SAINT JOSEPHS CATHOLIC CEMETERY

Important note: This cemetery (established 1870) should not be confused with the Saint Joseph's Catholic Cemetery (established 1900) that is located 10 miles north in North Branch, MN. This Wyoming, MN cemetery is managed by the Church of Saint Peter, Forest Lake, MN and continues to be restored and maintained.

Finding this cemetery:
This secluded cemetery is located behind the United Methodist Cemetery. Turn east onto 272nd Street and follow the gravel road about one block into the wooded area. The road will turn north (left) and the cemetery will come into view straight ahead. The road then turns east (right) and continues around the cemetery to several private residences.

Other notes:
This cemetery became inactive when the congregation voted to build a larger church in Forest Lake about 1930, although there have been several interments since then. The last burial was Adam Heim, a former Mayor of Wyoming, MN [1929~1930] in 1955.

In 2008 I found the grounds well kept and several newer markers stating "UNKNOWN" identified some of the old grave sites. Ground Penetrating Radar [GPR] was being considered to help identify all interments. Upon a return visit in the spring of 2012, 12 graves had been identified and marked with in-ground markers simply stating "UNKNOWN".

If you research this cemetery further, you will find the Minnesota Genealogical Society website indicates a box of cemetery records is in the St Peters Catholic Church in Forest Lake. I met with the Cemetery Committee members on 14-Oct-2008 and discovered these early records have never been found.

In addition, and ten years prior, the following was the response to an inquiry by Earl W Leaf regarding interment records for this cemetery.

From:
Kathleen Lynch, Parish Secretary
Church of Saint Peter
1250 South Shore Drive
Forest Lake, MN 55025

Dated: 19 Nov 1998

No church records could be found of CONNER, CONNERS, O'CONNOR, etc., some records burned in a small fire at the rectory years ago [no date given for fire and no notation of what was lost], the last person buried in Wyoming cemetery was buried in 1913. [Ed. note: This information is inaccurate, my survey and photography in 2008 revealed 12 additional interments after this date.]

The original church was a mission of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rush City, MN, maybe they have records. There is no mention that the church in Wyoming, MN was called Saint Joseph's.

* The parish secretary also included a copy of a framed picture of a white frame church with a steeple at the front which contained the front door and document stating the following:

"The original Catholic settlers of Forest Lake attended Mass in the white frame mission church in Wyoming, MN. The church was located on the southeast corner of Falcon Avenue and 269th St. As the population grew, the congregation voted to build a new church in Forest Lake. The members of the building committee were John Boehm, Ben Goodine, John Holl [sic], J W Houle, George Thurnbeck, Ambrose Sanftner, and Joseph Arth. In 1930 Matt Osterbauer purchased the former church building. It was dismantled for the lumber. The church bell was sold to the Lutheran Church for 25 dollars. Records show Mr E W Tepel of Wyoming donated the land for the Catholic and Methodist cemeteries in Wyoming, MN."

[NOTE: None of the original building committee surnames mentioned in the letter are found in the St Joseph's Cemetery. The Church of Saint Peter also manages the large Calvary Cemetery in Forest Lake, Washington County, MN.]


1250 South Shore Drive
Forest Lake, MN 55025
Phone: (651) 982-2200

Cemetery established: 1870
Cemetery status: Inactive
Cemetery type: Church
Location: Wyoming
Township: T33N
Range: R21W
Section: 17

Cemetery bio: [email protected]