Parks & Recreation Department
Municipal Cemeteries

More photos of the cemeteries

Coordinator	Terrell Weaver
Cemetery Locations	Fairmount/New Lorimier – 835 Caruthers Old Lorimier – 500 North Fountain	Mailing Address	410 Kiwanis Drive Cape Girardeau , MO 63701
Phone Numbers	573-334-1917 Pager 278-9767	Hours of Operation	Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Old Lorimier, New Lorimier and Fairmount Cemeteries have combined total of more than 25,000 burial spaces. A listing of known burials is available for inspection at the Cemetery office, 835 Caruthers Avenue and at City Hall, 401 Independence , Fairmount and New Lorimier Cemeteries have more than 500 burial spaces available for sale. Old Lorimier Cemetery is closed to any new burials.

Fairmount Cemetery was established in 1882, by the City of Cape Girardeau , on the West Side of the 800 block of Caruthers Avenue . Currently there are approximately 9,600 grave spaces in the cemetery. The cemetery has been separated into twelve areas. These areas being the sections Old (which was subdivided into areas A, B and C), sections one through eleven. A large part of Area C was known as the Old Colored Section. More than half of Area C was used for the burial of indigent persons, with this area being known as the Commons, Paupers or Free Ground. Section eleven was recognized as the New Colored Section for many years. An unmarked area also was set aside for the burial of infants and young children that was known as "Babyland."

New Lorimier Cemetery was established in 1877 as a private perpetual care cemetery, on the East Side of the 800 block of Caruthers Avenue . The oldest marked burials date back to the early 1870’s. It has been divided into seven sections or blocks. There are some 8,800 grave spaces in the cemetery. The cemetery came under management by the City of Cape Girardeau in or about 1945. Located in the north part of the Cemetery is a Mausoleum Building that was dedicated December 1, 1917. Two hundred forty crypts are located inside, most of which were purchased prior to its construction or dedication. The building was deeded to the City of Cape in the 1960’s. All of the crypts have been sold with a large majority of them occupied.

Old Lorimier Cemetery was established in 1808 by Louis Lorimier. The location of the cemetery is 500 North Fountain Street . There is believed to be more than 6,500 burials in the cemetery, most being unmarked. A sidewalk serves as a north – south dividing line in the cemetery. It is said that Catholics are buried on the south and Protestants are buried on the north. The east slope is believed to be the burial grounds of African-American persons. It has been recorded that as many as 1,200 soldiers from the Civil War were buried there.