In 1918, the Dixie Pythian Lodge founded the Dixie Pythian Cemetery, named for the fraternal organization, the Knights of Pythias. Established in 1864, the Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal order to receive a charter under an act of the U.S. Congress and is dedicated to the cause of universal peace.

Through the years, Dixie Pythian Cemetery eventually fell into a state of neglect. A local funeral home owner purchased the cemetery from the Pythians and changed its name to Greenlawn Cemetery. Improvements made under the new ownership included the addition of a wall along the front of the property, a pond and the establishment of a fund to take care of the grounds.

Some years later, Michigan native J. Howard Wendorph purchased Greenlawn Cemetery in 1949.