History can be buried, but that doesn’t mean it must be forgotten.
That is the opinion of photographer and preservationist Bruce Mathews and the numerous volunteers and local citizens who have been working to preserve Elmwood Cemetery. The cemetery covers 43 acres in the heart of Kansas City, and is the final resting place for many city founders, 12 former mayors and many others who have made a significant contribution to the development of Kansas City.
A 2-acre tract in the southwest corner of Elmwood Cemetery is owned by The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. Buried here are many of the Jewish Kansas Citians that influenced local history.
“These are Jews that worked in the community,” said Andrew Kaplan, B’nai Jehudah’s president. “Anyone who questions if Jews were involved in the development of this community just needs to learn about the names found here.”
Mathews has made it his mission to preserve the entire cemetery, including B’nai Jehudah’s section, helping to organize upkeep and restoration efforts. He believes the contributions made by those interned in Elmwood are crucial in understanding the present Kansas City.
“These are some of the people that gave us the Kansas City spirit,” Mathews said. “That spirit may have taken a hit in recent years, but it is coming back as strong as ever. These people helped create that unique spirit and here we can preserve their memory.”
The Jewish section has received a helpful boost in the form of several sizable donations from Mary Davidson Cohen and her foundation. Her grandparents are buried in Elmwood.
“Mary has a warm spot in her heart for the cemetery,” Kaplan said. “She has given $5,000 over the last five years and she just recently gave another $6,000. She has been a great supporter.”
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this beautiful park-like setting was designed by George Kessler, designer of Kansas City’s parks and boulevard system. The cemetery first opened in 1872. Because of its age, the cemetery was sorely in need of repairs and attention when Mathews took charge of the project.
“The work is never-ending,” Mathews said. “The grass was so tall, it hid many of the graves. Trees were overgrown. The people that have helped here are not afraid of work.”
Mathews expresses his gratitude to all of the people that have helped and volunteered their time.
“Not just one person does all this work,” Mathews said. “It is done by a lot of people coming together.”
Several local Boy Scouts have given a lot of time to the project recently. One Eagle Scout, Rodrigo Gonzalez, raised more than $600 to buy new headstones for six unmarked Jewish graves in the cemetery. Gonzalez personally placed the stones to give these unnamed individuals a proper burial. Though Gonzalez is not Jewish, Kaplan is inspired by his example.
“That is the real definition of the righteous Jew,” Kaplan said. “Doing something for someone out of respect and in appreciation of other people.”
Many Boy Scouts were able to complete their Eagle Scout certification thanks to their work at Elmwood.
“It’s a life-changing event for some of these young men,” Kaplan said. “And watching them do this for complete strangers, you get a bit choked up.”
In addition to the Eagle Scouts, several historical societies have been very active in restoration efforts. Volunteer opportunities are available the fourth Saturday of every month. Elmwood receives no government funding and relies on the volunteer assistance.
Mathews’ personal dedication to Elmwood, and the hard work of many others, has resurrected the cemetery from a run down and decaying spot, to a beautiful and peaceful setting.
“I have appreciated this opportunity to give back to the city and do community service, and I wanted to make the most of it” Mathews said. “And on top of that, here is a chance to learn a lot about the rich history of the city. It’s a great situation that I am very pleased about as more and more people become involved.”
For more information on Elmwood Cemetery go online to www.elmwoodcem-kc.org. There you can learn about the Family History Project as well as how to volunteer to help the cemetery.
The history of Elmwood is detailed in the book, “Elmwood Cemetery: Stories of Kansas City,” written by 24 authors and compiled by Mathews.
“It meant a lot to be able to put the history together,” Mathews said. “I doled the parts out to 24 great people in the community to work on this and they did a fantastic job. We are in our second printing now, and excited to get more copies out.”
The book is available at all Kansas City booksellers and on the Barnes & Noble website, bn.com.
More about Elmwood
“Everyone that has a street named after them is buried here,” said photographer Bruce Mathews, referencing the many familiar names found on the tombstones at Elmwood Cemetery.
To see a list of those buried in Elmwood, go online to www.elmwoodcem-kc.org. Individuals are organized by profession in easy-to-navigate sections.
Also on the website visitors will find a cemetery map, pricing information and the Family History Project and family photos. If there is a belief that a family ancestor is buried in Elmwood, there will be information on their birth, marriage history, biographical sketches and death date and location. This section is continually being updated all the time.