Moorhead, MN was first established in 1871. The settlement grew rapidly, as the immigration from Europe and especially from the Scandinavian countries increased greatly during those years. The rapidly growing city of Moorhead eventually caught the attention of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Minnesota. 

After different ministers and church officials visited the area, the "Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Bethesda Congregation of Fargo, Dakota Territory" was organized on May 4, 1880 in Moorhead. The name was eventually changed to "Bethesda Lutheran Church" and despite it being organized with the name Fargo, it has always been located in Moorhead.

During the first few years of Bethesda, the congregation had no cemetery. The question of a burying ground was discussed more or less without definite action until 1885. In that year, one of the church members who was in poor circumstances passed away. In order that he should not be buried in the potter's field it was necessary to gather funds to buy him a grave. As this was done, it became clearer than ever to the congregation that it must procure a piece of land and dedicate the same as a cemetery. The ground was then purchased, which has since been a cemetery. The cemetery was originally located south of town in Moorhead Township, but the City of Moorhead has since enveloped it and it is now within Moorhead city limits.

The cemetery was originally known as "Swedish Lutheran Cemetery" from 1885-1924, was renamed "Bethesda Cemetery" in 1924, and it was enlarged and renamed "Evergreen Memorial Cemetery" in 1958, when its mission was broadened from a resting place for the church's members to a true community cemetery.

Although the cemetery was established in 1885, the oldest marked grave appears to be that of Wendla Svensdotter Lindler who died on February 14, 1883. It is possible that graves older than 1885 were moved to the cemetery from other locations. The oldest person by year of birth buried in the cemetery appears to be Lars Johnson Bjorkquist, who was born in 1810 in Sweden.

Management of the cemetery is financed by a perpetual building fund, established in 1958, and built with a portion of the price of each lot that is sold. An endowment fund was established in 2001.

In 2009, Lloyd Paulson of Moorhead established the Beverly Paulson Memorial Challenge, in memory of his wife Beverly Gerhardson Paulson. Beverly Gerhardson Paulson served on the Evergreen Memorial Cemetery board of directors until her death in 2009. She helped initiate the Perpetual Care Endowment Fund and Memorial Plaza. She is interred at Bethesda, along with her great-grandparents N. A. Anderson Muller and Hanna Anderson Muller, who died in 1915 and 1911.

The cemetery contains several sections, a columbarium niche, and an ossuary. Oscar Westberg was the cemetery superintendent in 1930. Many others have served over the years, and in the 2010s and ‘20s, Russ Hanson served for many years.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS OF MARCH, 2024

Teresa Norwig, President (Bethesda)

Cynithia Sillers, Secretary (First Presbyterian) 

Aaron Holmquist, Treasurer (Bethesda)

Bruce Bekkerus (Trinity)

Chris Carlson (Bethesda council rep)

Larry Carlson (Bethesda)

Stan Iverson (Trinity)

Nancy Hanson, Superintendent