Greenwood Memorial Park (San Diego) facts for kids

Greenwood Memorial Park is a special place located near San Diego in California. It's a cemetery, which is a peaceful area where people who have passed away are laid to rest. You can find it at 4300 Imperial Avenue, right next to another cemetery called Mount Hope Cemetery.

Opened in 1907, Greenwood Memorial Park covers about 125 acres, which is like 95 football fields! It's about five miles east of Downtown San Diego. This cemetery is a great example of a "rural cemetery" style. This means it's designed to be beautiful and calm, with interesting buildings, art, and lovely gardens. Today, Greenwood and its funeral home are part of a company called NorthStar Memorial Group.

Famous People Buried at Greenwood Memorial Park

Many interesting people are buried at Greenwood Memorial Park. Here are some of them:

Leaders and Innovators

• Belle Benchley (1882–1973): She was the director of the San Diego Zoo for many years, from 1927 to 1953. She helped make the zoo famous!
• George Burnham (1868–1939): He was a banker and also involved in politics.
• William "Bill" Kettner (1864–1930): He was a United States Congressman and worked hard to help San Diego grow.
• Phil Swing (1884–1963): Another United States Congressman who served his country.
• Ulysses S. "Buck" Grant, Jr. (1852–1929): He was the son of President Ulysses S. Grant. He was a lawyer and helped develop the famous U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego.
• Ulysses S. Grant IV (1893–1977): He was the grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant. He was a geology expert at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Heroes and Artists

• Victor Buono (1938–1982): A well-known actor who played many different characters in movies and TV shows.
• Marvel Crosson (1904–1929): She was a brave and pioneering female pilot who flew planes when it was still very new.
• Bob Elliott (1916–1966): A talented Major League Baseball player who was named the National League MVP in 1947.
• David Faber (1928–2015): He was born in Poland and survived the Holocaust. He later became an author and speaker, sharing his important story.
• Walter Fuller (1910–2003): A jazz trumpeter and singer. He also worked for civil rights, fighting for fairness for everyone.
• Burke Hanford (1872–1928): A sailor who received the Medal of Honor, a very high award for bravery.
• Moses A. Luce (1842–1933): A veteran of the Civil War and also a Medal of Honor recipient. He was a lawyer and started a big law firm.
• Charles Schroeter (1837–1921): A veteran of both the Civil War and the Apache War. He also received the Medal of Honor. He was later moved to Miramar National Cemetery.
• Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861–1936): A famous opera singer with a beautiful deep voice.
• Gregon A. Williams: A Major General in the Marine Corps who served in Nicaragua, World War II, and the Korean War.
• Harold Bell Wright (1872–1944): A very popular writer whose books sold millions of copies.

There is also one British Commonwealth war grave at Greenwood. This grave belongs to a Lieutenant-Commander Surgeon from the Royal Navy who served in World War I.