Jefferson County Online JEFFERSON COUNTY CEMETERIES ARTICLE # 5

This is the fifth in a series of six articles about Jefferson County cemeteries written by local genealogist Verda Baird.

I want to start out telling you about two most pleasant surprises found since my last column. Two Penn Township cemeteries have been mowed. Curiosity got the best of me, so Sept. 13, I visited the Wheeler Cemetery again and all those little cedars and other brush less than knee high had all been mowed not more than five days before my return visit. The Cholera Cemetery, also known as Moyer Cemetery, was all spruced up knowing I was coming again. I don’t have names of who did the follow up on them, but thank you. They look great.

 I went hopping around the country again for the 14 to report on in this column.

- Antioch Cemetery in Penn Township, Section 29: burials from 1848 to the present. It is nicely mowed with six stones needing repairs.

- McDowell Cemetery in Penn Township, Section 7: burials from 1967 to the present. It is nicely mowed, with one leaning stone. Some of the older maple trees need the volunteer sprouts trimmed off before the next growing season.

 - Moyer/Cholera Cemetery in Penn Township, Section 19: burials from 1846 to 1900. The entrance is three-fourths of a mile back through CRP ground with thistles and goldenrod tall as the car. This is a most unusual cemetery. It is divided into two sections. A cholera epidemic in 1851 took 11 lives, mostly in just one family, and they are buried all in one long row fenced separately from all the rest. There are a total of 11 leaning stones and six stones flat on the ground. Thank you to Dick Simmons for taking us back.

 - Packwood/Prairie Center Cemetery in Polk Township, Section 14: burials 1876 to the present. Very nice.

 - Abingdon Cemetery in Polk Township, Section 23: burials from 1845 to the present. Brush was cut in the spring of 2002 in the fence line by a volunteer, but because the fresh cuts were not treated, it is sprouting anew. The cemetery is mowed periodically. At least 50 stones are leaning, broken or flat on the ground. Very little trimming of mulberry, grape and poison ivy right beside stones June 9.

 - Myers Cemetery in Polk Township, Section 34: burials from 1838 to 1906. Prior to 2000, the cemetery had not been mowed for about six years and had become an overgrown mess. A volunteer whose ancestors are buried there reset 28 of the 39 gravestones, did fence work, installed new gates and is keeping it mowed.

 - Dallner/German Methodist Cemetery in Walnut Township, Section 27: burials from 1865 to the present. It is nicely mowed, and has one stone leaning.

 - Hope Lutheran Cemetery in Walnut Township, Section 27: burials from 1843 to the present. It is nicely mowed, and has nine fallen or leaning stones, plus another five propped up beside trees.

 - Courtney Cemetery in Walnut Township, Section 30: burials from 1852-1881. It was cleaned up in 1990 and several stones were found that had never been recorded before. Trustees have kept it nicely mowed ever since.

 - Lower Richwoods Cemetery in Walnut Township, Section 32: burials from 1846 to the present. The cemetery is mowed periodically. Seven stones are broken or leaning.

 - Mount Zion Cemetery in Round Prairie Township, Section 8: burials from 1839 to the present. It is nicely mowed. Some stones were repaired in the last four years, but there are still 14 tossed in a pile, fallen flat or leaning. The most recent one found flat on the ground, I was informed, was knocked over by the grave digger in 1998.

 - Upland Swedish Lutheran Cemetery in Round Prairie Township, Section 11: burials from 1880 to the present. It is nicely mowed. Eight stones are lying flat or leaning.

 - Glasgow Cemetery in Round Prairie Township, Section 21: burials from 1842 to the present. It is nicely mowed, and has two fallen stones.

 What is left to do?  There are 11 more cemeteries to report on, three I have never been in whatsoever. After I finish hauling corn and soybeans at our farm, I need to make some phone calls to landowners for help to bring this series to a close.

The Fairfield Ledger – Page 3 – Tuesday, October 15, 2002