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Mercer County Cemeteries
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We have received more cemetery photos and have posted them at the bottom of the page. You will also find photos on some of the Findagrave sites. What is that GAR marker I find on my ancestor's tombstone? See our History Part 5 page for an explanation. Cemetery Tombstone Record LookupsAn index of tombstone listings prepared by the DAR in the 1960's can be found on the IlGenWeb Mercer County Web Site. Nadine Holder (email on About Us page) will do lookups of the tombstone information but must have the Volume and Page number from the IlGenWeb Site. Generalized searches will not be done - if your ancestor isn't listed in the index we do not have the information! 4/2010: The IlGenWeb Site can be a little difficult to figure out. If you are trying to look at the cemeteries for example click to the left of the page on "Cemeteries" - it will come up with the heading "Cemeteries" and a blank page. Click on "next" and it will take you to the Aledo Cemetery and by clicking on "next" you get the list of names in Aledo Cemetery. If you want a different cemetery you can at this point click on the name of the cemetery you want in the blue area to the left of the page.FindaGrave onlineFindaGrave is a large and wonderful Web Site with postings from all over the world. Many Mercer County Cemeteries are included and we include links below with the maps. We will add to the list as we come across them. You can also search by surname at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi? or search for a cemetery by name and state.Peniel and Kiddoo-Peniel CemeteriesLois Retherford has been walking the Peniel Cemetery and has the records computerized. She is also planning to make a directory to the locations. Also see Findagrave for some records. If you have any questions about Peniel Cemetery burials email Lois at "wiuqc_lois""hotmail.com" (put the two parts together with an "at" symbol and without quotes). Lois Retherford's husband is secretary for the Peniel cemetery and she helps him with records. She tells us the cemetery is located at the SW corner of the intersection of 80th Ave and 125th St about 1 1/2 mi east of Joy and 1/2 mi south [see Map 6 Below - Peniel is about 1/4 mile north of [Old] Brick Cemetery]. Thanks to Lois for photos. Photo of relationship of Old Brick Cemetery to Peniel Church and Cemetery. Photo of Peniel Church in 1910 Peniel now. Lois tells us many tombstones were missed in the DAR walkdowns so she has much more information. She has also had veterans stones placed for one civil war and one WWI veteran that had never been marked and had three other hard to read/broken veterans stones replaced, so all veterans at Peniel are now marked with a stone (12/2008). Lois also has information on the Old Brick Cemetery (Kiddoo-Peniel in the DAR records). There was once an old brick church there, hence the name. Photo of Old Brick Cemetery. See Map Six below for location and Findagrave link.Davis CemeteryLarry McHenry will do lookups in the Davis Cemetery and has more records than those included on the IlGenWeb index. See the Davis Cemetery page. Map 6 below has the location and the findagrave link also.Cemetery MapsKevin Martin has located many of the Mercer County Cemeteries, old and new, on a background of USGS maps. He has generously allowed us to post his work on our site. There are currently 11 map pages and the key below shows the location in Mercer County of his various maps followed by a list of the cemeteries on each map and a link to the map. Alternate names for cemeteries are shown in parentheses. Kevin has included some cemeteries across the line in adjoining counties. Please note that the maps may appear to be slow to start loading, depending on your browser, so give them a minute before you think they are not working!Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the maps. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free from the Adobe Acrobat Reader Web Site. For those who cannot use Adobe Acrobat Reader a link to an index of the Cemeteries with Longitude and Latitude is given at the bottom of the page (above the photographs) so you can correlate with any modern map. |
| Key to location of eleven maps linked below relative to Mercer County line and roads. For Index Click (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) |  |
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*Cemeteries for which tombstone lookups are available on the IlGenWebSite (above) |
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Map One - Sherrard, Il Cemeteries
Brush Hill Cemetery* (Greenbush)-Findagrave Friends Cemetery* (Quaker)Findagrave German Cemetery* (Lutheran)Findagrave Merryman Cemetery Findagrave Schoening Cemetery (Rock Island Co) (not in Findagrave) Sherrard Cemetery* Findagrave Western Cemetery (Swedona*) Findagrave Woods Cemetery (Rock Island Co)Findagrave Town of Cable (Cable Cemetery*)Findagrave |
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Map Two - Reynolds, Il Cemeteries Corns Cemetery* Findagrave Farlow's Grove Cemetery* (Matherville)Findagrave Gray Cemetery* (Dunn)Findagrave Hamlet Cemetery* (Graham Lee)Findagrave Kendall Cemetery (not on Findagrave yet) Reynolds Cemetery (Rock Island Co) Findagrave Saint Joseph's Cemetery* Findagrave |
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Map Three - Buffalo Prairie, Il Cemeteries Buffalo Prairie RLDS** Cemetery(Mercer Co) **Reorganized Latter Day Saint's Note the Findagrave Buffalo Prairie Cem (Mercer Co) erroneously lists burials from the RI Cem Buffalo Prairie Cemetery (Rock Island Co.))Findagrave Duncan Cemetery* Findagrave Edgington Cemetery (Rock Island Co) Findagrave Leech Cemetery* (photo below) Findagrave |
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Map Four - Eliza, Il Cemeteries
Drury-Reynolds Cemetery (Rock Is. Co.) Web Site Findagrave Hampton Cemetery (Rock Island Co.) Web Site Eliza Creek Cemetery* (photo above) FindaGrave Miller Cemetery * FindaGrave |
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Map Five - Joy, Il Cemeteries Griffith Cemetery* (Brady) Not on Findagrave (yet) Mannon Cemetery* (photo above)FindaGrave Oak Ridge Cemetery* Findagrave Shields Cemetery* (photos below) Findagrave |
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Map Six - New Boston, Il Cemeteries (includes Keithsburg) [Old] Brick Cemetery (Kiddoo-Peniel)* Findagrave Davis Cemetery * Findagrave Greenmound Cemetery* Findagrave New Boston Cemetery * Findagrave Saint Mary's Cemetery Findagrave |
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Map Seven - Seaton, Il Cemeteries
Candor Cemetery* (Pope Creek) Findagrave Hawkins Cemetery* Not on Findagrave (yet) McClure Cemetery* (Seaton) Not on Findagrave (yet) McClure Cemetery* (Sunbeam) Not on Findagrave (yet) McPherren Cemetery* ( Nolan, Dilley) Findagrave Sunbeam United Presbyterian Findagrave (Ohio Grove Township - Gordon Speer kindly sent us the location (N4108.549 - about a mile north of the Sunbeam town hall - labeled as McClure #29 on the Map) |
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Map Eight - Alexis, Il Cemeteries Brownlee Cemetery* Findagrave Norwood Cemetery* (NW corner at intersection 239th St & 16th Ave) Findagrave Alexis Cemetery* Findagrave - same as St. Mary's St. Mary's of Alexis* Findagrave |
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Map Nine - N. Henderson, Il Cemeteries We have not checked Findagrave for the Knox Co Cemeteries Deatherage Cemetery (Knox Co.) Fuller Cemetery (Knox Co.) Henderson Grove Cemetery (Knox Co.) Mount Vernon Cemetery (includes Lutheran Cemetery)* These are listed separately in the DAR records but Russ Loquist tells us they are side by side and there is only a sign for Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Not on Findagrave yet. Oak Lawn Cemetery (Knox Co.) Rice-Blue Cemetery (Knox Co.) Rio Cemetery (Knox Co.) Soperville Cemetery (Knox Co.) |
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Map Ten - Viola, Il Cemeteries Bridger Cemetery* Findagrave Hopewell Cemetery* (Woodhams) Findagrave Mann Cemetery* (Brown & Meeker) Findagrave (Click for photos and directions) Windsor-Petrie (New Windsor on Findagrave) New Windsor Cemetery* (Photo below) Findagrave Oxford Cemetery (Henry Co.) Saint John's Cemetery* (Photos below)Findagrave Viola Cemetery* (photo below) Findagrave Cooper Cemetery* Findagrave |
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Map Eleven - Aledo, Il Cemeteries Aledo Cemetery* (photos below)Findagrave Artz Cemetery* Findagrave Carnahan Cemetery* (Bethel) Findagrave Sugar Grove Cemetery* Findagrave |
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Not on the Maps - Can anyone help with an exact location? * Tombstone Lookups available on IlGenWeb Site Deserted* (1 mile South; 1/4 mile West of Aledo) Imber* (Harold Imber Farm)Findagrave Martin* (3 miles South 3 miles West of Viola) Main* (Abington Township) Findagrave Glancy* (Section 7 Eliza Township on the Woodward Farm) Findagrave Jackson* (Greer) (Abington Township) We heard from John Landers who tells us: from W. T. Jackson's family history book - location of Willett-Greer Cemetery: start from the cornerstone that marks the corner common to sections 10, 11, 14, 15. Then go west 90 rods and then north 32 rods. (from 1940 visit). Mercer County Farm* (Perryton Township) (link to burial list) Lutheran* (N. Henderson Township) Mills* (Sec 6 Eliza Township) Lutheran (Swedish)* (Rivoli Township) |
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Deserted Cemeteries* - Can Anyone Help with Locations?
(there are a mere two pages of tombstone lookups available for all of these on IlGenWeb) 1. Walter Fassett Farm (DeBord) (Sec 12 Duncan Township) 2. Maurice Jackson Farm (Sec 30 Millersburg Township)** 3. Cecil Johnson Farm (Sec 14 Preemption Township) 4. Mathews (Sec 13 New Boston Township near Spring Lake - nothing there now - actual location has never been found - just the name is known) 5. Charles McManus (Sec 8 Preemption Township)*** 6. Presbyterian ( Sec 3 Preemption Township)**** 7. Littlefield (Sec 33 Richland Grove Township)***** 8. Bert Horan Farm (Sec 17 Preemption Township) scattered broken stones - none readable **Deserted Cemetery #2 Maurice Jackson Farm in Millersburg Township Section 30: This burial ground is now (1966) the Maurice Jackson farm. It was originally called the "Bittner Graveyard" which was at one time a well kept plot, enclosed by a white picket fence, on the main road between Joy and Keithsburg. Information gained from the descendants of the owner of many years ago is that "10 or 12 bodies had been interred there. The first being that of a Bittner baby, the child of a neighbor. The headstones were all flat and of various sizes. One of the late owners of the land "uprooted" all the stones and used them in cement steps for his home and an approach to his garage. One of the descendants said "I can only remember the name on one stone "Sarah Bittner" but I don't remember the dates". The land is now (1966) used for pasture and crops. What a sad report to make of "Hallowed ground." ***Deserted Cemetery #5 Note from will of Uriah Eggelston "I give and devise to the Township of Preemption in the County of Mercer and State of Illinois one and a half acres (1 1/2) of land for a Public Burying Ground which land shall be taken in the South East Corner of the lot aforesaid [South Half South West quarter of Section 8 Town 15 Range 2 West] on the condition that the publick will fence the same with 3 board fence within one year after my decease (dated 18th May 1858). [If there were Eggleston burials here none were noted in the 1960's walkdown by the DAR.] Vol 7 Page 15 "This is a deserted cemetery on the Charles McManus Farm in Section 8, Preemption Township. There is a note in the book "Two readable tombstones are all that remain today (June 14, 1966) in a pasture on the Charles McManus farm. A few broken pieces of other stones lie scattered about in the grass." The two stones are J. C. Kenastin died Feb 16, 1860 age 38 yr and James Carroll died July 12, 1868 aged 32 yrs 3 mos 16 ds." ****Deserted Cemetery #6 Many years ago a Presbyterian Church was located less than a quarter of a mile west of Preemption four corners, on the north side of the road to Reynolds. The church was sold and moved in 1915. The tombstones from each grave were carefully moved to a spot in the present Preemption Cemetery (see Map One above). This cemetery is north of the village on Highway 67. *****Deserted Cemetery #7 Burials found in this cemetery in the 1960's walkdowns were Patten Littlefield (Vet) 1805-1863; _________Goodrich; William Bell (Vet) Died 1862; Mahala A. Bell 1809-1868; Willie Merryman Died 1856; Amos C. Hodgson Pvt Co G 124th Ill Inf (no dates) February 2011 We have just received a beautiful research document prepared by Susan Littlefield Haines. It contains the results of a research trip by her and a friend to the Merryman/Littlefield Cemetery in Richland Grove in Mercer County. It includes genealogical information on the Littlefields and Merrymans and photos of the cemetery markers. Please feel free to request information and we will put you in touch with Susan. November 2011 We have received correspondence from John Landers who has found and taken some photographs in the Willett-Greer Cemetery. If you would like to contact him send your email to me at the About Us link at the top of the page and I will forward it on to him. Please note he states it is almost impossible to get into the cemetery so he may or may not be able to help. |
| Link to Index of Mercer County Cemeteries giving Longitude and Latitude, County, and source of location information |
Link to Mercer County cemeteries on the Illinois Ancestors Site. More photos there too! Link to a Birthday Calculator Enter death date and age and it will give you back a birthdate. A word of caution - do you think your ancestor took into account all the things that would go into this calculation, such as leap years? We suspect that tombstone carvers used the "Farmer's Almanacs" but don't know that for sure. If anyone knows for sure how people determined age for tombstones, let us know! Updates:5/30/2008 Corrected Map 3 Buffalo Prairie RLDS Cemetery entry. |
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The photo on the left was taken by Betty Welch in 1996. The photo on the right was taken by Jerry Hagge in 2001 giving some idea of the deteriorated condition of the cemetery. A photo sent to us in 2007 shows only the one large tombstone in the center of the left view remaining. This is the tombstone of the great great grandfather of Nadine Holder and Jill Martin of this Web Site |
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Aledo Cemetery Entrance (left) - Mercer Township (Map 11) - 2002 - Photo by David Carroll "It is a large and beautiful place with so many faded markers, some were so weathered that you couldn't read a single word on them.; It is in a very sleepy wooded area and steeped in history."; Larger view (Click | |
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Entrance to St. John's of Viola Cemetery (left) - Greene Township - Map 10 above. Photo taken by Betty Welch - Larger view (Click.) | |
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Leech Cemetery - Section 1, Eliza Township, Map 3 above Photo courtesy Sam Fuller. For larger view (Click. We have some history of the evolution of the cemetery which we have included on the Leech page. P. S. Sam's photo was beautiful - something went awry in importing it to the site. | |
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Larry McNeal at Albee grave in Duncan Cemetery. For larger view Click. There are more photos at the Findagrave Duncan Cemetery Site. | |
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New Boston Cemetery - Map 6 above A peaceful spot in New Boston Cemetery - photo courtesy Bill Strawhacker. Benjamin and Mary Strawhacker's tombstone is the tall white one approximately center. For larger view (Click) For More New Boston Cemetery Photos see New Boston Cemetery page |
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