Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, MI [HD] 23 min

Woodlawn Cemetery
19975 Woodward Avenue
South of 8 Mile on West side of Woodward
Detroit, MI 48203
[phone]
Since its founding in 1895, Woodland Cemetery attracted some of the most prominent and notable individuals in the city of Detroit. The cemetery is also home to one of the largest collections of private mausoleums in the country (150 private estates). The cemetery is large; 140 acres with 71,000 interments.
The "Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement”, Rosa Parks is interred in Woodlawn’s beautiful mausoleum.
This is Ronald Winans (1956-2005), gospel singer and member of the gospel group the Winans family.
“The King of Pop”, Michael Jackson has a commemorative cenotaph in the cemetery.
Levi Stubbs (1936-2008) - Lead singer of Motown's Four Tops.
The Dodge (auto magnate) family mausoleum was built in a Neo-Egyptian style in 1915 by the Lloyd Brothers Company of Toledo, OH. The Dodge brothers opened a machine shop in 1901 that build motors and steering gear for early Ford cars. Eventually, the owned 20% of Ford Motor stock, which they sold to finance their own car company.
Edsel (Ford Motor Company president for 24 years and son of Henry Ford) and Eleanor Ford are in the cemetery, along with Benson Ford, the second son of Edsel Ford and brother of Henry Ford II and William Clay Ford, Sr.
Soul singer Aretha Franklin’s father and minister (Clarence), her sister and singer Carolyn, older brother and minister Cecil, and older sister and singer Erma are buried at the cemetery.
This is Don Barden, well-known Detroit businessman, casino executive (first black casino owner in Vegas), cable entrepreneur, to name a few.
Other music artists buried at Woodlawn include: David Ruffin (1941-1991) - Lead singer of The Temptations and Renaldo "Obie" Benson (1937-2005) - Member of Motown's Four Tops.
Billy Henderson (1939-2007) - Lead singer of The Spinners and Ronald White (1938-1995) - Member of Motown's The Miracles.
Lawrence Payton (1938-1997) - Member of Motown's Four Tops and DeShaun Dupree "Proof" Holton (1973-2006) - Rap musician.
Edward Patten (1939-2005) - Member of Gladys Knight & The Pips and Barbara Randolph (1942-2002) - Motown/R&B singer.
Dee Edwards (1945-2006) - Soul singer and James Jamerson (1938-1983) - Motown bass guitarist.
Marv Johnson (1938-1993) - Motown/R&B singer and Lewis Albert Martin (1923-2005) - Jazz musician.
Living legends Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross both have sites reserved at Woodlawn.
Roy D. Chapin (1880-1936) - Industrialist, automaker and US Secretary of Commerce and Albert Cobo (1893-1957) - Mayor of Detroit are in the cemetery.
Susie Garrett (1929-2002) - Actress, star of Punky Brewster and sister of actress Marla Gibbs and playwright Albert Hatton Gilmer (1878-1950) are buried in Woodlawn as well.
This is the mausoleum for James J. Couzens (1872-1936)- US Senator and Mayor of Detroit. he was also an early investor in Ford Motor - his shared later purchased back for $30 million.
Alex Groesbeck (1873-1953) - Michigan Governor and Attorney General and George M. Holley Sr. - Automotive engineer, designer and founder of Holley Carburetor are buried at Woodlawn.
George W. Trendle (1884-1972) - Creator of The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet and Joseph L. Hudson (1846-1912) - department store magnate are also burred at Woodlawn.
Edgar Guest (1881-1959) - Writer and Poet Laureate of Michigan.
Clayton Grinnell - founder family of the giant music store Grimmell Brothers (world’s largest piano factory and world’s largest piano distributor by the mid-1950s).
Frank J. Hecker (1846-1927) - Railroad car manufacturer and business partner of art collector Charles Lang Freer.
Julanne Johnston (1900-1988) - Silent Film actress.
Ed Killian (1876-1928) - Major League Baseball pitcher.
Alfred Lucking (1856-1929) - Congressman.
Blair Moody (1902-1954) - US Senator and newspaper reporter.
Elijah E. Myers (1832-1909) - Architect of the Colorado, Michigan and Texas State Capitols.
Hazen Pingree (1840-1901) - Detroit Mayor and Michigan Governor.
George Martin Shrake (1899-1991) - Singer, bandleader and radio personality (stage name: George Ray).
Carl M. Weideman (1898-1972) - Congressman.
Richard Storrs Willis (1819-1900) - Composer of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and other hymns.
Earl Wilson (1934-2005) - Major League baseball pitcher.
C.J. Whitney - owner of the Detroit Opera House
Charles Van Dusen - president of the S.S Kresge Company from 1925 to 1938 and major fund raiser for Detroit’s Masonic Temple.
Matilda Dodge Wilson - (1883-1967) Widow of John Dodge and Alfred Wilson, benefactor of Michigan State University

[@nancycroisant8141]

My paternal grandparents, Alvin Bruce Knight and Helen Adams Knight (she was awarded "Outstanding Woman of Detroit" in 1950, are interred in the mausoleum in the basement *the lower floor in that building. He put the heating in that building. My maternal grandparents Bertha Mary Roe Klein and Charles Edward Klein are in the ground somewhere. Charles's parents are also there along with one of the brother's named PRATT. Thank you for this video. I have photo of the Pratt's stones.

[@athorpe630]

Wow full of history. Now the Queen Of Soul is there with her familty.RIP Queen.

[@carmelasilvestri4207]

Wonderfully done. What a beautiful and maintained cemetery not to mention the legacies they left behind. Thank you.May they all RIP.

[@septinawillis4474]

It's Beautiful here.. Thanks for sharing..

[@PaulRentz]

Amazing place, I did a video myself in that my grandfather's boss and my grandparent's landlords were buried there. I randomly came across the Bolton's headstone looking for Mr. Gray's. Edward Gray was Henry Ford's Chief Engineer and Construction Engineer and my grandfather's boss from their days in Oil City at Riverside Engine. Grandpa came to Detroit with Gray in 1910. The Bolton's were their landlords in Highland Park and both Edward Gray and the Bolton family are buried in Section 5, near the office. Did you go into the main mausoleum? Interesting place!

[@johnnymorys]

Not enough veiwing info on the tombstones and the cryps!!!

[@vickyrichardson4699]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@lonniecohen7155]

You are all so welcome. It really is a nice resting place. RIP Ms. Aretha... So sad.

[@danielletripkoff4199]

Thank you for sharing this. A nice cemetery. And a very peaceful looking place.🔩

[@Whosthatgirly]

thank you for sharing ; it s a very beautiful and peaceful place...............

[@masterpiececonspiracy1235]

I Watched Rosa Parks Be Buried Here... She Had A All White... Horse Drawn Carriage... It Was Beautiful... R.I.P. Rosa Parks...

[@kennethwilliams1226]

these monuments are beautuful !!!

[@dellsutfin69]

Thank you.

[@toyman9642]

The size of some of these mausoleums means that there was a lot of wealthy people living here.

[@keepingitrealandtruthful.5081]

Rev Charles Nicks Jr, Ron Winnans, Areatha Franklin, Carroll Franklin, Erma Franklin and Rev C L Franklin is in that cemetery too.

[@tndave6867]

I worked there from 1970 to 1971.

[@chiffvetterice5929]

So amazing

[@JNoMooreNumbers]

Wonder how far back it goes. I uncovered a few from the 1600s in a small one in Macomb County.

[@jeremiahhogan8846]

Aretha is now laid to rest here too

[@cynthiathomas5443]

This cemetery is a lot like Hollywood cemetery in Richmond VA with all of the hills and mausoleums.

[@feleciakinmon5498]

It looks awesome,Joe Jackson grave didn't see it

[@timothygaits7972]

Respectfully done!

[@shawnjackson6065]

I have family buried there and had no ideal the famous people that are laid to rest there.

[@JNoMooreNumbers]

I applied for a job there at 18. Probably thought I was too young.

[@fawn999]

nice cemerery

[@crystalgrose]

Aretha Franklin is set to be buried here after her funeral on August 31.

[@brianleonard7120]

My father, uncle,Auntie and grandparent,s are buried here also.

[@Tracey..H]

It's not cheap there!!

[@Sazonman]

My middle brother was buried at Woodlawn cemetery

[@loriepostlewaite162]

Not a bad vlog but wished we knew who was who when u came upon the stones and mausoleums...thanks for sharing this must be an amazing place to see with all these stars considering it is a cemetery

[@NateBuker]

I snuck into here quite a few times at night, drinking with friends and dodging security!

[@kennethwilliams1226]

my uncle Charles canady is buried their it's a very peaceful place

[@theresadavis1865]

Kenneth Williams

[@devinsummer3022]

This is my family's cemetery when my time comes I'll be in the Mausoleum next to my mother

[@lonniecohen7155]

Live a very long life.

[@ManuelGuzman067]

Devin Summer devin how old is this cemetary

[@Dave-bv1gb]

do you have locations for some of these? I will be visiting next week and would like to find some of these. Thanks!

[@theresadavis1865]

Dave Grygiel

[@dorothymays-pitts3834]

Its great when the love and respect for a person continues after their death with the beautification of the graves 💖💖😄😀✋dP

[@maryrogers8088]

Yea.. If we could see

[@johnstudd4245]

I'll bet some of those larger private mausoleum's today would cost anywhere from 300k-500k to build.

[@beverlypayne8362]

First,started tha graves,where not keep that good,but tha further you went landscaping got better,you can tell where the money, at

[@cathywallace4255]

Try documenting with BillionGraves. Volunteers download the free BillionGraves’ app on their smartphones and then use it to take photos of gravestones. It's as easy as taking pictures of each grave as you walk along. In just a short visit - about an hour - 300 to 400 records can be preserved. As the photos are taken, each one is automatically tagged with a GPS location and a pin appears on a map marking the location of the gravestone. Then, even if a loved one's gravestone is damaged or worn by time, the invaluable information recorded at their final resting place will still be available for genealogical research to honor our ancestors and loved ones.

[@dr.cedricrichardssrthd222]

Here in California it’s like Ingelwood Cementary also

[@larrykagler1321]

L.A. has a Woodlawn Cemetery as well where Celebrities are buried...

[@lilbit7504]

My mother, uncle, and aunt, and my childhood best friends mother is buried at this cemetery.

[@jamesotto478]

This is like WOODLAWN cemetery in BRONX, NY... all the big business people: JC PENNY, WOOLWORTH, MACY, WESTINGHOUSE, PT BARNUM etc are buried in the Bronx....look it up on you tube woodlawn Bronx, NY...

[@donlove7260]

Lot of shaking with the camera because you’re walking you Should have the pool with the wait on the bottom of your camera

[@JadaCole8]

Isnt it creepy walking thru

[@BlackAnvil47]

Left out Donald Goines....

[@MrLookitspam]

Pontiac has a cemetery that us in rack and ruin full of historical Michiganders.

[@TheGreatOutdoors]

I'll try to visit it next time I'm in the area. I saw one called Oak Hill Cemetary. A lot of history. The cemetery contains the remains of six veterans of the Revolutionary War and well over 27 veterans of the Civil War, including General Israel B. Richardson, Michigan governor Moses Wisner, and General Joseph T. Copeland.

[@MrLookitspam]

@@TheGreatOutdoors it was a beautiful cemetery now as I said it’s in rack and ruin. But crammed full of history. Please do walk it I would love to see it again it’s been decades.

[@krissykulik4795]

Be great to do a ghost hunt with a ghost voice machine

[@TheCw1941]

Why would Michael Jackson be buried in Detroit? Is this real?

[@sukentasmith8712]

He's not, they just put a grave there for him

[@UChild825]

MJ is buried in CA but that headstone in Detroit was in tribute to him from Motown Records.

[@jenniferjones3486]

He's not they just have A plot for him aren't the Jacksons from Detroit? If so, Maybe that's why. 🤷🏾🤷🏾🤷🏾🤷🏾🤷🏾🤷🏾

[@lonniecohen7155]

His family was above Detroit, all Hollywood!!!

[@lonniecohen7155]

True, he is entombed in the Great Mausoleum in Hollywood where the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and others are.