Cemetery Index
Cemetery List
Cemeteries by Township
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53. BETHEL CEMETERY
Located south on Loxa Road from Route 16 then west on 600 N.
The oldest church in the township was Bethel Baptist, on the south line of Section
23, adjacent to which the oldest cemetery was established.
The church, a Predestinarian Baptist was organized in 1829. It was founded by Father
Barham, or William Martin, both of whom were early ministers here. The organization
was made in some cabin, probably that of the ministers, with only a few members, and,
for a while, the place of worship was continued there. When the schoolhouse was built
near Sulpher Springs, in 1829 or 1830, the preaching place was made there, and
continued until about 1835, when a log church was erected. In 1865 a frame building
was built which later was remodeled. The church has been gone for many years and no
signs of it remain. It is believed it stood to the east of the cemetery.
The old graveyard is well tended and encircled with an impressive ornamental fence.
The brick entrances posts and surrounding brick and iron fence was donated in 1981 in
memory of Paul Alfred by his mother, Oma D. Ashbrook Alfred.
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l. JONES (GIBBS) CEMETERY
No other information
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54. MONTGOMERY CEMETERY
Located a short distance north and west of the Lerna.
This private family cemetery is on land originally owned by Alexander Montgomery
whose grant is dated December 17, 1847. By 1869 Mr. Montgomery owned over 500 acres
in this vicinity. His sons, Robert D. and William M. continued adding to the family
acreage after Alexander's death in 1877. In 1913 a stop on the railroad, which
intersects the property was known as Montgomery Station. Later generations of this
family are buried in Hurricane Cemetery in Hutton Township.
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55. RESTHAVEN CEMETERY
Located on Route 316 just west of the Lerna Road near the intersection of Route 316
and Interstate 57 overpass.
Resthaven Cemetery was established in 1936 by B. T. Atkins, on eighteen and a quarter
acres of land which he owned. It was to be known as a memorial park which determined
that the tombstones in it would be level with the ground. The west side of the
grounds was developed first and is known as the Garden of Devotion.
In 1948 the cemetery was sold to Dr. Williams of Kansas City, and was then declared
to be a memorial garden, in order to qualify for affiliation with a national
association. Specifications for this affiliation required that one-third of the total
acreage be used for roadways, walkways and beautification.
Mr. Roy Demanes of Peoria bought the memorial garden in 1956 and his heirs are the
present owners under the name of Glendale Memorial Gardens, Inc. They also own other
cemeteries in Illinois and Minnesota.
The present custodian, Mr. Tom Carver, came to employment here in 1958 and has seen
the grounds through several stages of development since then. One drastic change was
brought about by the construction of Interstate 57 which took three acres from the
cemetery on its western edge.
Resthaven is laid out in garden areas with names being given to each. The oldest
section, Garden of Devotion, has two areas designated Woodlawn and Hillcrest within
it. Our Angel and Holy Bible are no longer used for section names in the Garden of
Devotion. Other garden names are: The Last Supper, Lord's Prayer, Restoration and
Old Rugged Cross being the most recently developed. There is also a Masonic section.
Initials indicating these areas follow the death date on the burial listings.
An undeveloped five acres on the eastern side of the acreage is the site of a new
office and storage area. Future plans for the cemetery include accommodations for a
cremation section.
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m. VAN DEREN CEMETERY
Located south and east of the "Monroe Crossing" (intersection of Old State
Road and the Lerna Road). Exactly one quarter mile south there is a lone tree
standing and the cemetery is 100 feet straight into the woods from the tree.
Among the early settlers, about 1836, was Joseph Van Deren, who came from Kentucky.
He was quite an extensive land-owner and trader, and brought with him a stock of
miscellaneous goods from a store he owned in the Blue Grass State.
It was on his land in 1838, that a log school-house was built in what is now Section
13.
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