His Family were the original owners of the land upon which Layman's cemetery is located, (Bloomington & Lake Street, Mpls., MN).
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Martin G. Layman was boarn in Greene County, N.Y. on January 18, 1811. He moved to Minnesota in 1853 with his wife, Elizabeth, and their (at that time) eleven children. He pre-empted a section of land near Cedar Avenue and lake Street and built the sixth house in Minneapolis. When their minister's son died in September 1863, Mr. layman donated part of his land for a burial site. IN 1854, he platted ten acres for a municipal cemetery named Minneapolis Cemetery,(later called Minneapolis Pioneers & Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
Also known as: Layman's Cemetery). He added another ten acres in 1871. In 1886, an additional seven acres were added to the cemetery bringing it to its current size. My layman died on July 25, 1886 at the age of 75. It is unknown as to why he would be buried in Crystal lake Cemetery, instead of the cemetery he created.
∼Martin Layman was born Jan. 18, 1811, in Greene County, New York, and was married in 1831 to Elizabeth Brown.

He came to Minneapolis in 1853 with a family of eleven children, and afterwards two more were born, making thirteen children in all, ten of which are living at the present time.

He preempted a section of land bordering on what is now Lake street. He did not then suspect that twenty-seven acres, cornering on what is now Cedar avenue and Lake street, would be used as a place of sepulture. Such is the case, however; on that level tract of land, now some miles within the city limits, lie buried over 21,000 bodies. The history of the land is interesting. As mentioned above, Martin Layman, pre-empted a section of land, but soon afterwards found it to be school land, and in order that his pre-emption claim might hold good, it was necessary that this section should be set aside from the school lands by special act of congress, which was done, and Mr. Layman's title to the land became clear. A portion of that land thus obtained directly from the government was never transferred till it went to Mr. Layman's heirs after his death, in 1886.

Martin Layman built the sixth house at Minneapolis on the west side, but settlers came soon and fast.

In 1855 there was a death near Mr. Layman's, and the family having no land, Mr. Layman gave them a corner, now Cedar avenue and Lake street, for a burial place, and "Uncle Wardell" was thus the first person to be laid away there. In 1859 a half-acre was laid out by Mr. Layman as a family lot and for the accommodation of the neighbors. The following year he platted ten acres, under the name of the Minneapolis Cemetery. In 1871 ten acres were added and again in 1886, just before he died. an addition of seven acres more, making in all twenty-seven acres. For many years this was the only cemetery in Minneapolis on the west side. Col. John Steven's daughter, the first white child born in Minneapolis, was buried in the family lot in this cemetery.

Martin Layman died at his residence on Cedar avenue July 25, 1886, at the age of seventy-five years.
http://www.debbiesgenealogy.com/minnesota_territorial_pioneers_biographies.htm