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External Links Message Board from Ancestry.com UsGenWeb Mower County Archives
THE RECORDING OF A CEMETERY By Thelma Greene Reagan
Today we walked where others walked On a lonely, windswept hill. Today we talked where others cried For loved ones whose lives are stilled.
Today our hearts were touched By graves of tiny babies. Snatched from the arms of loving kin, In the heartbreak of the ages.
Today we saw where the grandparents lay In the last sleep of their time. Lying under the trees and clouds - Their beds kissed by the sun and wind.
Today we wondered About an unmarked spot. Who lies beneath this hallowed ground? Was it a babe, child, young or old? No indication could be found.
Today we saw where Mom and Dad lay. We had been here once before On a day we'd all like to forget, But will remember forever more.
Today we recorded for kith and kin The graves of ancestors past. To be preserved for generations hence, A record we hope will last.
Cherish it, my friend. Preserve it, my friend, For stones sometimes crumble to dust And generations of folks yet to come Will be grateful for your trust. |
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Mower County Cemetery Information Visit Find A Grave for more information on Mower County Cemeteries
111-year-old Lyle Cemetery Kept Attractive with
Group’s Efforts By MRS. CLYDE ROEHR [No date available] LYLE, Minn. – Numerous cemeteries dating back a century or more are run down and uncared for, but Woodbury
Cemetery along Highway 105 west of Lyle on the Iowa-Minnesota border is 111
years old and is one of the best kept in North Iowa and Southern Minnesota. Much of the credit for the maintenance of the
cemetery must go to the Woodbury Willinger Workers, an organization which was
formed in June 1909 and has continuously labored with love and small funds to
keep the spot attractive. The cemetery dates back to 1855
and, perhaps, even longer but no earlier records are available.
It was started by J.D. Woodbury, one of the early
settlers along the Red Cedar River in Lyle Township. Woodbury Creek and the
cemetery are named after him. Among the first persons buried there were Civil
War veterans. Since all of the early
records were destroyed in a fire, the monuments provide the early burial
dates. Marjory Bean is believed to have been the first
person buried in the cemetery, but no marker has been found to establish the
exact spot. The second burial was that of Mrs. A.C. Chapin
April 6, 1856. Also among the persons first buried
there was Eloise Wilder, the first white child born in Otranto Township,
Mitchell County (Iowa). The Woodbury Willinger Workers maintain these early
graves along with the recent ones. Membership in the organization now number
84. Present officers are Mrs. Raymond Farrell, president; Mrs. Arthur Graves,
vice president; Mrs. Gilbert Hermanson, secretary, and Ida Goslee, treasurer. Two of the charter members of the
organization still belong. They are Mrs. Amos (Evelyn) Machacek,
now 99 and Olive Bonnallie. Many of the activities of the organization are
made possible by the bequest it received in 1964. The bequest came from the
estate of two brothers and a sister, George, Jerome
and Anna Funda, who lived their entire lives near
the cemetery. Forty percent of the estate, which amounted to more than
$36.300, went to the Woodbury Willinger Workers. Veterans of four wars are
buried on the cemetery’s sloping hill. These include 19 from the Civil War,
one from the Spanish-American War, 13 from World War I and four from World
War II. Members of the cemetery board include Frank Bedford president; Vance Hotson, vice president; Mrs. Grace Barnes, secretary, and
Glenn Machacek, treasurer. Carroll Howard is sexton
and caretaker. Transcribed and Edited by:
Neal Du Shane 12-13-2006 HTMLization by Kermit Kittleson,
12-13-2006
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Copyright 2021 Mower County MNGenWeb Project | All Rights Reserved This page was last updated January 15, 2021 Janet Stephenson, Webmaster
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