26 Famous People Buried in Cincinnati Cemeteries

By Katrina Eresman

Over the years, dozens of local and national celebrities have hailed from Cincinnati – and many of them are now buried within city limits. Here are some of the most famous folks who call the Queen City their eternal home, and where to find their graves.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Henry Heimlich

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
You know his name, whether or not you know his story. This medical researcher and thoracic surgeon is credited with inventing the Heimlich Maneuver. He first explained the maneuver in 1974, and since then it’s saved an estimated 100,000 lives in the U.S. alone. If you’ve ever relied on Heimlich’s technique to reverse choking and want to pay your gratitude and respects, head to Spring Grove Cemetery. He’s buried in Section 143-B, Lot 60.

Photo: Nigel Laflin, Wikimedia Commons

Rudolph Wurlitzer

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
Rudolph Wurlitzer was a German immigrant and a true hustler. He started out in 1853 by reselling string, woodwind and brass instruments that he imported from Germany. By 1880, the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company was manufacturing pianos and soon moved on to make band organs, orchestrions, player pianos and towering pipe organs. You can sing your praises for the Wurlitzer organ by visiting Rudolph himself at Section 80, Lot 24, Space 2 in Spring Grove Cemetery.

Photo: United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division, Wikimedia Commons

Alphonso Taft

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
Father of William Howard Taft and founder of the Taft political dynasty, Alphonso Taft was an influential political figure. He served as the attorney general and secretary of war under President Ulysses S. Grant. Locally he was known as the judge of the Superior Court of Cincinnati from 1866 to 1872, and as the first president of the Cincinnati Bar Association. He is buried in Section 52, Lot 114 at Spring Grove.

Photo: Hasker Nelson Jr., Wikimedia Commons

Levi Coffin

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
Also known as the "President of the Underground Railroad," Levi Coffin was an American Quaker and abolitionist who helped an estimated 3,000 fugitive slaves. Coffin and his wife Catherine started housing fugitive slaves in their Indiana home in 1826. They moved their efforts to Cincinnati in 1847, while running a warehouse that sold free (non-slave) labor goods. Mr. and Mrs. Coffin were seen as fearless activists who inspired others to contribute to abolitionist efforts. Coffin died in 1877 and was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery at an unmarked grave. In 1902, a group of African Americans erected a 6-foot tall memorial at his gravesite. You can find it at Garden LN, Section 101, Lot 343, Space 25.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Joseph Hooker

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
This American Civil War general is known primarily for his defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville. This defeat cleared the way for Lee and his Confederate Soldiers to travel north to Gettysburg. Despite this, Hooker’s military career continued, eventually taking him to Cincinnati, where he was buried after dying on Halloween 1879. His grave is in Spring Grove at Section 30, Lot A.

Photo: Library of Congress, Wikimedia Commons

Bernard Kroger Sr.

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
This native Cincinnatian founded the Kroger chain of grocery stores. But he is responsible for more than just Woohoo! deals. Kroger Sr. brought some innovative ideas to the supermarket game, like in-store bakeries and in-store butcheries. He’s also said to have been the first to offer self-service shopping, where shoppers could pick what they wanted themselves, versus asking an employee to collect, weigh, and price everything they needed. Imagine waiting in line to get a quote on your Oreos. Uh, no thanks! Bernard Kroger Sr. is buried in Spring Grove at Garden LN Section 111, Lot 15 space 5.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

James Gamble

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
James Gamble is an Irish-American soapmaker who went on to co-found Procter & Gamble in 1837. He and his family came to America in 1819, and were on their way to Illinois via the Ohio River when Gamble fell sick. The family ended up setting up shop in Cincinnati, where Gamble met his future business partner, William Procter, through his sister-in-law. He is buried at Garden LN, section 13, lot 6, space 3 in Spring Grove Cemetery.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

William Procter

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
William Procter was the other half of Procter & Gamble. This English-born candlemaker immigrated to America in 1830, and began making candles in New York City. His plans to move west were cut short when his first wife died en route to Cincinnati. Procter settled in the Queen City and married Olivia Norris, whose sister was married to James Gamble. Procter is interred in Spring Grove, at Garden LN, section 47, lot 76, space 14.

Photo: Herb Heise, Wikimedia Commons

Powel Crosley Jr.

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
This Cincinnati native kept plenty busy. He was an inventor, a trailblazer in radio broadcasting, and the owner of the Reds when they won the World Series in 1940. He ran companies that manufactured automobiles and radios, and started the WLW station. The Reds home field from 1912–1970, Crosley Field, was named after him, and the Great American Ball Park has an entrance named after him, too. Visit Crosley Jr.’s grave at Spring Grove, Garden LN, section 117, lot 6, space 8.

Photo: Avco Broadcasting Corporation, Wikimedia Commons

Bob Braun Sr.

Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village
Between 1967 and 1984, many Midwesterners loved tuning in to the The Bob Braun Show. The 90-minute live telecasts received high ratings, and hosted special guests, live bands and singers. Guests included Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Dick Clark, Ronald Reagan and a young George Clooney who gave viewers the low-down on his recent tonsillectomy. The charming host, television and radio personality, Robert E. Braun, is interred at Spring Grove, Garden LN, section 141F, lot 283, space 1.