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Josh Dilsaver

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James N King

No tombstone found for this gentleman.  The only information we have is copied from a newspaper article:

Springfield, MO. Republican, Hall’s Abstracts, p. 65, Thursday, November 16, 1899.

“James N. King, 65 years old, who was stricken with paralysis, Tuesday afternoon near this city, was buried at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon at the Union Cemetery.”

Birth: Unknown  Death: November 14, 1899  age 65 years

A search of the 1833-1892 Springfield Land Office Sales Book found no property listed for a James N. King.  Note:  Since a Peter E. King purchased 48.88 acres of land in North Campbell Township in September 1857 (some distance west of the Union Campground Cemetery), the question comes to mind if he was related to James N. King, the subject of this article.   

Peter King was Collector of Taxes for Greene County in 1856, according to a handwritten note in probate of Joshua Davis #2370, and at one time served as sheriff of Greene County.  (Personal Reminiscences and Fragments of Early History of Springfield and Greene Co., MO., p. 20)

By Jean Gaffga Rayl 2013

J E Davis

Who was this young man?  A weathered, uneven stone gives only a few clues.  As with so many tombstones in Union Campground Cemetery, the lettering has almost disappeared.  The birth date is legible as December 10, 1921 (this should probably be 1821), but his death date is in question.  The month of September emerges but the exact day of death could be the 9th and the year 1843, however, this is uncertain. 

The Greene County Archives does not have a federal census for 1840 and a check of the 1850 census only reveals a James Davis, age 33, and married in Kentucky.

If the death date on the tombstone is 1853 instead of 1843, then this could possibly be J.E. Davis.

Below the lettering on his tombstone is this epitaph:

Remember as You Pass By
As You Now Are So Once
Was I, Now You Must Be
Prepared for Death, Follow
Me

In April 1997, as Dan Price (a member of our association) was looking over the photographs of tombstones in our cemetery, he said his mother used to sing a song as she passed tombstones in a cemetery.  These were the words she sang:

Remember friend,
As you pass by,
As you now are,
So once was I.
As I now am,
You soon may be,Remember, Friend
Remember Me.

By Jean Gaffga Rayl 2012

The Duncan Family

The story of the Duncan’s begins with a woman named Elizabeth Kelley, who went by the name of Betsey. She was born about 1829, most likely into slavery. Her death certificate says her father was J.O. Kelley, born in TN, and her mother was unknown Chaney, born in Virginia.

As of yet I have not found her on the1870 census. I have heard, but cannot confirm, that some blacks kept themselves off the 1870 census for fear of their freedom being reversed and they would be found.

The death certificate of her oldest child list the father as Solomon Duncan. All but the last chiild would have been born during slavery. I have not been able to find a possible owner for either Betsey or Solomon, but to have 6 children together Solomon would had to have been on the same property or close by.

Betsey had 6 children that I know of – all born in Missouri. William 1850, Aaron 1856, Felix 1859, Kelly 1862, Laura 1865 and Sarah 1869. It is Kelly’s son Samuel who married Elizabeth “Bertie”( Martin) Duncan of our cemetery; and son Arthur who with wife Rosa Deeds are the parents of our cemetery’s Lola who died as a 7 yr old, making her Kelly’s granddaughter.

It is not known if Betsey and Solomon ever married. I have found no record to indicate they did, but as slaves were usually not allowed to marry it would have been after the civil war. By the 1880 census she has married Jack Hardeman age 35 to her 51 and they are liviing at 49 Patton Alley in Springfield, MO. All the males on that census are laborers. Betsey was a cook and daughter Sarah was a nurse.

Betsey passed away in Springfield, MO in 1910 and is buried in Hazelwood Cemetery.

There is more to this story yet to be told if living descendants were to be searched for and found.

SIDE NOTE: Betsey is also the grandmother of Horace Duncan through her son William. In 1906 in Springfield, MO 18 yr old Horace along with another young man, Fred Coker, were accused of armed robbery and assault . It was proven by police that they were innocent, but while still in jail (the Calaboose on St. Louis Street) a mob broke in, kidnapped them and another negro named Allen and hung them on the square. It needs to be said that it was a white woman that falsely accused Duncan and Coker as her attackers. The woman was recently separated but not divorced from her husband. She was supposedly in Springfield looking for a job. I often wonder how a woman who lived 32 miles north of Springfield, near Bolivar, would even know the names of these two young men. Especially since one news article said they were wearing masks.

In 2019 a marker was erected on the square to commemorate the event and honor the innocent.

Infant Child of C Braswell

Birth:  Unknown  Death: 18 Apr 1903

 

No tombstone marks the grave of this infant child.  A newspaper clipping from the Springfield Republican, 19 Apr 1903, give a brief account, with no first name to indicate gender.

“Child Dead,  This infant child of C. Braswell died Saturday morning.  The burial will take place Sunday afternoon at the Union Campground.  The parents live north of the city.”

On the 1876 map of Franklin Township 30, there is a C. Braswell farm located approximately one or two miles north of the Union Campground Cemetery.  Vera Chandler, of our cemetery association, confirms that the Braswell family lived near the Terry Price farm & Lochie Braswell was a childhood friend of Vera’s mother.  The name was spoken as “Brassel.”

By Jean Gaffga Rayl 2011

Jane C & Laura Caldwell

JANE

On Dec. 11, 1853, a W. C. Caldwell married Jane C. Ellison, dau. of Nancy and Thomas Ellison, (see Greene Co. Missouri Marriage Book A,. p. 282, Certificate #15).  Both Nancy and Thomas Ellison are buried in Union Campground cemetery. It would be helpful if more details were available concerning the Caldwell family. We only know what our old cemetery wants to tell us. In the older section of the cemetery are two tombstones, one belonging to Jane C. Caldwell and the other to Laura A Caldwell. Inscriptions can easily be read and are as follows:

‘Jane C. Caldwell. B: 20 Mar. 1833. D: 31 Jul. 1866, wife of W.C. Caldwell.

This stone is broken in two pieces. There is a footstone J.C.C. On the lower part of the tombstone is this  verse: I know thou hast gone to the home of thy rest. Then why should my soul be so sad. I know thou haft gone where the weary are blest. And the mourner looks up and is glad.

 

LAURA

 Laura A. Caldwell, b: 6 Oct 1854, d: 26 Aug. 1863, dau. of W.C. and J.C. Verse on the tombstone: God gave. He took. He will restore. He doeth all things well.

A footstone nearby has the lettering L.A C.  Portions of the concrete are stacked in vicinity of graves; suggesting perhaps more burials are in the plot There is no evidence that W.C. Caldwell is buried beside his wife. However, there is a possibility he might be buried in the Caldwell Cemetery located 7 miles southeast of Strafford, MO. on the south side of the James River, 1/4mile off County Road YY (Division Street Road). The name W E. Caldwell is listed in the readings of this cemetery, giving a birth date of 22 Apr. 1818 and death date of 23 Nov. 1872.

As has happened so often in past years of research, conflicting information and puzzling situations have occurred. In the case of W.C. Caldwell. there were two gentlemen by this name in the recorded history of Greene County who lived and died around the same time. One gentleman was a physician who practiced medicine and owned property in the Fair Grove, MO area. His wife’s name was Minerva (Langston) Caldwell. In the Caldwell Family Bible, Ozar’kin Vol. XV NO.4, Winter 1993, p. 150, a William C Caldwell is listed as b: 2 Nov. 1922 and d: 11 Nov. 1895.

 If anyone in our readership has more information about either of the Caldwell families, please contact our cemetery association.

Prepared by: Jean Gaffga Rayl 2007

The Dulin Family

The research that I have done convinces me that Thomas S. and Margaret Swift Dulin are buried in The Union Campground Cemetery. They do NOT have tombstones, and I probably will never fmd any. Aunt Mary Ann (Dulin) Overstreet, is quoted as being at the cemetery on “Decoration Day” and telling some of the grandchildren that their greatgrand parents are buried “here” and marked with “these rocks.”

The Dulin Family moved to Greene County, Missouri in 1851 from Robertson County Tennessee. The land was plentiful, cheap and less crowded. They moved to Section 3, Township 30, Range 21, where Thomas S. Dulin received a land grant in 1854 for 130 acres at $1.25 per acre. He was a farmer.

The Dulin family lived “up the road” east of the cemetery. They went by the cemetery many times on their way home or going somewhere. One of the fIrst “Dulins” buried in the cemetery was Josie Ann Giles Dulin. She married Andrew Jackson Dulin (son of the above couple) on 24 Jul 1865 in Cooper Co. MO. Florence McMurray Dulin verified her death as 13 Feb 1866. Florence was the second wife of Andrew Jackson Dulin and the above information is in his Civil War File. Andrew and Florence moved to Texas and are buried in Oak Cliff Cemetery in Dallas.

Florence’s brother was William Newton McMurray and married Margaret Ellen Dulin (daughter of the above couple). Both W.N. and Ellen are buried in Union Campground with tombstones, along with their two daughters, Alta and Daisy.

John Wesley Dulin, (son of the above couple), and Elizabeth Null’s youngest child ”was killed when a brother pulled a mallet off a high shelf, that hit him in the head killing him.” His name was Wesley Franklin born 21 Dec 1861 and died in 1867.  Information is from Charles Dulin.  Wesley does not have a tombstone.

Margaret “Peggy” Swift Dulin is listed in the Greene Co. MO 1880 Federal Census. Thomas and Peggy probably married in Robertson Co TN ca. 1834. Robertson Co. courthouse burned during the Civil War. No marriage date has been found. Their first child, Sarah was born about 1835. Thomas S. married for the second time 4 Oct 1885 in Greene County to Rachel Atkins. Margaret died between 1880 and 1885 and from the dates we can expect that they were close to celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. SpringfIeld, MO does not have newspapers for this time period. We can only surmise that she, too, is buried “in the cemetery down the road” without a tombstone.

A tombstone with Eliza J. (wife of J.W. Doolen) born 15 Jun 1855 died 6 Sep 1888was found in 1960s by John & LeMerle Cochran when they did a reading of this cemetery. I think the Louisa (Eliza) listed in 1850 census as the daughter of Thomas S. and Margaret. Eliza J. Dulin and J.W. Doolen married in Greene Co MO on 13 Oct 1880. It appears that Eliza and J.W. had two children buried close to their mother. One tombstone has “infant” 10Jul 1882and another with Hattie J. born 27 Aug 1885 and died 12 Jun 1887. All three of these tombstones are missing in 2003.

The SpringfIeld Express, June 12, 1891, listed “Thomas S. Dulin, age eighty-two years, seven months died at his home six miles northeast of SpringfIeld, MO, Sunday, June 7, 1891 after twelve days of suffering. He was born in Virginia in 1808, moved to Middle Tennessee when a boy, lived there until 1851, moved to Greene County MO, where he has lived ever since. He was a member of the Methodist Church over 50 years, and died in his faith.”

Sarah Dulin Kennedy (dau of John W.) another grand child of the above couple died in childbirth on 14 Jun 1894 age 21. She is also buried at the cemetery with no stone per Charles Dulin.

Alonzo Dulin died 17 Jul 1907 age 42. Ethel Dulin born 15 Nov 1902died 24 Feb 1911age 9 years.

 Infant of Walter P. Dulin, age 7 months died 10 Sep 1907. On Wednesday 11 Sep 1907 Springfield, MO Republican. “The seven month old infant of Walter P. Dulin, who lives four miles north of the city, died Tuesday morning off summer complaint. The funeral will be held this afternoon and the interment will be at the Union Camp burial ground.”

Children of John Wesley, Alonzo and Ethel were buried at Union Camp Cemetery, then on 26 Jun 1924 they were moved to East Lawn Cemetery where their tombstones are today. (Information from Paxson Funeral Home records 1900-1926.)

 John Wesley Dulin born 2 Mar 1837 and died 15Mar 1916from an accident with a sawmill. He was buried in Union Camp Ground Cemetery. Three years later, his family had his body exhumed and buried him at Greenlawn Cemetery. The Cemetery was deteriorating and no one was taking care of it is the reason for the move.

 I am sure these people would be very appreciative that there is a small group of people interested in preserving this cemetery. I know that I am. I hope that this organization will be successful in leaving a legacy for the future of the cemetery.

by Hazel Dulin Voris 2003

The Isaac Stiver Family

While volunteers were clearing a portion of the cemetery in the spring of 1997, a broken, irregular stone was uncovered with the name Charley Stiver which was barely visible. This discovery gave credence to the story passed down through the Stiver family that some of their ancestors were buried in Union Campground Cemetery. They recalled that Isaac Stiver was supposed to be buried in the old graveyard when he died in 1897, although no written proof has been found. The Stiver farm was just east of Union Campground.

 Isaac was born in 1826 to Jacob and Sarah (Seyler) Stiver in Montgomery Co., Ohio. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were all born in Pennsylvania. Isaac married Susanna Hoerner in 1853 in Montgomery Co. Ohio and after their marriage they lived in Pueblo Co., Ohio where their oldest son was born in 1854. They moved back to Montgomery Co. where their second son was born in 1855.

They moved to Elkhart Co., Indiana in 1856 where they lived for 22 years on a farm that had been deeded to him by his During this period 7 boys and 3 girls were born. In 1878 they moved to Greene Co., MO., in a covered wagon, bringing along 6 sons and 1 daughter. The oldest 3 sons and 1 daughter were grown and stayed in Indiana. The youngest son was born in Greene Co. in 1880. Following Isaac’s death, his widow and younger sons moved to north Springfield on National Avenue. One son returned to Indiana, one son disappeared, and 2 sons moved to Okla. The first wife of Isaac’s son Harrison and Charlie are buried in Union Campground. Wesley was the 5th son born to Isaac and Susanna. He married Maggie Witherspoon in 1886.

Wesley bought the Witherspoon homestead in Franklin Township after 1900. His sons Roy and Wade, grandsons Clifford, Harry and Bernie, granddaughter Pansey Harvey and great-grandson Clarence all raised their families in Franklin Township.

 Isaac’s daughter, Jennie, married Wm. Penn Murray. Their granddaughter, Lenora, married Clifford Burrell and still lives on Summit Street Road north of Springfield.

 Roy’s son Bernie, daughters Pansy Harvey and Margaret Bredeman, and grandson Bruce Bredeman and Wade’s grandson, Clarence, are active members of the Union Campground Cemetery Association.

Prepared by: Pansy Stiver Harvey

The McMurry Family

This story has no beginning and has yet to end. It is only a collection of verifiable facts and a few suppositions concerning the family history of the McMurry family of Southwest Missouri.

“The story begins, not with a McMurry but with a man, William Freeman, who was born in North Carolina on 26 October 1759. As a young man he was married to Mary Bryan and from this marriage there were eleven known children. One of the sons was John Freeman, born 23 December 1796 in Burke County, North Carolina. John married Lavica Williams, 16 November 1815 in North Carolina. John and Lavica had 13 known children and both John and Lavica are buried in Union Campground Cemetery, where their tombstones remain in the Freeman family plot.”

“The above-mentioned William Freeman served in the Revolutionary War and is the only known soldier from that war who is buried in the National Cemetery, Springfield, Missouri.”

“Erastus McMurray, whose last name contained the ‘a,’ moved to Missouri in 1834. Census records indicate Erastus was born in Georgia around 1800. He met Elizabeth Freeman and they were married on 12 May 1841 in Greene County, Missouri, and eventually there were four children from this marriage. Erastus died before 6 June 1878 and his grave is lost although thought to be in Union Campground Cemetery.”

“The second child of the above marriage was William Newton McMurry, who grew up in Greene County and was a well-respected farmer. He was married first to Margaret Ellen Dulin, who died in 1890 leaving five young children in his care. In 1892 he married Delpia Price. This marriage ended in divorce.”

“The graves of most of William Newton McMurry’s family are to be found within a wrought iron enclosure in Union Campground Cemetery not too far from the graves of his grandparents, the Freemans.”

The above information provided by Lyn and Malinda (McMurry) Gamelson of Wichita, Kansas

Research reveals: According to an old map prepared sometime after Greene County was first settled, the John Freeman acreage was located west of Union Campground Cemetery in Section 4, Range 21, Township 29. The W.N. McMurry farm (shown on a map of 1876) was located to the north of Union Campground Cemetery in Franklin Township.

The Whitlock Family

Who among us can resist the temptation to reflect on the pioneer movement? As we ponder the lives of those who braved so much to explore the unknown, we try to pull aside the curtain of time to see more clearly just what happened so many years ago. We begin to realize how determined they were as they left the relative safety and comfort of the east coast to slowly journey to a destination west of the mighty Mississippi River.

One courageous man, Thomas J. Whitlock, a native of North Carolina, came to what is now Greene County, Missouri in 1832. He first settled on the Kickapoo Prairie but soon moved to Franklin Township on the south side of the Sac River. He eventually became the owner of many fine farms and at one time owned a saw and grist mill.*

According to the Greene County Missouri 1850 Federal Census, p. 27, Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth, had the following children: Lambert L., Missouri A., Samuel T., Alabama C., William B., Susan J., and Mary H.M.

Before the Civil War it was Mr. Whitlock’s custom to buy large herds of livestock and drive them South for sale at a good profit. During the California Gold Rush he successfully sent two of his sons across the plains with a drove of cattle. One of the sons was Samuel T. Whitlock.*

Very little is known about Samuel. In Greene County Missouri Cemeteries, Vol. IV, p. 64, his birthdate is listed as 17 April 1836 with a death date given of 3 August 1913. His wife’s name was Margaret A. (maiden name unknown). She was born 2 April 1837 and died 6 November 1910. Both are buried in the Mt. Comfort Cemetery, Greene County, Missouri. Two of their children, however, are buried in or near the Freeman plot in Union Campground Cemetery. Their names:

Eddy F. whitlock Son of S.T. & M.A. Whitlock B: 16 May 1867 D: 17 Sept. 1867

Thomas J. Whitlock Son of S.T. & M.A. Whitlock B: 11 April 1863 D: 28 May 1864

We can only speculate as to the cause of their deaths and wonder why these two small children are buried in Union Campground Cemetery when other Whitlock family members are buried in Mt. Comfort Cemetery.

*Genealogy from: Fairbanks & Tuck, Vol. II, p. 1096 Edited by: Del Bishop, former Director of the Greene Co. Archives

Thomas & Sarah (Warr) Rathbone

Sarah Ann Warr Rathbone was born in Holstock, Dorsett, England in 1833. On June 9, 1847 she married Thomas Henry Rathbone in St. Peter’s Catholic Chapel, Warwick County, Birmingham District, England. Since she was very young and unable to write her name, she made an “X: mark on the marriage certificate.

The Rathbone and Warr families lived on Englenston Street in the City of Birmingham.  The elder Rathbone was a cooper by trade and Sarah’s father, Samuel, was a button maker.  (note:  a cooper is a barrel maker).

Sarah and Thomas immigrated to the United States in 1850 or 1851, bringing along their two children, Bernardino and Theresa. During the voyage to the United States their sailing ship was blown off course and, since they were at sea long enough to run out of food, it became necessary to look for rats on board the ship, catch, cook and eat them.

After arriving in the United States the family settled in New York. In 1851 another son, John Thomas, was born, followed by the birth of William Henry in 1857. A year later, Thomas’ request for naturalization was finalized in Brooklyn, N.Y. The witness stated he was “well acquainted with the applicant … that he (Thomas Henry) behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States … ” At that time, only the head of the family received documentation for naturalization, but it automatically included any dependents.

It was around 1859 that Thomas Henry and family migrated to Missouri and settled in Springfield. Another son, Samuel, was born in 1860, and on August 4, 1861, James Henry was born.

According to the Federal Census of 1860, Thomas H. Rathbone is listed as head of the household age 35; Sarah age 36; Bernard age 13; Terresa age 11; John age 6; William age 3; Samuel age 1. The 1870 census reveals James, age 91 added to the household but the name of Samuel does not appear. This child . probably died and is presumed buried in Union Campground Cemetery.

On March 23, 1863 a deed for approximately 99 acres in Township 29, Range 21, Section 3 was recorded from John J. Faulkner to Sarah Ann Rathbone for $100.  This became known as the Rathbone Farm and adjoined a portion of land that is now Union Campground Cemetery.  The Rathbones arrived on the farm too ate that year to make a crop and it became necessary to trade with the neighboring Dulin family a tea leaf pattern of ironstone china and some heavy silver plated flatware for wheat, corn and other food.

Through the years a story has been handed down in the Rathbone family concerning an incident that occurred during the Civil War.  The family had settled into a life of farming but were always on the alert for soldiers who might be roaming the countryside.  Their fears were realized one day when troops arrived on the property.  Food and livestock were confiscated and the officer in charge handed Thomas Rathbone a detailed list of what had been taken.  Thomas was told that after the war the government would make restitution.  Thomas was so angry, however, he tore the list in shreds. After the war ended the government attempted to make restitution, but lacking verification, no compensation was granted.

“The Springfield, MO Land Office Sales Book 1833-1892 records that on January 2, 1872 the Rathbones acquired 39.58 acres in T29, R21, S3.  In July 1874 the farm was sold.  Later in that year Sarah Ann died and was buried in Union Campground Cemetery.  The funeral folder published at the time of her death reads:  “The funeral of Mrs. Sarah Ann Rathbone will take place at the Union Camp Ground, six miles northeast of the city, tomorrow, Wednesday, September 16, 1874 at 3 o’clock.  The friends and acquaintances of the family are respectfully invited to attend.”

Paxson Funeral Home Records of Springfield, MO 1871-1900 indicate Thomas Rathbone purchased a #1 case and box for $25 on September 15, 1874.  This coffin would have been hauled by wagon from the funeral home to the farm.  From the farm the entourage would have traveled the narrow dirt road paralleling the Little Sac River to the eastern edge of the cemetery.  The pallbearers would have then removed the coffin from the wagon and carried it to the gravesite.

Sarah’s tombstone cannot be located today the only clue s to its possible location comes from an account given by Erma Rathbone Erickson, now deceased, who was a great granddaughter of Sarah.  Years ago, at the conclusion of a musical program, she was presented with a bouquet of roses, and she decided to go to Union Campground to place the flowers on Sarah’s grave.  As she approached the grave she had to enter a wrought iron enclosure.  (This also agrees with a story told by Ross Rathbone, a great grandson of Sarah, who related entering an iron gate to her grave.)

An intact, wrought iron enclosure surrounds the W. N. McMurry family plot; a smaller wrought iron enclosure surrounds four unmarked graves; and remnants of another wrought iron enclosure are scattered throughout the cemetery.  Perhaps at one time, these scattered remnants surrounded the graves of Sarah and her son, Samuel.

The above genealogy is based on material written by Betty Jane Rathbone Turner, great granddaughter of Sarah Ann (Warr) Rathbone.

By Jean Rayl 2001

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