Elizabeth Mann’s tomb at Greenwood Cemetery.

The Forgotten
Dustin White

The mysteries at Greenwood Cemetery in Mandan are quite diverse. Abandoned early in the 20th century, many who were buried in the grounds were eventually forgotten, yet were once pioneers in the area. One such individual was Elizabeth Mann.

Born on March 6, 1811, she would eventually meet and marry a John Scott Mann. The two would be some of the first pioneers in Mandan and Morton County, becoming well respected by all in the community.



Elizabeth would also become active in the Presbyterian Church in Bismarck, where she would initially be buried.

On Nov. 12, 1874, Elizabeth passed away. Little is said about her death, but from her obituary, it can be gleamed that she attempted to help all that she could. Being fairly wealthy at the time of her death, a portion of that help came in a monetary form.

She would be buried in the funeral grounds attached to the Presbyterian Church, after the Rev. I. O. Sloan preceded over her funeral. Her body would later be reinterred at Greenwood Cemetery.

(Editor’s note: It is a bit disappointing that more couldn’t be found on Elizabeth Mann. A true pioneer, she lived in the area, for the most part, before the newspaper industry was established, and thus, much of her history has been lost. However, interestingly enough, when she is mentioned, she is addressed as Elizabeth (or Eliza) Mann, while John Mann’s future wife would only be addressed as Mrs. Mann, suggesting that Elizabeth was seen as being important in her own right. The story of John Mann will be covered in a future column).