Cemeteries are not places we usually visit. This is not because we don’t like cemeteries but because we believe Louisiana has some of the most interesting “cities of the dead”. That said, everyone we spoke with in the Wadena, Iowa area told us to go see “Skinner” in the Lima Cemetery, and so began our quest.

The Lima Church struggled from its beginnings as a Congregational Church in 1857 with five members. The members grew to twenty before being disbanded. Then it became a United Brethren Church, but again struggled for members. In 1882 the church was built and held services until 1949. Today, the church is available for community events, weddings, and funerals. It is also home to the Lima Leaf Day in the fall.

Lima Church

The church has an interesting history yet that is not what brought us to Lima. It was the cemetery and yes it did have some very interesting headstones. One in particular and the one everyone told us we “had to see” was John Crawford’s grave. The sculpture was carved in Vermont granite by an Italian sculptor. The monument arrived in Lima in 1912 via train. Nothing unusual except this is pretty much a life size sculpture of John Crawford and his dog, Skinner. On the sculpture is a plaque that reads, “The one absolute unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world is his dog”.

John Crawford and Skinner

There is not much left to Lima except the church and cemetery. It is also not a place you will just pass by, you have to want to visit. We enjoyed our visit and there were some very interesting grave markers and monuments.