LILLIE CEMETERY

TOO MANY TO LIST

Posted By: Nancee Seifert (email)
Date: 10/13/2014 at 09:04:36

Well, I finally found Lillie Cemetery today.. After driving nearly to
Kellerton, I stopped a 'seasoned' fellow (about my age), driving a truck for
an Amish fellow. He said he'd been around there about all his life and had
never heard of the cemetery. So, I went back to Lamoni and stopped at the
library to ask directions... The lady there didn't know, as she'd just moved
to Lamoni in January.. So, as I left the library, there were 3 older fellows
standing outside and they were waiting for a meeting to start.. I asked them
if they knew and, since they weren't from around there - no, they didn't.
However, the fellow from Woodland said if he didn't have the meeting to go
to, he'd go with me to find it --- just call me the 'pied piper of
cemeteries'.... So, I went to City Hall and the lady there was just subbing
for the day, but finally found it. She said, "Now, I'm on a mission to find
this cemetery." All friendly folks.

The directions: CR R18, 2nd corner turn right, 1st corner turn left... I'll
expound on that later..

I was busy taking pictures -- there are many stones that have fallen over,
almost looks like they were just picked up and laid down beside the bases..
A couple, I peeled the grass from over them. I was just getting toward the
last row where 'Fisher(s)' are buried -- and since I wasn't paying any
attention to anything around me, a very large boxer/mastiff dog came
bounding for me.. As I said, I hadn't seen the lady pull into the cemetery
road.. Well, we talked and talked while "Ajax" ran. Her son is buried there
and he had taken his own life at the age of 18; which she shared with me..
She was interesting to talk with. She said 'they' never mow the cemetery.

With mud on my hands, chalk and -- yes -- those beloved ticks, I left and
headed back through Lamoni to I-35.. I stopped at an ice cream place and
asked for the $3.00 chocolate malt.. The guy behind the counter said, I don
t have that.. So, I pointed to the sign on the window and he said "Oh, yeah,
my wife makes those signs, I just work here... So, I did get my malt!!

The weather was perfect and I had a great time visiting with a lot of
different folks. I will be posting these cemetery pictures to the Iowa
Gravestone Project..

The directions: From I-35 go west into Lamoni on Main Street and on thru
town (it becomes 290th St. farther out). Go past Rose Hill and then on past
Liberty Hall. Take a right (going north) on Elk Chapel Road, aka CR R18.
Go to the second corner (270th Street) and turn right (going east.) Go to
the first corner (140th Street) and turn left (going north again). Stay on
140th and go around a bend in the road, heading west again (267th Street) --
and WALA -- there is Lillie Cemetery!!

My Best Regards As Always, Nancee