Uncovering Abandoned History of Topeka's Security Benefit Association Cemetery
*The cemetery is private; all images and videos were taken along the edge of the property.
Did you know there’s an old cemetery on Menninger Hill? Nearly a century old, the Security Benefit Association Cemetery lies neglected, hidden in plain sight. Driving by, you’d hardly know it’s there—overgrown with grass, overtaken by trees, and forgotten by time.
When I explore places, I avoid using words like “discovered,” “unknown,” or “forgotten.” After all, can we truly discover what was already known? Can a place really be forgotten if it’s still part of the landscape? But as I stood in the Security Benefit Association (SBA) Cemetery, the word forgotten echoed in my mind. The knee-high grass and invading trees made it clear that no one had tended this burial ground in years. You’d never guess over 160 people were laid to rest here. How could a place meant for remembrance fall into such neglect?
Peer through the weeds, and you’ll see gray headstones carved with names and dates, barely visible beneath nature’s grasp. Etched with only names and dates, these markers represent a life and a story. Though they lay buried under years of disregard.
Based on records, there are 164 graves. The cemetery saw its first burial in 1925, with Mary Learmont laid to rest in lot number one. Later that same year, a young boy named Merrill Cook—just 14 or 15 when he passed—was buried. Merrill, thought to be a resident of the Security Benefit Association orphanage, is the youngest person in the cemetery. The last burial occurred in 1959 when Minnie Payne was laid beside her husband, Joseph, who had died 16 years earlier. In fact, there are at least 14 couples buried together here, their final resting places side by side.
That same year, in 1959, the Menninger Foundation acquired the SBA home and hospital grounds. It’s unclear whether the cemetery was included in the sale, but after that, the records go silent. The Kansas State Historical Society holds the Menninger Foundation’s archives, including records and photos of the cemetery, but the care and upkeep of the land seem to have slipped through the cracks. Becoming on of Topeka's abandoned history locations.
It was disheartening to see 1967 images of the cemetery. Even though the last burial had been less than ten years before, it already seemed overlooked. I've been left with more questions and hope to find some answers. Was this a cemetery for individuals who died without any family or connections? All the graves reported have a headstone, but are there unmarked graves? Based on the map, over 300 lots were plotted. I've entirely fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole.
In just the last week since my last visit on Sunday (September 22), someone left a handmade sign on an old metal fence post that read, "SBA Cemetery 164 Graves Please Mow." It would seem others are also distressed about the cemetery's condition.
This story is ongoing.
Why Old Cemeteries Matter: Preserving Our Connection to the Past
Preserving cemeteries like the SBA isn’t just about maintaining a patch of land—it’s about valuing the lives and stories of those who came before us. When we let these places fall into disrepair, we risk losing that connection. Each grave, overgrown with weeds, holds a life that mattered. Each headstone represents someone’s story. By caring for these spaces, we honor those stories and keep a piece of our shared history alive. In preserving their memory, we also preserve a part of ourselves.
Black and white images and historic map are credited to the Kansas State Historical Society.
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