Southeast Missouri / Lead Belt / Mississippi Corridor
Old Lorimier Cemetery keeps Cape's early names close
Old Lorimier Cemetery began in 1808 and links Cape Girardeau's early public cemetery, Louis and Charlotte Lorimier, and a hill above the river.
Old Lorimier Cemetery is one of Cape Girardeau’s quietest history markers. The city places its start in 1808, when Louis Lorimier set aside land after the death of his wife, Charlotte.
The cemetery sits on a hill rather than in a busy public square. That makes the story feel smaller, but not less important. The city history notes that Louis Lorimier died in 1812 and was buried next to Charlotte in what is now Old Lorimier Cemetery.
The details give Cape Girardeau a personal anchor. The same name tied to trading posts, early government, and the Red House also appears in a burial ground set aside near the start of the city’s public life. It is a reminder that local history is not only buildings and roads. It is families, loss, and memory kept on the landscape.
For anyone planning to see it, access is not the normal park-style kind. The city’s cemetery page says historic Old Lorimier Cemetery is open by appointment only, with the city cemetery office as the current contact point.
Where to see it
- Old Lorimier Cemetery
Use the city cemetery page for appointment-only access and current contact details.
References
More from Cape Girardeau County: browse every local note for the county.
The sources above are the official places to confirm each detail.