This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Cemetery story reveals hidden history of Catholic graves
Lawrence Catholics revived Franklin Cemetery once used by St. John parishioners from 1870 to 1917. Walter, a Knights of Columbus member, mapped about 80 burials, cleared trees, and documented families like the Dolans and a great grandfather, while planning long term care and potential radar surveys for unmarked graves.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St. John Or Franklin Cemetery
Knights of Columbus of Council
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
Walter
Grauel
Watkins Museum of History
Topeka
Lawrence
Dolans
Franklin
Archdiocese of
Kansas City
St. John’s
Jeff Ernst
Mount Calvary
Franklin Cemetery
Ernst
Scott McCullough
McCullough
Old Franklin
East Hills Business Park
University of Kansas
Brian Walter
Dolan
Lawrence Venture Park