Book Review: Wyuka Cemetery: A Driving and Walking Tour by Ed Zimmer

Wyuka Cemetery: A Driving and Walking Tour
by Ed Zimmer (978.229 Zim)

This handy little booklet was produced by Lincoln’s de facto city historian, Ed Zimmer (of the Planning Department), in 2009, as a guide to some of the more unusual, distinctive and historically noteworthy features inside Lincoln’s Wyuka Cemetery (located between “O” St. and Vine St., from approximately 36th St. to 42nd St.

As Zimmer says in his introduction, “Wyuka Cemetery was established by an act of the Nebraska Legislature in 1869, to provide a ‘Lincoln State Cemetery’ for the new state’s capital city, founded just two years before.” The cemetery has been expanded over the years, and this driving and walking tour booklet gives historical nuggets of information for more than 52 different “marked” stops within the grounds. You’ll learn about some of the interesting buildings and/or structures, including Rudge Memorial Chapel, mausoleums and receiving vaults, memorials to firefighters and 9/11, the funeral home, chapel and office, and the stables (now home to live Shakespearean performances). But the majority of this guide is information about significant gravestones and monuments scattered around the 140 acres of Wyuka’s grounds.

As we all employ “socially distancing” measures (this review is appearing during the COVID-19 pandemic), and you’re looking for something interesting to do that doesn’t involve gathering in large groups, perhaps you’ll consider checking out a copy of this handy guidebook and going on a drive or stroll through Wyuka’s tree-shaded landscaping, exploring some of Lincoln and Nebraska’s history through the marble and granite markers. You’ll find everyone from mass murderer Charles Starkweather (and some of his victims), to singer and movie star Gordon Macrae to former Governors like J.J. Exon. You can even do as visitors did over a hundred years ago — Wyuka followed the design ethics of other park-like cemeteries in the United States, encouraging families to bring picnic lunches and spend an afternoon surrounded by history. And if you’d rather not check out a library copy of this guidebook, it’s available as a free download in PDF format — load it onto your smartphone or tablet for convenience! Perfect if you're looking for a way to commemorate 2020's Memorial Day this coming Monday!

There’s a master map of the entire Wyuka layout at the back of the book, including an index to the location of 21 additional significant historical figures who are buried in Wyuka. Which, added to the 52 tour stops, gives you 73 identified landmarks to look for. Wyuka’s website has a grave locator, so if you’re searching for the location of any additional graves in the cemetery, and you have a name to search for, you may have even more luck.

[ official Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln web site ] | [ official PDF reproduction of this booklet web site ]

See Scott C’s review of Hallowed Grounds: America’s Overseas Military Cemeteries on DVD, on BookGuide in April 2018
See Scott C’s review of A Cemetery Special on DVD, on BookGuide in April 2018

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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