The Portal Cemetery was platted on 1 Oct 1879 by J.D. Patterson, Sarpy County
Surveyor, by the order of Andrew Fricke, who owned the land and set
aside one acre for a cemetery. It began as a family cemetery (the Uhe, Weiss and
Fricke families are related) and in later years a few lots were sold to
others. Only three lot purchases were recorded. All sales were by Andrew Fricke
and wife Minnie and were $10.00 per lot.
The cemetery remained in the Fricke family until 1962 when it was sold by Emil Fricke to the Portal Cemetery Association for $1.00. The deed was dated and recorded on 10 Sep 1962 in Book 110, page 26.
The cemetery was originally probably known as the Fricke Cemetery, but in the late 1800's a new town called Portal was platted and was located a short distance from the cemetery. The cemetery took the name of the town. The town disappeared in the early 1900's but the cemetery and theh nearby Portal School (Dist. 22) carried on the name of the former town. A couple years ago the Portal School ceased operation, having been the last of the one room country schools in Sarpy County. In 1995 the old school building was moved and placed next to the historic Sautter House in downtown Papillion. Both buildings are owned and maintained by the Papillion Area Historical Society.
Gary Iske, Sarpy County Genealogical Society, 1995.
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