Pleasant
View Cemetery Improvement Society
Organized
November of 1915
Mrs.
Clara Smith, President
Mrs.
Nellie Richmond, Secretary
Membership
dues $1.00
The first
meeting of the new cemetery improvement society was on May 11,
1916. There were twenty-five members present at the meeting. At
that time Mrs. Mattie Wight was elected treasurer.
The first
members to sign were Mrs. Mary Weeks, Mrs. Annie Busch, Mrs.
Stella Hatfield, Mrs. Lillie Shaw, Mrs. Ava Leveke, Mrs. Maud
Eivins, Mrs. Nellie Richmond, Mrs. Clara Smith.
Later members
were Mrs. Mattie Wight, Mrs. Ollie Finney, Mrs. Ida Eivins, Mrs
Mary Greenfield, Mrs. Susan Walker, Mrs. Inez Decker, Mrs. Lina
Smith, Mrs. Lizzie Rehard, Mrs. Ida Smith, Mrs. Ollie Bond, Mrs.
Sarah Jane Busch, Mrs. Nora Phillips, Mrs. Anna Smith, Mrs. Ida
Clark Wilson, Mrs. Lizzie Brock, Mrs. Florence Sayles from
Stuart, Nebraska, Mrs. Cora Krell, Mrs. Bertha Krell, Mrs. A.M.
Hart, Mrs. Blanch Brock, Mrs. Barbara Krell of Omaha, Nebraska,
Mrs. Nora Moore, Miss Jane Smith, Mrs. Kate Wilson, Mrs. Stella
Furry from Arlee, Montana, Mrs. Carrie Earp of Waukee, Iowa and
Miss Ruth Walker.
At the first
meeting the members planted flower bulbs, set out plants and
trimmed the trees and straighten some of the tombstones.
Their next
meeting was on May 29, 1916 at the cemetery. The members mowed
the cemetery. The twenty members attending the meeting donated
their time to the society.
The third
meeting at the cemetery was August 28, 1916. The members again
mowed the cemetery. They also trimmed some trees and cut some
trees down. Only 9 members were able to make it to this meeting.
The members
called a special meeting at Tom Smith’s. At that meeting they
made cement grave markers for the unmarked graves. In total they
made 16 markers. They had to call a second meeting at Tom
Smith’s and this time they made 13 markers. Then on November
10, 1916 the new cement markers were installed. It took a total
of 4 bags of cement at .50 cents a bag with a total cost of
$2.00 to make the cement markers.
On September 7,
1916 the Pleasant View Cemetery Society held and ice cream
social. They received $13.25 from their social. Their expenses
were paper, ice cream cones, peaches and sugar coming to a total
of .97 cents. Thus giving them a profit of $12.28.
Their annual
statement of income is as follows.
Cleared from
ice cream supper
$12.28
Membership fees
$35.00
Mowing of
cemetery
$10.00
Monies donated
$109.50
___________
$166.87
Their annual
expenses:
Cement for
markers
$2.00
Arch, front
fence & gates
$154.16
Cement & 1
load of sand for fence
$2.88
Hauling out
arch & cement
$3.00
_______________
$162.04
The first
meeting of the new-year was April 30, 1917 at the cemetery. Only
four members were present to put out plants that would live
through the winter and come up in the spring. They sowed flower
seeds and set out gladiolus bulbs.
At the second
meeting on May 16, 1917 they met at the cemetery and put out
more gladiolus bulbs and some other plants. There were seven
members present for this meeting.
May 29, 1917
was the third meeting of the year for the cemetery society. At
this meeting they mowed the cemetery. The society had received
money from the township for cleaning the cemetery and the money
was to be used for hitch-racks. They received $5.00 for their
work that day. Then on August 28, 1917 they once again mowed the
cemetery. They also received another $5.00 for cleaning the
cemetery, which was used for the hitch-racks.
It
was moved and seconded that the society meet sometime in August
to elect officers. Those elected on August 28, 1917 was Mrs.
Clara Smith, president. Mrs. Nellie Richmond, secretary and Mrs
Mattie Wight as treasurer.
The 1917 annual
statement found the society with income of: $10.00 from the
township, Donations of $2.00, and a carry-over in the treasury
from 1916 the amount of $4.74. Leaving them with a balance of
$16.74.
May 10, 1918
found the members of the society planting gladiolus bulbs,
geraniums, and flower seeds at the cemetery. On September 3 the
members mowed the cemetery and put up the hitching posts. There
were 17 members present that day. It was decided at this meeting
that the past officers would hold over for another year. The
$5.00 the society received for mowing the cemetery was donated
The Red Cross.
The hitching
post came to a total of $13.50. There were two post at $1.75
each and five post at $2.00 each. With the treasurer’s balance
of $16.74 and the cost of the hitching post the treasurer had a
balance of $3.24.
The cemetery
society members were back to the cemetery in May of 1919
planting more gladiolus bulbs and other plants. Mrs. Ollie
Finney and Mrs. Clara Smith were the two members doing the
planting. Then on June 11, 1919 while the men were mowing the
cemetery, other men were digging a grave for Mrs. Hatfield.
Then on the 14th
of August while some of the men mowed the cemetery others were
digging a grave for Nelson Richmond whose burial took place that
day.
For the society
annual report for the year 1919 found a balance of $13.24 in the
treasury. The society had received $10.00 for the year mowing
the cemetery from the township. And they had a carry over in the
treasury from 1918 of $3.24.
The society was
sorry to report the deaths of three members in 1919. They were
Mrs. Estella Hatfield on June 9, Mrs, Lizzie Brock , and Mr.
Nelson Richmond August 12.
In May of 1920
found ten members at the cemetery planting gladiolus bulbs,
geraniums and foliage plants. Six members were at the June 8th
meeting to mow the cemetery.
On September 9th
the cemetery was mowed once again. This time there were
seventeen members present to do the work. New members to the
society in 1920 were Ada Binns, and Mrs. John Cornman. The
society received $16.00 for the mowing of the cemetery in 1920.
And with the 1919 treasury balance of $13.24 that gave the
treasury a nice balance of $29.24.
One member
passed away in 1920 and that was Mrs. Sarah Jane Busch. She was
much missed by the other members.
In May of 1921
members present at the cemetery were, Myrtle Coffman, Hazel
Hatfield Bates and Fay Hatfield. They planted gladiolus bulbs
and other plants. On the 14th of July members mowed
the cemetery with seventeen members present to do the work.
Charles Busch was unable to attend, but he sent someone to help.
In the treasury
for 1920 was a total of $29.24. The society had received $8.00
for mowing in 1921 giving them a balance of $37.24. A toilet was
installed at the cemetery at a cost of $21.00. They received a
dollar in donations, so ended the year with $17.24 in their
treasury.
Workers at the
cemetery in May of 1922 were Myrtle, Tom and Elmer Coffman,
Clara Smith, Fay & Lloyd Hatfield, Mrs. Bell Rogers, Ollie,
Bert, Carrol and Nelson Bond. They once again planted flower
seeds and gladiolus bulbs. Then on the 26th of May
seventeen members were there to help with the mowing. More
flowers were set out. In August the members once again mowed the
cemetery. Two members paid their dues, Ada Binns and Myrtle
Coffman for a total of $2.00. Mrs. Clara Smith used the $2.00 in
which to buy gladiolus bulbs for the cemetery. $1.75 was also
paid into the treasury and in 1921 the society received a check
for $16.00 for mowing the cemetery. There were no expenses this
year so the treasury balance was $34.99.
The society
received their first check for mowing the cemetery in 1923 on
August 25th for the amount of $12.50. Once again in
the spring members were back at the cemetery planting bulbs and
flower seeds.
August 25, 1923
was the last entry in the society’s secretary and
treasurer’s report. I received a copy of the Pleasant View
Cemetery Improvement Society from Letha Heichel, a teacher that
taught in a one-room schoolhouse at the Webster Township Center
School house in 1935 and for few more years.
Soldiers buried
in the Pleasant View Cemetery by 1923 were Nelson Richmond a
cook with the US Navy, World War I. Service from May 27, 1918 to
March 1919.
William
Richmond served in the Civil War 1861-1865
Alfred York
served in the Civil War
Sam Krell
served in the Spanish American War as chaplain.
Matt Hart
served in the Civil War
Levi Orris also
served in the Civil War
Burials were
made on the Orris Smith farm on the west side of the road across
from the present cemetery. Among those listed were Mrs. Elvira
Haven, a baby of Bob Johnson, Olive, Perry & Chuck children
of David Richmond, Helen Richmond Likens, Catherine a daughter
of George Richmond, a child of Jim Johnson and Abraham Johnson.
In the
Ridout’s pasture the burials were Naomi Richmond Jolliffe,
Virginia Richmond, Lurena Richmond children of Charles Richmond. |