Greenwood Cemetery – The First 55 Years
The story of Greenwood Cemetery dates back to 1883 when 10 acres of land was purchased from Thomas J. Stone and Oren & Addie Brown. The deed was then filed with the county clerk on May 15, 1883. Shortly thereafter, the Greenwood
Cemetery Association was founded by a group of 25 men, and the first by-laws were written and accepted. Each of the 25 members paid $10 ($250 total) to pay for the first 10 acres of ground. Each member then received one lot of six
graves for their investment.
Eight years later (1903), GCA purchased 10 additional acres (First Addition) North of the original cemetery for $1,450, and over 300 trees for $56.17. In 1906, Block 3 of the First Addition was set aside for use by St. Mary’s Church in Wayne as a burial place for members of the Catholic faith.
In 1925, the Board of Directors approved the purchase of an archway and gate for the front entrance of the cemetery. Over the next few years, the first paving was completed for the main roads of the cemetery, and city water was installed.
The first bill for water from the city was $1.12 in May of 1930 (for 9 months of use). In 1936, fencing was purchased and installed for the south side of the cemetery. In April of 1938, a contract with Frank Theilman was approved
to build a chapel in the park area of the original cemetery. The 16′x18′ chapel was constructed for the final cost of $1,186.06.