Unknowns in Wilcox Cemetery, Sangamon County, Illinois
WILCOX CEMETERY
aka GARVEY AND BAKER
Old sign no longer displayed as it was falling apart.
Listings are not complete as other burials were identified after the sign was made.
Legal Description = NE� NW�, Sec. 18, T16N-R1W-3PM
Illiopolis Township, Sangamon County, Illinois
Early Land Owners in Sec. 18 Abstracted from Sangamon County IL Atlas): - 1858 - W. CRAIN; W. B. WARREN; E. H. HARRISON
- 1874 - W. F. GARVEY, B. STUVE, J. M. PEARSON, D. S. CORRELL; Sec. 7 (adjoins 18 on the north) H. WILCOX
- 1894 - W. F. GARVEY; C. M. TURNER; D. S. CORRELL; G. W. HESSER; E. M. PEARSON
- 1904 - Martin E. BAKER, Jr.
Wilcox Cemetery is located on Old Rt. 36, just south of Illiopolis. Old Rt. 36 was created
from Old Old Rt. 36,
which ran through the town of Illiopolis (Matilda Street). Interstate 72 (constructed in 1972)
is now considered Rt.
36, also. Old Old Rt. 36 was by-passed around Illiopolis, reportedly in the 1940's, most
probably because of the
Federal War (Ammunitions) Plant that was located West of Illiopolis during World War II. As a result part of the cemetery was taken for the roadway. It was reported, years ago, by citizens that some
graves were moved to a Springfield Cemetery. Unless family members had the bodies moved, it is difficult for
me to believe that they
weren't moved to Riverside Cemetery in Illiopolis, located South of Illiopolis on the Mechanicsburg blacktop.
I cannot document this, however.
In past years, Wilcox was neglected, overgrown with brush, bramble, etc. When the tornado of June 1993
went through, more damage was done to the cemetery. Interested people came to the rescue and it has been taken
care of since that time, although many stones are broken and probably many missing. Thanks to a descendant of
the Murphy family monies have been donated for the mowing of the cemetery with the American Legion as overseer
.
There have been two previous readings of this cemetery. Members of the Decatur Genealogical Society in 1972
and members of Sangamon County Genealogical Society in 1995. My readings, Spring of 2001, have been
compared with the previous readings and inserted if a stone was not found recently. A couple of stones were
discovered that previous searchers did not find. The Memorial photo above was constructed before an accurate
reading of the cemetery was made, as a result several names are missing from the plaque.
I have done some preliminary search on some of the families that are buried in Wilcox. Some can be identified
through Early Land records, Census and Marriages in Sangamon County. I will attempt to show what I believe to
be the records of some of these families. This research is accomplished from resources on hand and is not to be
taken as absolutely correct. One should document this information with the proper legal records, if possible.
If any descendants of these families can add any information to this site, please contact
Mary Ann Kaylor.
KNOWN BURIALS WITH TOMBSTONES
Click on UNDERLINED name for photo and research. Text in ( ) is added and not on the tombstone. Footstones found in 2001 were piled around the Memorial in front of the cemetery, so I can only guess which name they belong to. Broken stones, illegible, are found around the base of a tree trunk in the back of the cemetery.
?_amen, __ie A.
Died(Nov.?) 12, 1870
Aged..(stone broken)
(Row with Crane burials)
BECKAR, Fredrick
Son of H. & M. BECKAR
Died 5 December 1869
Aged 4y.
(BECKAR)?, Henry
Son of H. & M. BECKAR
(stone broken)
Lot Marker W.E.C
COX, Willie E.
Son of J.R. & E.A. COX
Died Sep. 5, 1872
Aged 14(?)y. 3m.
CRANE RESEARCH
Thanks to Eric Curry for some of the this information!
CRANE, (Harri)et A. (MURPHY)
Wife of James H. CRANE
Died May 4, 1867
Aged 21y.11m.26d.
(stone broken)
(CRANE)? Footstone - H.A.C.
CRANE, Infant
Son of B.F. & L.C. CRANE
Died July 6, 1871
Aged 1mo. (Epitaph)
CRANE, James A.
Son of JA's H. & H.A. CRANE
Died June 6, 1867
Aged 1yr7mo16d.
(Epitaph)
CRANE, Leilah S. or Lillian S.?
Dau of JA's H. & M.M. CRANE
Died 19 May 1871
Aged 3m.29d.
(CRANE)?,_____
(broken stone)
(epitaph only, beside stone of Harriet A. Crane)
DAVIS, Amanda
Dau of D.L. & M.J. DAVIS
Died Apr. 4, 1863
Aged Aged 1y 7m 26d
(DAVIS)?, M. Ellen
Dau of D.L. & M.J. Davis
(stone broken)
(DERRY)?, Arabella W.
Dau of A.C & C.S.
(stone broken)
(Died February 1870)
(DERRY)?, (Lym)an H.
Son of A. C. & ? ?
Died Sep. 3, 18??
(stone broken)
(see Derry above)
On the Same Broken Stone:
DOWNING, _____
Died Feb. 6, 1875
Aged 6m 17d
DOWNING, Infant
Son
Died July ? 1871
(DOWNING?), Martha
(w/o George?)
Died Oct. 26, 18??(74/75?)
Aged 32ys 11ms 27ds
DOWNING, Melinda - See MURPHY, Melinda
(HALL)? Footstone - M.A.H.
HALL, James W.
Son of W. & M.A. Hall
Died Dec. 23, 1875
Aged 27 yrs. 4mos.
HALL, Mary A.
Born Nov. 11, 1822
Died Apr. 17, 1895
Aged 73 years
(Epitaph)
HALL, William J.
Died Feb. 10, 1864
Aged 47 Ys. 1 Mo. 29 D.
(Epitaph)
(HUCKELBERRY)Footstone - C.J.H.
HUCKELBERRY, Cora J.
Dau of E.L. & E.H. Huckelberry
Died Sept. 11, 1871
Aged 5ys. 5ms. 4ds.
Lot Marker M. M.
Old Stone Reading:
MURPHY, Malinda
Aged 35ys. 8ms.
Wife of George Murphy
Died Nov. 26, 1875
New Stone East Side:
"Farewell"
Malinda (Millie) DOWNING
Mar. 26, 1840
Nov. 26, 1875
Wife of George W. MURPHY
Buried Ramona, OK
New Stone West Side:
October 1998 by Great Grandson
P. M. Murphy
Dec. 10, 1933 - ______
Son - Charles Henry
Oct. 13, 1866 - Dec. 19, 1910
Grandson - Floyd Miller
Feb. 5, 1902 - Nov. 11 1973
NORRED, Ida Liew
Dau of F.H. & R.A. NORRED
Died Dec. 10, 1864
Aged 2 yrs. 1m. 26 d.
PURVIANCE, Sarah A.
Wife of George W. Purviance
Died Jan. 25, 1865
Aged 37yrs 4 days
(Epitaph)
(SEARS?)Footstones - J.B.S. & B.F.S.
SEARS, James B.
Son of C.D. & E.B. Sears
Aged 1yr. 8ms. 25ds.
Died 24 March 1870
(stone could not be located - 2001)
(SEARS?)Benjamin F.
Son of C.D. & E.B.
(stone could not be located - 2001)
SPANN, William T.
Son of J. & N. Spann
(stone broken)
(Unknown), Martha A.
Wife of (broken stone, reset)
(Unknown), Debora H.
Dau of ?? (broken stone)(same stone with Martha)
Unknown
(Broken Stone)
Died June 13, 18??
Aged 12Ys.4Mo.22D.
(East of Spann stone)
Unknown
(Broken Stone)
Died June 10, 1872
Aged
19y 7m 20d
(Epitaph)
YATES, Nancy C.
Wife of S.R. Yates
Died Dec. 14, 1876
Aged 37 ys. 10ms. 10ds.
(very worn)
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