Anonymous Donor Buys Headstone for 1911 Shooting Victim
A headstone is set to mark the long-unmarked grave of Goldie Graham at Highland Cemetery in Great Falls.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Philanthropy
An anonymous donor purchased a headstone for the unmarked grave of Goldie Graham, a 23-year-old woman shot in Great Falls in 1911. Cemetery staff located her burial record from that year after an attendee of a history tour contacted Highland Cemetery.
Why it matters
Graham's grave had gone unmarked for 115 years, and her story had been shared on The History Museum's Grim Tales walking tours. The gesture restores a named, visible memorial to a local woman whose life and death had largely been forgotten.
Goldie Graham was 23 years old when she was shot in 1911 and was buried at Highland Cemetery without a headstone for 115 years. The donor has no known family or personal connection to Graham, and the headstone is expected to be installed by next spring.
The players
Goldie Graham
A 23-year-old woman who was shot in Great Falls in 1911 while working in the city's red-light district, and whose unmarked grave became the subject of a community effort to honor her.
Highland Cemetery
The Great Falls cemetery where Graham is buried, which located her 1911 burial record and identified her grave in its older section.
The History Museum
The Great Falls museum whose Grim Tales walking tours featured Graham's story and prompted the attendee to seek out her grave.
The details
Graham was working in Great Falls' red-light district when she was shot by a man she had been seeing, and she died of her injuries after a few days in the hospital. An attendee of a History Museum tour, moved by her story, contacted Highland Cemetery, prompting staff to search older records and create maps of the historic burial section.
Timeline
1911: Graham is shot in Great Falls and later buried at Highland Cemetery.
Next spring (2027): The headstone is expected to be installed.
Roadmap
Community-funded recognition of overlooked historical figures has grown alongside local history programs such as The History Museum's Grim Tales tours in Great Falls. This headstone follows that pattern by converting a story told on a walking tour into a permanent, physical memorial at Highland Cemetery.
For Great Falls residents, the headstone offers a tangible place to visit and remember a local woman whose story had been known mainly through historical tours. Readers interested in local history can connect with the story through Highland Cemetery and The History Museum's programs.
The takeaway
Small acts of attention, like one tour attendee following up on a story, can restore recognition to people history had nearly forgotten. Readers who learn about local figures can help keep those stories visible.
What happens next
The headstone for Goldie Graham's grave at Highland Cemetery is expected to be installed by next spring.
Further reading
Explore more Philanthropy stories shaping giving in Great Falls.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KRTV NEWS Great Falls.
