Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Minneapolis, Minn.
National cemeteries were first established by President Abraham Lincoln on July 17, 1862, “…for the soldiers who shall die in the service of our country.” Twelve cemeteries were established that year; in following years, additional national cemeteries were logically and conveniently located near Civil War battlefields, Army hospitals and Confederate prisons. Moreover, “post cemeteries at some frontier forts were expanded and designated national cemeteries to receive war dead from military engagements in their area.”1
“The Fort Snelling cemetery was established in 1870 to serve as a burial ground for the soldiers who died while stationed at the post. Following World War I, as new legislation expanded the eligibility requirements for burial in a national cemetery, the citizens of St. Paul organized a petition to designate a national cemetery in their area. In 1937, Congress responded with legislation that authorized a portion of land at Fort Snelling Military Reservation for this purpose.”2
Ft. Snelling National Cemetery
Minnesota’s only national cemetery was established in 1939. On July 5, Capt. George H. Mallon was the first burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. His acts of heroism at Meuse-Argonne in France were recognized with the Congressional Medal of Honor.2
George H. Mallon Headstone
Fort Snelling National Cemetery
“The Medal of Honor citation recalls his deeds on September 16, 1918, which resulted in the capture of 100 prisoners, 11 machine guns, four 155-millimeter howitzers and one antiaircraft gun. Captain Mallon died in 1934 and originally was interred in a private cemetery. His remains were re-interred in the new national cemetery.”1
The Layout
Unlike most cemeteries, which have a variety of headstone sizes and shapes that often appear to be arranged haphazardly, Fort Snelling National Cemetery is laid out methodically with identically shaped headstones in straight lines.
Fort Snelling National Cemetery
headstone allignment
The cemetery is divided into sections (see map at
http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/maps/ftsnelling894.pdf). Each decedent is assigned an identifier number that is imprinted on the back of his or her headstone: the section number or letter and a grave number. Spouses are often buried with decedents; their names and information are imprinted on the back of the veterans’ headstones. The information center has a computer that will give you the grave number of any decedent once you key in a name. You can also go to
http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/ to obtain a grave number in advance of a visit.
Grave numbers are imprinted on the back of the headstones
(Wild turkeys visit the cemetery in the winter months)
Taking a Short Walk
Many of the soldiers that died at Fort Snelling and buried in the post cemetery brought little information with them other than their names and dates of death when they were re-interred at the national cemetery.
Henry Brown
Birth: Unknown
Death: May 26, 1887
Inscription:
New York
MUS(Musician) 25 INF(Infantry)
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Brown&GSfn=Henry&GSiman=1&GScid=82339&GRid=421632&
Spanish American War veterans’ headstones often contain only the decedent’s name and company.
William G. McFadden
Fort Snelling National Cemetery
Some of the WWI veterans had what we might consider today as unusual assignments.
James William Strothers
Horseshoer - WWI
Lee W. Browne
20 Balloon Co. - WWI
Notable Interments2
Bruce P. Smith, 1941 Heisman Trophy Winner, (Section O, Grave 1474).
C. Walton Lillehei, pioneer in heart surgery, (Section 6-B, Grave 182).
Calvin C. Stoll, former player and football coach for Minnesota Gophers football team, (Section 7, Grave 1076).
George W. and Bernice M. Janos, parents of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, (Section Y, Grave 868).
Halsey L. Hall, sportscaster, first to say "Holy Cow" during a radio broadcast, (Section L, Grave 4058).
John Mariucci, hockey coach, University of Minnesota, founder of U.S. Hockey, Member of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, (Section R, Grave 1569).
George Emerson Leach, Mayor, Minneapolis, MN 1921-1929, (Section DS, Grave 65N)
Lyle E. Norby, former director of Ft. Smith National Cemetery, (Section DS, Grave 63-S).
William D. Napton, former director of Ft. Snelling National Cemetery, 1984-1995, (Section DS, Grave 83-S).
Bruce P. Smith, 1941 Heisman Trophy Winner, (Section O, Grave 1474).
C. Walton Lillehei, pioneer in heart surgery, (Section 6-B, Grave 182).
Calvin C. Stoll, former player and football coach for Minnesota Gophers football team, (Section 7, Grave 1076).
George W. and Bernice M. Janos, parents of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, (Section Y, Grave 868).
Halsey L. Hall, sportscaster, first to say "Holy Cow" during a radio broadcast, (Section L, Grave 4058).
John Mariucci, hockey coach, University of Minnesota, founder of U.S. Hockey, Member of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, (Section R, Grave 1569).
George Emerson Leach, Mayor, Minneapolis, MN 1921-1929, (Section DS, Grave 65N)
Lyle E. Norby, former director of Ft. Smith National Cemetery, (Section DS, Grave 63-S).
William D. Napton, former director of Ft. Snelling National Cemetery, 1984-1995, (Section DS, Grave 83-S).
Do you have an ancestor
buried in a national cemetery?
Honor our veterans with a visit on Memorial Day, May 26, 2013.
LLet me help you find out what parts of Minnesota history your family played a role in.
Discover
your roots and watch the branches of your family tree begin to grow.
pjefamilyresearch@gmail.com
For more information on my
Family History Research services, visit TheMemoryQuilt.com and click on Family History Research in the left-hand
column.
1Fort Snelling National
Cemetery Informational Brochure; donated by Disabled American Veterans Minneapolis
Chapter #1
2http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftsnelling.asp#hi
All photos taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released
into the public domain May 16, 2013, as long as acknowledgement included.
