Gravebakken Cemetery
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Gravebakken Cemetery

Also known as Jamtland Cemetery

Cannon Falls, Goodhue County, Minnesota, USA

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  • Get directions Cannon Falls, Minnesota, USA
    Coordinates: 44.48391, -92.75463
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This cemetery is located in the southern part of Vasa Township in Cannon Falls, on a hill surrounded by cornfields. The cemetery was known locally as Gravebakken, which is Swedish for "cemetery on a hill". It is believed that the majority of burials in this cemetery took place from 1859 - 1881, of which many are believed to be infants.



The land for this cemetery was donated by Jens Zackrison, whose daughter, Minnie, was the first person to be buried here, in 1859. The colony to which the family belonged was called Jamtland, named after their home in Sweden. At the time the land was donated, Jens stipulated that there would never be a charge for a lot in the cemetery.



In 1930, Ole Zackrison, (the 80-year old son of Jens), came back to the area to find his father's grave and enlisted the help of the local community to clean up and fence in the cemetery. All of the original wood markers had disintegrated however the military stone for Halvor Eckland, who died in 1862, was still intact. Since there was no known record of who was buried in the cemetery, one year was dedicated to tracking down family and researching the burials.



Today, white crosses mark the graves of those buried there and the cemetery is maintained by the local community. A marble monument erected in the 1930s contains the names of 31 people whose graves have been identified.





This cemetery is located in the southern part of Vasa Township in Cannon Falls, on a hill surrounded by cornfields. The cemetery was known locally as Gravebakken, which is Swedish for "cemetery on a hill". It is believed that the majority of burials in this cemetery took place from 1859 - 1881, of which many are believed to be infants.



The land for this cemetery was donated by Jens Zackrison, whose daughter, Minnie, was the first person to be buried here, in 1859. The colony to which the family belonged was called Jamtland, named after their home in Sweden. At the time the land was donated, Jens stipulated that there would never be a charge for a lot in the cemetery.



In 1930, Ole Zackrison, (the 80-year old son of Jens), came back to the area to find his father's grave and enlisted the help of the local community to clean up and fence in the cemetery. All of the original wood markers had disintegrated however the military stone for Halvor Eckland, who died in 1862, was still intact. Since there was no known record of who was buried in the cemetery, one year was dedicated to tracking down family and researching the burials.



Today, white crosses mark the graves of those buried there and the cemetery is maintained by the local community. A marble monument erected in the 1930s contains the names of 31 people whose graves have been identified.





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  • Added: 7 Jun 2013
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2499523