A Brief History

The first six burials in 1846

Judson B. Ward, son of E.V. and Effa Ward, Aug. 18 – age 10
Sarah Wey Ward, Sept. 2 – age 24, wife of Edward Ward
Martin Ward, Oct. 5 – age 3 months, son of Sarah & Edward
George VanLowe, Nov. 16 – age 20
Abigail VanLowe, Dec. 28 – age 75
Sally M. Horton, Dec. 29 – age 24

Association formed in 1859

Three more people were buried in 1846, and one more in each of the next three years. In the 1850s, 27 people were buried there. That’s probably what prompted the neighbors to get together and form the Union Cemetery Association in 1859. The first entry in the record book states:

According to previous appointment Certain Citizens of the Towns of Jefferson & Oakland met at the House of E Ward in Town of Oakland Sept 12 1859 at 6 oclo PM for the purpos of forming a boddy corporate to repair improve embelish also to take Deed of a certain piece of Land occupied as burying ground or Cemetery situated in the Town of Oakeland on Sec 25 range 13 East.

Said meeting organized by electing John Ward Chairman DP Wells sec. 

Voted to take the name of Union Cemetery Association.

Voted to have six Trustees. The following were elected 

G Sherman & Wm C Wright one year

E Chapman & John Ward 2 years

Edward Ward & Harmon (Vonder) Hellen 3 years.

At that first meeting they wrote bylaws for the cemetery and decided to sell lots for $5, with each lot usually consisting of six plots or room for burials.

Here are a few milestones of the cemetery as gleaned from the minutes of the Union Cemetery Association meetings.

1875 – borrowed $27 to add land to the cemetery

1894 – lot price raised to $10

1899 – “On motion decided to buy record book.”

1923 – perpetual fund established for the future upkeep of the cemetery. The trustees asked for $50 per lot ($734 in today’s money) and at least 33 people/families contributed.

Today there are about 383 burials at the cemetery. The number of burials averaged 23 per decade from the 1850s through the 1960s; dropped to an average of 14 in the next three decades; and dropped to an average of five in the most recent two decades.

For a more complete history and some wonderful picture references, please see the following presentation created by Lori Ward Bocher.