Knoll/Poor Farm
The Story County Knoll Cemetery, a small square plot, can be remembered as being bordered by the distinct tall pine trees. The burial ground goes back to the time when the county supervisors purchased a farm in 1869 from C B Stetson in Sec 35 of Milford Twp for a Care Facility known as the "poor farm." The plot was just to the left of the entry to the facility's main entrance where the long drive led to the beautiful setting of buildings housing the patrons and care givers. See page 46, 252. J.H.Howard was the first internment in 1870. The first nine graves were literally marked numbers only, one through nine, each by a small concrete post. A list of those buried is found in Allen's "History of Story County," which was published in 1887 and listed those buried prior to 1887:
[1] J H Howard died 1870
[2] Tobias Tierson 44 1 Jan 1886
[3] Knudt Thompson
[4] Ada Underwood
[5] Jacob Wilson
[6] Hollis
[7] Mike Mooney 34 yrs
[8] M B Nash 80 yrs
[9] Mrs Jane Thompson 84
also a 10 mos old child is laid in that row:
Charles VanDusen
Dundas, Louisa 75y 4m 12d Mar 31 1892
Gassaman, Joseph 87 Aug 2 1891
Grosclose, Wm 44y Jan 5 1883
Mooning, Nicholas 45 Jan 24 1882
Nelson, Hans 20y 6m 14d Nov 11 1892
Then the institutional policy changed and for a decade, those deceased that were not taken to their homes, were interred in the area referred to as "Potter's Field' section of the Nevada Cemetery.
---no other records between 1882-1918??
Eckard, H L 1859-27 Oct 1919
Huffman, James 1839-16 June 1919
Jones, Thomas 1841-13 Dec 1918
Walters, John died 2 March 1919
Ward, Joseph 1882-16 June 1919
--no other records between 1919-1921??
Croswer, Levi 1840-5 Feb 1922
Hapness, Julie 1859-23 Dec 1922
Kettlewell, Martha 1835-l Oct 1922
Milne, John 1845-21 Sept 1923
Rice, Charlie 1849-13 April 1921
Vance, Henry 1858-26 Feb 1922
--no records between 1923-1956??
The gap in the Knoll Cemetery ended on July 17, 1956. The Valles grave, as well as others since that time, are marked with the occupant's name and burial date. The burial records of Elbert Stoope tells the story that he had lived at the County Home, as it was later known rather than the Poor Farm, for a number of years and had worked in the laundry.
No explanation of who qualifies for a county burial have been found, yet there have also been some since the County Home closed in 1991.
Alcott, Kenneth 1911-1960* See page 77. Bailey, Harry 1889-1963 Bradburn, James A 1916-1974 Cartwright, Horace 1878-1960 Chatfield, Henry 1876-1964 Cochonour, Lucinda H 1914-1966 Davis, Arthur 1876-1962* Easte, Blanche 1900-1962 Johnson, Perry O 1900-1970 Kazmierczak, Philip Tofil died March 29 1957 Kern, James 1904-1972 Knapp, Emma died July 15 1962 McColley, Edwin L 1903-1973 Myers, Gertrude E 1916-1961 Myers, Larry W 1942-1960 Overgaard, Amelia 1899-1964 Severide, Ellen 1909-1983 Simmons, Lillian 1879-1960 Stoops, Albert 1918-1976 Swanson, Elsie 1913-2002
Burials for indigent persons are now provided for in government-regulated estate laws.
This cemetery is in a part of McFarland Park and is actually in Sec 13 of Franklin Twp, however it is in the area that is isolated between the east side of the Skunk River and Sec 18 of Milford Twp so it had been used for internment of a few Milford Twp people.
In 1859 Adam L. Grove sold two acres of land for one cent to Franklin Township Trustees for use as a free burying ground for the pioneer community. Adam Grove was the father of three girls and four boys, two of whom were killed in the Civil War. Adam died in 1869 and is buried in the Ames Cemetery.
Between 1863 and 1878 some nineteen people were buried in the area. It is known that some were later moved to town and to nearby church cemeteries as they became established. It is believed that the following nine people are still buried in the original burial grounds.
Their markers have long deteriorated:
Adams, Philura A. 1830-1867 Arrasmith, Sara A dates unknown Brown, Anna 1869-1873 Brown, H W 1832-1873 Carr, Fanny 1834-1868 Cochran, Mary dates unknown Lewis, Anna Walker 1863-1865 Rich, Elizabeth 1831-1867 Spencer, Lucy 1787-1870
Bob Sanders, a kin of Lucy Spencer, made arrangements with Steve Lekwa and the Story County Conservation Board to have the permanent memorial put in place in May of 2009. The rock was a typical glacial rock deposited in the area centuries ago and selected for the project.
“Adam L. Grove sold two acres of land for one cent to the Franklin Township Trustees in 1859 for use as a free burying ground for the pioneer community. The cemetery was located next to the only road connecting pioneer settlements, a stagecoach trail that followed the river valley. William McMichael was one of the trustees who cared for the cemetery. Nineteen people were buried between 1863 and 1878, but some were later moved to town and church cemeteries as they were established. It is believed that the following nine people are still buried here:
Philura A. Adams 1830-1867; Sara A. Arrasmith unknown; H. W. Brown 1832-1873; Anna Brown 1869- 1873; Fanny Carr 1834-1868;Mary Cochran unknown; Anna Walker Lewis 1863-1865; Elizabeth Rich 1831-1867; Lucy Spencer 1787-1870.”
This Cemetery predates Pleasant Grove by perhaps two decades and some burials that occurred here were later moved to other cemeteries including Pleasant Grove. Ruth Hughes, daughter of TR, who died in 1866 at the age of 26, was moved to Pleasant Grove after its founding in 1877.