Mills County, Iowa

Silver City Community History
1879 - 1979

CEMETERY ASSOCIATION

In 1881, a committee consisting of Mr. George Pullman, Mr. E.F. Landon and Mr. John Parker met to find a location for a cemetery. Mr. Allison wanted to have it on his farm but the committee decided it was too far out and chose the present site, south of town on a ridge that rises above the valley made by Silver Creek. It is practically level with only a gentle slope to the west. The land has been purchased in three different plats owned by Isreal and Harrison Huffaker and Richard Bada in the years 1881, 1898 and 1918. This land is divided into 489 plats which include some half lots and quarters. It extends over land a quarter of a mile long and 330 feet wide. This was purchased by the township trustees.

In March 1893 the Cemetery Association was organized but wasn’t incorporated til August 8, 1896. The organization directs the care and the upkeep with tax levy of township and town, the membership dues and interest from the endowment fund. The organization enclosed the cemetery with a neat white fence and laid out lots twenty feet square, also alleys and streets. They set out shade trees on the west and ornamental trees in front and have a concrete walk from the town leading up to the front entrance.

In 1881, trustees names appearing on an old deed are John Parker, E. F. Landon and George Pullman. L. W. Huffaker and W. B. Oaks as notaries. Mr. T. J. Finchem, a Civil War Veteran, was the first sexton serving from 1896 to 1913.

In 1911 the association decided to mark all graves with markers. They made wooden ones painted white, with name in black. Then in 1932 they replaced these with metal markers and in 1948 they got one hundred metal grave markers with numbers on to mark all unclaimed ones.

The endowment fund was started in 1923 and this fund is a permanent fund to care for the lots. The association buys bonds with the money and we get to use the interest.

In 1923 the association decided to improve the cemetery, they bought an iron fence and put concrete on the driveway. In 1927 they purchased the name “Silver City Cemetery” which was placed above the gate. In 1962, from money given by the Curtis Graham estate, a new tool house was built at the cemetery. Mildred Vogel and Edna Bolte were instrumental in reorganization of the Cemetery Association which has been inoperative since 1965.

Sixteen persons met at the Methodist Church on May 5, 1975 to reorganize. The monuments were repaired and straightened through the courtesy of Burton Kent. The south half of the driveway was blacktopped in 1977 and a new riding lawn mower and edger were purchased. The north half of the driveway was blacktopped in 1979 due to the generous contributions of interested persons.

~submitted by Roseanna Zehner & Darlene Jacoby