Mason City's first cemetery was established in 1853 and was located in the northeast section of the town. It was a small cemetery.

Elmwood Cemetery had its genesis as the Mason City Cemetery Association on May 11, 1867, when the group voted to buy five acres from John Dexter southwest of the city. As time went on additional tracts were acquired.

The first officers of the association, which was incorporated the year it was organized, were I. W. Card, president; J. V. Mumford, vice president; R. Hickling, secretary, and George Vermilya, treasurer.
The Globe-Gazette, Section 4, Page 12, June 01, 1953, Centennial Edition

The land purchased in 1867 for a new burial ground became the beginning of the present 120-acre Elmwood ~ St. Joseph Cemetery. The St. Joseph Cemetery was developed in 1875 north of the MCCA'S newly founded cemetery in 1875.

Bodies from the northeast graveyard were relocated to MCCA'S new cemetery in 1893. The following year the new cemetery was named "Elmwood Cemetery." A chapel with a receiving vault and sitting room with stained glass windows was built in 1896 [it was removed during the 1950's].

William SMITH installed a mausoleum for his family in 1908. It was the first of the seven mausoleums in the cemetery today.

An additional 60 acres was purchased in 1938, expanding Elmwood Cemetery grounds to South Federal Avenue.

In 1949, both Elmwood and St. Joseph Cemeteries were deeded to the city. They were combined, creating Elmwood ~ St. Joseph Municipal Cemetery. In 1958, forty-thousand cubic yards of earth was hauled to the cemetery to fill in the low areas of the grounds, creating the water pond. A new office was also built in 1958.

Located in the heart of Mason City, Elmwood ~ St. Joseph Muncipal Cemetery is historically significant with respect to the city's founders, war veterans and famous citizens, Mason City's cultural heritage and her citizen's diverse religious faiths.

SOURCES:
WPA Graves Survey, Elmwood Cemetery
masoncity.net/pView.aspx?id=885&catid=58

Compilation, Submission & Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, an on-going project

Older Section of Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Autumn 2007

Elmwood-St. Joseph's Mausoleums

Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery Walk: 2010    2014    2017

Trees Forever Project, Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, 2011

Dedication of Veterans' Memorial Plaque, Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, 201

Lullaby Lane

Elmwood ~ St. Joseph Cemetery Page
at Iowa Gravestone Photo Project