OXFORD CEMETERY
OXFORD CEMETERY
Although there are no tombstones in this cemetery, it was one of the oldest in the entire county. It began when one of the earliest pioneers, James Love Oxford, lost a child and Mr. Oxford selected a plot of ground on his farm which was 2 miles south from the old Walworth Bridge across the Middle Loup River about a 1/4 of a mile from their small log cabin. Later, most - not all - of the bodies were removed and buried in other cemeteries. Following is a report on those buried there, compiled by Myrtle Oxford Hersh (Mrs. Leonard Hersh, daughter of James L. Oxford) and her son J. Dean Hersh. This Oxford cemetery is situated in Lillian Township on Section 14, Township 19, Range 20, Custer County, Nebraska.
Daisy Oxford, died in 1880 from accidental scald burns at the home of her parents - Mr. and Mrs. James L. Oxford. She died in the winter and many years later was removed and reinterred in the Broken Bow Cemetery.
Mrs. James Oxford, wife of James L. Oxford - see note at bottom
Mrs. Lampman (mother of Lew & Silas Lampman) and her baby - buried after Daisy Oxford - never removed. Mrs. Lampman died in childbirth.
2 infant Ash babies, babies of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Ash, both died
very young.
John Ash, age about 20 years, buried here, died from after-effects
of scarlet fever - thought he had recovered, went
to well and drank considerable quanity of water when alone, died
that night or next day - warned not to over partake. He was the son
of Mr. Adam Ash. This John had a son Jim Ash also.
Mrs. Adam Ash, known as Grandma Ash, she was the mother of Jim and Hank Ash
Mrs. Crawford, middle-aged, she earlier married a widower, who by his prior marriage had a daughter Sally Crawford (this Sally later married Clint Parker who had a sister Eva who married Walter Metcalf) This Mrs. Crawford was a sister to Jess Ash (Jess was cousin to Adam Ash)
______ Sargent, a child of Herb Sargent.
Since the cemetery was in the middle of the field, making shorter
rows and requiring more turning for farming, the
cemetery fence by about 1928 was in quite bad shape, so several
bodies were removed at that time and re-buried elsewhere. It was
at this time that Mrs. Jim Oxford and the baby daughter were moved to the
Broken Bow Cemetery. Only a few buttons from a dress were found where
Daisy was buried so these and some soil were placed in the same coffin
as her mother.