About & History

Ten thousand people are buried in Calvary Cemetery; 10,000 stories in the 150-year-old cemetery.

Records indicate the first burial in Calvary Cemetery occurred on December 28, 1863; however, a tombstone in the oldest section of the cemetery lists “DIGNAN” with the dates for the father, born 1800 and died 1858. Records list 3 early burials in 1866: Permelia A. Bero, John Rutherford, and Bridget Rutherford.

Land records show the transfer of 28 acres more or less, lying south of Turtle Creek, purchased by Rev. Claude Genis from Daniel B. Johnson, Jr. and his wife Lois A. Johnson. The transaction changed, by deed, land in section 10 of Austin township to Rev. Genis and the Bishop of St. Paul, Rt. Rev. Grace. The purchase price was $600.00. One of the previous owners had been Chauncy Leverich.

The first records of an association appear on June 3, 1904 when the following persons signed their name to incorporation proceedings of the St. Augustine Cemetery Association: Edward H. Devlin (Father Devlin), P.A. Garrity, Michael O’Leary, Andrew Moonan, John Fogarty, D.C. Kenevan, Daniel Leary, Michael Leary, Joseph Billadeau, Frank Guiney, Thomas Revord, and Joseph Keenan.  Also listed were James Keenan, P.H. Zender, William Christie, Edward P. Kelly, Katherine Potts, Bridget Hogan, Nellie Brown, Celia Linsay, Mary Carrol and Mrs. Willard Bartlett.

Elected to serve on the board of trustees were E.P. Kelly, J.J. Furlong, P.H. Zender, James Keenan, Father Edward H. Devlin, Thomas Revord, and Edward Cotter.

The board met the first Tuesday following the first Monday in December, and the first officers were William Christie, chairman, Edward R. Kelly, secretary. On June 25th, 1904, J.J. Furlong was elected chairman; Kelly secretary; Thomas Revord, treasurer; Father Edward H. Devlin, actuary.

In 1938 the Queen of Angels parish was established so the name was changed from St. Augustine’s Cemetery to Catholic Cemetery. In 1950, when the bishop of the diocese became an ex-officio member of the Catholic cemeteries in the diocese, the name was changed to Calvary.

More land was purchased in 1954 from Martin Bustad and added to the cemetery holdings.

Early in 1946, several persons proposed the erection of a monument to honor those who were killed in service during World War II. A committee composed of Dr. R.A. Anderson, A.A. Barry, and Paul Beckel planned the monument and approached the Catholic Cemetery Association for permission to erect it on cemetery land. The association agreed and gave the land with the provision of perpetual care and agreed that the immediate area would never be used for any other purpose other than interment of war dead.

The Austin Memorial Co. was contracted and R. H. Lillquist, owner, designed and arranged for the memorial monument. The names of 27 boys were carved on the stone. On Memorial Day, 1947, the memorial was unveiled and dedicated to those men who gave their lives for their country. Only 3 were buried in the monument area.

The stone reads as follows: “In Memoriam World War II”, “To our boys who gave their lives that others might live.” A the bottom are the words, “Greater love than this, no man hath.”

The 27 names are: LeRoy E. Allen, Raymond P. Anderson, Mathew F. Balfe, Adelbert A. Barry, Jr., Donald L. Beckel, Lloyd K. Beckel, Leo B. Braun, Leo F. Cummins, Richard T. Donovan, Percy H. Ehlert, Robert H. Flanigan, Raymond L. Halstead, Lorraine N. Hunter, Leonard P. Kirtz, Clement J. Kroc, Paul J. Larkoski, Donald F. Loecher, John T. Lynch, Thomas M. Ray, Roy T. Stanton, James L. Stolzenberg, Boyd T. Strong, Jean H. Thilgen, Nicholas P. Wagner, Wilfred S. Wagner, Lawrence J. Wendell, and Eddy Guy Woodward.

There are 9 priests buried in Calvary; 8 are buried in the section in front of the altar and one is buried a short distance east of the altar. The 9 are: Monsignor Robert E. Jennings, (St. Augustine Parish), Monsignor Donald A. Cunningham (Queen of Angels Parish), Monsignor J.G. McShane (a native of St. Augustine Parish), Monsignor Francis McCarthy (St. Augustine Parish), Monsignor William E.F. Griffin (St. Augustine Parish),Monsignor Edward Devlin (St. Augustine Parish), Father Lawrence Gavin (St. Augustine Parish), Father John V. Donovan, and Monsignor Daniel Sullivan (St. Augustine Parish).