These men and women added the color, character, culture and community that made Dayton the unique city it is today. Some are doctors and scientists, others are artists, philanthropists or teachers. All are a credit to Dayton’s past and an inspiration for Dayton’s future. There are truly great stories here. We hope you will learn them and aim high in your own endeavors. Use our interactive map to find these individuals and take a self-guided tour.
Joseph F Abel – Captured many great moments of Dayton’s early history in his memoirs
Joseph J Abel – Charter Member of Knights of Columbus Dayton Council 500, est. 1900
Minnie Althoff – Librarian who helped the Wright brothers research the physics of flight, helped save the library’s books in the flood of 1913.
Virginia Cleary – Moved to New York at 22, became a Broadway dancer
Joseph Desch – Engineer, led development of Bombe machine to help the Navy decipher German codes in WWII
Lou Emm – One of the Miami Valley’s most popular radio personalities for more than 50 years
CJ Ferneding – President of Board of Directors of St. Henry Cemetery
Harry Finke Sr. – Longtime University of Dayton advisor and distinguished engineer
Clement Focke – Died from drowning at the age of seven
Marie Berno Focke – Lived her dream of becoming an actress and a dancer.
Carroll Hochwalt – Chemist, former Vice President of Monsanto Chemical Company
Clement Jauch – UD alumni9, founder of Dayton Stencil Works
Joseph Keller – Prominent lawyer, University Dayton Law School donor, helped establish what would become George Mason University School of Law
Peter Kuntz Family Mausoleum – The Kuntz Foundation was established in 1946 as a private corporate foundation of The Peter Kuntz Company.
Shirley Pohl – UD alumni and medical technology expert
Joseph J Schaefer – Established Schaefer Cigar Mfg., President of Calvary Cemetery
Michael J Schaefer – Established Schaefer Cigar Mfg. with his brother Joseph
Frank P Stanley – Last King of the Gypsies (Dayton clan)
Egon & Marianne VonGreyez – Pest House Caretakers
Benjamin Wegerzyn – An avid horticulturalist with a generous spirit. In 1963, he established a horticultural center in Dayton
Ed Westendorf – Kept shot clock for UD basketball for 20 years
Charles W. Whalen Jr. – Six-term Ohio Republican congressman
Bernard Whelan – Early Aviator, WWI Signal Corps Instructor
Philip Zenni – Boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg as a third class passenger with ticket number 2620
Genevieve Zimmerman – Recognized as a hero for saving pilots who crashed on her farm
William Henry Zwiesler – Engraver, planter of ginko and oak trees, local celebrity
Find these historic individuals on our interactive map:
View Calvary Cemetery • Notables in a larger map
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