The Bear Cemetery was created by Solomon (better known as Sol) BEAR in about 1864 on part of his farm. The first person in the cemetery was Lincoln BEAR, the year-old son of Sol and his first wife Sarah E. (WALKER) BEAR. About six years later Sarah and her second son, George, were also buried in the Bear Cemetery. The other people in the cemetery are close relatives of Sol except for Margaret Ann ARMSTRONG who was a friend of the family.

There are only three early stone markers for the graves: Sol and Amanda’s (Sol’s second wife) shared stone, Lincoln’s stone, and Margaret’s stone. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provided individual stones for the two Civil War veterans, Adam and John Bear, who were brothers of Sol. In 2004, a communal stone marker with all of the names of the remaining people buried there, but without an early marker, was placed in the cemetery near that of Sol. The communal stone was purchased using the funds from the Theola (Bear) Barbour Memorial Fund, donations gathered during the sixth Solomon Bear Family Reunion in June 2002, and later donations. Theola was the granddaughter of Sol and Amanda.

The Bear Cemetery locally is described as being a little southeast of Ellston, Ringgold County, Iowa, about a mile south of Oliver Cemetery along a dirt road to the start of gravel on the road and then a quarter mile east through the pasture.

The Bear Cemetery was surveyed during the WPA works in the 1930's. Recorded for Ringgold County Historical Society in 1978 by Betty Ruby and Ruth Haley; updated by Rick Wiley in July of 2001; Raymond Banner of Mount Ayr, Iowa, completed the updating in 2002. The officers of the Solomon Bear Family Reunion further updated the information in both 2002 and 2003. Angie Hynek and family have made significant improvements to the cemetery fencing, sign over gate, and markers.

designates a Veteran

NAME	BORN	DIED	COMMENTS
ARMSTRONG, Margaret Ann (WALKER) COOPER	01 Aug 1845	20 May 1881 36y 9m 19d	daughter of Henderson & Isabella (WYCKOFF) WALKER married 1st circa 1860 David COOPER (1841-1863) married 2nd 10 Mar 1866 Thomas Ewing ARMSTRONG
BACH, Anna “Frata” (BEAR) CAVENDER PROCTOR	15 Mar 1915 Kellerton IA	19 Oct 1994 Sacramento CA	daughter of William Franklin & Anna Pearl (SHELDEN) BEAR married 1st 01 Nov 1934 Wayne CAVENDER married 2nd 21 Jun 1947 James PROCTOR married 3rd 30 Nov 1960 Alvin Hans BACH
BEAR, Adam	22 Mar 1837	19 Jun 1864 died of wounds during Civil War Camden AR	son of Ludwig Lewis & Anna Maria (KIEFER) BEAR married 30 Dec 1863 Mary Ann CHANCE
BEAR, Amanda Elvira (DULEY)	19 Sep 1850 Harrison Co. MO	10 Jan 1922	daughter of Silas & Mariah (PROUTY) DULEY/DOOLEY married 15 Feb 1872 Solomon BEAR
BEAR, Anna Maria "Mary" (KIEFER)	13 Feb 1815	11 Jan 1904	daughter of Adam & Susanna (GRHUCKEN) KIEFER married circa 1831 Ludwig Lewis BEAR
BEAR, George	1869	1871	son of Solomon & Sarah Elizabeth (WALKER) BEAR
BEAR, John	16 Oct 1838	08 Mar 1880	son of Ludwig Lewis & Anna Maria (KIEFER) BEAR
BEAR, Ludwig Lewis	06 Mar 1791	13 May 1872	son of Ludwig & Mary Elizabeth (DAVIS) BEAR married circa 1831 Anna Maria KIEFER
BEAR, Lincoln	03 Sep 1863	09 Oct 1864	son of Solomon & Sarah Elizabeth (WALKER) BEAR
BEAR, Sarah Elizabeth (WALKER)	03 Jun 1842	00 Jan 1871 in childbirth	daughter of Henderson & Isabella (WYCKOFF) WALKER married 25 May 1860 Solomon BEAR
BEAR, Solomon "Sol"	16 Aug 1832 Somerset Co. PA	25 Oct 1913 81y 1 m 9d	son of Ludwig Lewis & Anna Maria (KIEFER) BEAR married 1st 25 May 1860 Sarah Elizabeth WALKER married 2nd 15 Feb 1872 Amanda Elvira DULEY
LOCKE, Infant Daughter	21 Jun 1880	21 Jun 1880	daughter of Franklin S. & Mary Ann (BEAR) LOCKE
LOCKE, Infant Daughter	01 Sep 1881	01 Sep 1881	daughter of Franklin S. & Mary Ann (BEAR) LOCKE *Also has a stone at Oliver Cemetery
LOCKE, John Homer	04 May 1884	29 Jan 1886	son of Franklin S. & Mary Ann (BEAR) LOCKE *Also has a stone at Oliver Cemetery

* Margaret Ann ARMSTRONG was the step-mother of Thomas E. ARMSTRONG, first husband of Dollie Ann (BEAR) ARMSTRONG MAGGARD. Dollie Ann was the first-born child of Solomon "Sol" BEAR and his 2nd wife, Amanda Elvina (DULY) BEAR.

**Adam BEAR enlisted at the age of 26 on December 25, 1863 and served as a Private in Company G of the 29th Iowa Infantry. He was wounded and held as a P.O.W. on April 2, 1864 at Terre Noir Creek, Arkansas. Pvt. BEAR died of his wounds at Camden, Arkansas, on June 19, 1864.

***John BEAR enlisted at the age of 24 years on October 14, 1862. He was mustered into service on October 18, 1862 with Company C, 3rd Battalion of the Souther Border Brigade. He later enlisted with Company D, 8th Iowa Cavalry. The regiment was on the move to Atlanta, Georgia, with the Army of the Cumberland when John developed chronic bronchitis and a heart problem, brought on by the bitterly cold winter. John was hospitalized at Nashville, Tennessee, later transferred to Keokuk, Iowa. Eight months later he was mustered out of service on May 27, 1865.

****Frank S. LOCKE was a local doctor and preacher.

HISTORY SOURCE: Ramon L. "Ray" BEAR, great-grandson of Solomon Bear, secretary and historian of the Solomon Bear Family Reunion

SOURCES: www.censusdiggins.com/ringgoldcw.html
Roster & Record of Iowa Soldiers Vol. 6. 1911.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, 2008; updated August of 2009

Other Ringgold County webpages that may be of interest are:

    BEAR Family

    Civil War Gravestones of Adam and John BEAR

    Solomon BEAR Biography
      Pages 252-53, Biography & Historical Record of Ringgold County, Iowa, 1887

    Solomon "Sol" BEAR Biography.