An Historic look at Magnolia Cemetery

Magnolia Cemetery was established by the Masons in 1898. The Masons owned and managed the Rose Hill Cemetery on 8th Street in Meridian. (1)  The Masons owned what is now two blocks of land along 23rd Avenue. This land is the site now of the Masonic Office, Hope Village and Magnolia Cemetery. (2)

Before the official establishment of Magnolia, the Masons began allowing burials on the north side of the property on 23rd Avenue. The government then began to initiate regulations and documentation for burials and for cemeteries. It was then that Magnolia was officially established in 1898. Prior burials before that year may have not been recorded and some graves may not now be marked. Some early markers were made of wood and subject to deterioration. (2)

Magnolia Cemetery was first called Rose Hill-Magnolia and then later became known as Magnolia. There were some graves transferred from Rose Hill to Magnolia soon after the opening of the cemetery. One of those was Lucius Wagner who died in 1883. Hs family moved his remains from Rose Hill to Magnolia. (1)

The cemetery is on about forty acres of land. (1)  The land slopes from both sides of the crest of a hillside. The front of the cemetery slopes toward 23rd Avenue. The cemetery office is  at the center front entry. At the crest of the hill the land slopes back down and away toward a lake and the tree line.

The oldest markers are on the front slope. Markers vary from large ornate carved marble to smaller markers. Ornate marble markers were carved here in Meridian by the skilled craftsmen at J. H. O’Neil Marble Works. (3) Their markers varied from tall monuments to very small ones. Some were simple and a few reflected the interest of the person. The markers vary in style, often related to the period the markers were created.

Large and small granite and marble markers and flat markers of bronze are among the markers seen in the front and back areas. Some markers in the old section are accompanied by a large slab or ledger that covers the area of the casket. Inscriptions were often added to them.
Woodman of the World markers are easily identified with their symbols and style.

Many family markers on the front center of the cemetery are contained within family plots, surrounded by coping walls. Some coping is marble. Some infant and youth burials were outlined and known as cradle graves.

The Kamper Mausoleum stands at the top center of the cemetery with members of the Kamper family interred in the room. The large front door opens into the room with a stained-glass window at the back that is enhanced with outdoor light. There are also several small mausoleums on the front side of the cemetery.

At the back of the cemetery stands two separate large mausoleums. The maintenance shop is behind them.

Magnolia burials include nine Spanish American War Veterans and eleven Veterans of the Confederacy. There are also many Veterans from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Global War on Terror buried here.

It is the people in the cemetery that we honor. These people, young and old, are the fabric of the history of Meridian. Burials probably began in the 1880’s  and continue today. At this time there are estimated to be about 15,000 burials there.

The ownership of the cemetery has changed through the years. It has been held by groups as well as single private owners. It is currently owned by Jay Crane of Meridian.

1. Interviews with Jay Crane, owner of Magnolia Cemetery Spring 2024

2. Interview with Richard Whitehead, Masonic Office April 2024

3. Shank, Jack, Meridian, The Queen With a Past. Vol II p. 25