Muscatine County Iowa Cemetery Records

Directions: Starting with the Bypass 61 & Highway 38 Junction on the northern side of the city of Muscatine, go south on Bypass 61 to Hershey Avenue, which is about 5.5 miles. Turn onto Hershey Avenue (also called G28 and 231st Street) going west. Go about 6.5 miles and turn south onto Independence Street. Go about 2 miles to 250th street and turn west. Go about 2.5 miles on 250th street, which will turn from pavement to gravel. Once on the gravel the cemetery is just around the bend on the north side.

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Interesting article found in the Muscatine JOURNAL, summerized:
Death of Early Cranston Pioneer Recalled by Recent Stories----Coffin Made From Puncheon Floor----Grave of Man Who Died in 1839 Located Under Large Tree Near Bain Farm----Cranston.----The older settlers of the Cranston area remember the first grave in this community. The pioneer that died in 1839 was, J. O'Dare, who had only moved here a few months ago in this wild and unsettled country. He had built a cabin across from the present Bain farm. He had died alone and was unknown here, but his neighbors who lived about three miles away prepared a coffin from the puncheon floor of the cabin, which was the only timber awailable. Also, no nails were available so the split logs were put together with wooden pegs. The services and burial were conducted by the seven pioneers that lived in the Cranston area. The grave can still be seen, located under a large tree on a small knoll, across the road from the Bain farm. (The source of this article is from: "THE MUSCATINE JOURNAL and NEWS-TRIBUNE", Wednesday, March 4, 1931, page 8).

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Dave Dunston, compiled ths data base when he walked this cemetery mid-October, 2005. Lynn McCleary further updated the information when she photographed all the stones in November 2014.

Click Here to view gravestone photos posted on the Iowa Gravestone Photo Project.