Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism *Civilian, someone not a membe ...

, Spanish–American, and World Wars I and II, as well as Korea, Vietnam, Gulf and Iraq Wars. The G.A.R., the

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, and the Omaha Typographical Union owned parts of Forest Lawn Cemetery, and part of Forest Lawn was made into a national soldiers' cemetery. Income from the land, as it is sold, continues to be used for protecting, preserving, and embellishing the cemetery. Soon after Forest Lawn was opened, Omaha's pioneer burying place, Prospect Hill Cemetery, stopped being used. Shortly thereafter Prospect Hill's owner,

Byron Reed Byron Reed (March 12, 1829 – June 6, 1891) was an American pioneer real estate businessman and local politician in Omaha, Nebraska. He founded the first real estate office in the Nebraska Territory and became the foremost agent after Nebraska ...

, sold it to Forest Lawn in the 1890s.(nd
Historic Prospect Hill - Omaha's Pioneer Cemetery
. Nebraska Department of Education. Retrieved 7/7/07. That Cemetery soon fell into disrepair, and was only redeemed in the 1980s.

Notable interments

* Howard Malcolm Baldrige, U.S. Secretary of Commerce *

Kimera Bartee Kimera Anotchi Bartee (July 21, 1972 – December 20, 2021) was an American professional baseball outfielder and coach. Bartee played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies from 1996 to 20 ...

, baseball player and coach *Joseph Stillman Blake, architect with Blake & Zander * James E. Boyd, Mayor of Omaha, Governor of Nebraska * Norris Brown * Howard Homan Buffett, father of Warren Buffett * Hugh Alfred Butler * Caroline Augusta Clowry (G. Estabrook), first American woman to publish an opera * Harry Buffington Coffee * Tom Dennison, Omaha political boss *

Richard A. Dier Richard Andrew Dier (February 27, 1914 – December 7, 1972) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. Education and career Born in Exeter, Nebraska, Dier received a Bachelor of Scie ...

, judge * Henry Doorly, publisher of ''Omaha World-Herald'' * Experience Estabrook *

J.E. Goodson John Edward Goodson (1808 – 1892) was a 19th-century North American classical music educator, performer, composer, and conductor. Goodson, a highly skilled pianist and organist, was born and raised in London, England, and received his early educa ...

, 19th century musician * Gilbert Hitchcock, U.S. Senator and founder of ''Omaha World-Herald'' *

Robert Beecher Howell Robert Beecher Howell (January 21, 1864 March 11, 1933) was an American politician. He was born in Adrian, Michigan. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1885. Afterwards, he went to the Detroit School of ...

* Albert Webb Jefferis * David Knox, Civil War photographer * Herman Kountze * Jesse Lowe, first mayor of Omaha * Charles Frederick Manderson *

David Henry Mercer David Henry Mercer (July 9, 1857 – January 10, 1919) was an American Republican Party politician. Born in Benton County, Iowa on July 9, 1857, he moved with his parents to Adams County, Illinois in 1858. After the American Civil War he mov ...

* Jarvis Offutt, World War I aviator, namesake of

Offutt Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air ...

* Anne Ramsey, actress *

Samuel Williams Reynolds Samuel Williams Reynolds (August 11, 1890March 20, 1988) was a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska. Biography Reynolds was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 11, 1890. In 1908, he engaged in the Omaha wholesale coal business. During ...

* Alvin Saunders *

Walter Scott Jr. Walter Scott Jr. (May 21, 1931 – September 25, 2021) was an American billionaire businessman, civil engineer, philanthropist, and CEO of Kiewit Corporation. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at US$4.2 billion. Education He ...

References

External links

Forest Lawn Memorial Park
* {{coord, 41, 19, 42, N, 95, 58, 55, W, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-NE Cemeteries in Omaha, Nebraska History of Omaha, Nebraska Historic American Landscapes Survey in Nebraska 1885 establishments in Nebraska

History

Notable interments

See also

References

External links