USA > Illinois > Coles County > Oakland > Berry Cemetery near Oakland, Illinois the Oldest Burial Place in Eastern Illinois > Part 1
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BERRY CEMETERY NEAR OAKLAND, ILLINOIS THE OLDEST BURIAL PLACE IN EASTERN ILLINOIS.
BY JUDGE LYMAN T. YEARGIN.
The oldest cemetery in this section of Illinois is the Berry cemetery one and a half miles north and east of Oak- land. Oakland was settled in 1830 by Samuel Ashmore. His- tory tells us that he was the first person to locate in Oakland then almost a forest of trees. However, Mr. Ashmore came to this part of Illinois a year or two previous to 1830, for he lived in the Brushy Fork neighborhood in 1828-29. When the Berry graveyard was laid out Mr. Ashmore and Samuel Black and a few other neighbors living in the Brushy Fork neighborhood built a log church and services were held in this church nearly a year before the first burial, which ac- cording to known records was in 1832, that of a Mrs. Eliza Morrison, who came from the state of Virginia the previous year. However, we must take exceptions to this statement, for a short time ago we found a gravestone marked 1814, but all other marks had been completely obliterated by the rav- ages of time. Two other very ancient tombstones were found by Mr. Roy Mitchell and Major Matthew Miller. There was no lettering on these tombstones, for age had obliterated them. No other tombstones of a like character had ever been seen before by any of the party who visited the Berry cemetery at this time which was in September 1917. Mr. Wilbur Hackett, a son of the late George Hackett, who came to Illi- nois sometime between 1830 and 1840 says that he not the least doubt but that the French and the Kickapoo Indians used this cemetery to bury their dead in before the 18th cent- ury. Mr. Hackett says that he has heard his father tell of the French and Indians who were here when he first came to this country.
This cemetery is in a most deplorable condition. In all probability there has not been an interment in it for the past 25 years. There are no roads leading to it. It is sur- rounded on three sides by corn fields and on one side by a
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large pasture. Sumac nearly as tall as a horse was found growing abundantly. The barbed wire fence which sur- rounded the cemetery is all down. In fact it presents a most desolate looking appearance. Most of the tombstones have fallen either flat on the ground, in front of the graves or to one side. Indeed, a grave could not be found but that was flat. There are no rounded mounds. In going to this cemetery Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Miller and the writer missed finding it by a half mile or more although in earlier days Roy Mitchell had vis- ited this cemetery many times. There used to be a public road leading to it, a cut off to the east after you crossed Hoag's Branch bridge, but this road has been closed up for over 20 years. In going, the trio climbed several fences, went through several valleys and once went through a corn field, crossing Hoag's Branch three times in their wan- derings. In the Berry graveyard lie the remains of a great many of the old pioneers. These were the early settlers. They were buried there because there was no other cemetery within thirty or forty miles. The grandfather and grand- mother of former State Senator Stanton C. Pemberton, sleep their long last sleep in this graveyard. Here also lies the body of Samuel Ashmore, the first settler of Oakland. Also Samuel H. Ashmore, C. C. Ashmore's grandfather. Three or four of the old pioneer Kirkpatricks, three or four of the Hamils, three Campbells, Uncle Mose Luce, Daniel Stites and his wife, Thomas Moody, Josiah Black and his wife, Samuel and Daniel B. Powers and wife.
Another grave in the Berry graveyard is that of Thomas Affleck, who died in 1852. Thomas Affleck was in life one of the most noted men in the community. He was born in Scotland but located here in 1832. He was a fine violinist and took great pleasure in playing for the "Hoe Downs" as they were called in those days. He was a model farmer, frugal and thrifty. It is said that he wore a No. 9 hat and by actual measurement his head measured 24 inches in cir- cumference. He was also a great hunter, and when he wanted game he would "harness" up a yoke of cattle to his sled and strike out for the hunting grounds, where, turning his cattle loose to feed he would sit and wait and watch for his
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game, and would rarely miss a single shot in bringing down a deer. The one great fault Mr. Affleck had was he drank too much. This was especially so after he lost his wife who lies buried beside him. Finally he went with his son, Rev. A. O. Allen (Affleck?) to Terre Haute, where he died. Before leav- ing Oakland he secured a promise from Dr. Rutherford and Mr. Mosely that they would see that he was buried in the Berry graveyard. Hearing of his death Dr. Rutherford and Mr. Mosely sent Aleck Mitchell over to Terre Haute after the remains and they were interred as stated previously by the side of his wife. Another noted character who helped to erect the log church near the Berry graveyard was Wm. Shadd, who was a blacksmith. The people called him "Old Shadd" for a nickname. He came here from along about the White River in Indiana in 1831. He had quite a large family, all of whom were thrifty and they soon owned a large farm. "Old Shadd" was a great talker and was always telling improbable stories. One time he exhibited to Dr. Rutherford his "spring lancet" and his "pullikin," the latter for ex- tracting teeth, and estimated the number of teeth drawn with them, or it, at several barrels, and the blood shed by the "lancet" at the hogshead measure. Poor "Old Shadd." He was gathered to his fathers long ago in the fullness of time and a good old age. Another old pioneer who helped to lay out the Berry graveyard and build the log cabin church was William Nokes. He used to tell that he was a great heart smasher among the ladies and had been compelled at a single term of court in Louisville, Ky., to answer to a dozen breach of promise suits. He went by the name of "Old Bag of Shot," a name given him in honor of one of his stories in which he claimed that he once carried a bag containing a bushel of shot along the streets of Louisville, and as the frost had just come out of the ground he sank to his knees every step while the bricks of the pavement piled around his feet. The story grew by repetition until the shot be- came two bushels and the displaced brick reached to his waist. Another story told of him is that he went to old 'Squire Ashmore and made a complaint against a young
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man of 18 years for assault and battery. Though he was at that time somewhat feeble, the 'Squire persuaded him that it would not look well for a man who had carried two bushels of shot to prosecute a stripling of eighteen years, and so in his good nature Mr. Nokes withdrew his complaint. We might go on, and still on, and relate early history of these old pioneers who helped build the log cabin church and lay out Berry graveyard, but will not this time.
Silently do these old pioneers slumber. Nothing disturbs them. They lived in an age of honesty, of frugality, of neigh- borly kindness and God fearing manliness. Some have been dead over sixty years. Many of their children are dead. Only now and then do we find any of them. Grandchildren there are in plenty in our community. These boys and girls are getting along in years. They have families of their own, aye, many have grandchildren. To them has been left a blessed heritance and names to keep untarnished.
In looking over the slabs or tombstones the following names, dates of locations and deaths were found inscribed :
Samuel Ashmore, born in Georgia 1795, located 1829, died 1836.
Moses Luce, born in Virginia 1785, located 1837, died 1838.
Catherine, wife of Moses Luce, born in Georgia 1780, located 1837, died in Indiana 1844.
Ruth Ashmore, born in Georgia 1792, located 1829, died 1855.
Samuel C. Ashmore, born in Georgia 1806, located 1831, died 1855.
Stanton Pemberton, born in Virginia 1778, located 1831, died 1838.
Sally, wife of Stanton Pemberton, born in Virginia 1782, located 1831, died 1850.
Eliza A. Morrison, born in Virginia 1812, located 1831, died 1832. The first person buried in this graveyard.
Daniel B. Powers, born in Ohio 1807, located 1838, died 1892.
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Maria, wife of Daniel B. Powers, born in Ohio 1808, lo- cated 1838, died 1861.
Daniel Stites Sr., born in Ohio 1795, located 1840, died 1855.
Christiannah, wife of Daniel Stites, born in Ohio 1800, located 1840, died 1855.
Thos. Affleck, born in Scotland 1785, located 1836, died 1852.
Wife of Thos. Affleck, born in Scotland 1784, located 1836, died 1840.
George Bowdre, born in Ohio 1820, located 1848, died 1862.
Thos. Moody, born in Ohio 1799, located 1839, died 1862.
Sarah, wife of Thos. Moody, born in Ohio 1806, located 1839, died 1857.
Thos. McGuire, born in Tennessee 1792, located 1840, died 1844.
Alexander Newman, born in Tennessee 1793, located 1829, died 1851.
Margaret, wife of Alex. Newman, born in Tennessee 1789, located 1829, died 1866.
James H. Hammil, born in Tennessee 1799, located 1829, died 1856.
Elizabeth, wife of James Hammil, born in Tennessee 1802, located 1829, died 1889.
Josiah Black, born in Kentucky 1793, located 1831, died 1839.
Sussanah, wife of Josiah Black, born in Kentucky 1798, located 1831, died 1862.
James Black, born in Kentucky 1798, located 1828, died 1874.
Elizabeth, wife of James Black, born in Kentucky 1797, located 1828, died 1869.
L. E. Archer, born in Vermont 1783, located 1835, died 1866.
Samuel Rains, born in Ohic 1785, died 1853.
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