TLAKE

TLAKE Timberlake Cemetery
Section 21, Goshen Twp
near Atalissa, IA

This cemetery is located about 400 feet west of the North corner of Section 21, Goshen Township No. 78, Range 3 West. One mile south and a mile west of Atalissa and one half mile south of the old Muscatine to Iowa City stagecoach line, which was also known as Tice Ferry Road.

From the east: Hwy 6 to Atalissa; turn at the first left before the overpass. One mile south, then turn right and go a mile west. The cemetery is on the left.

From West Liberty: One mile south on Hwy 70, then left on the rock road and go about three miles. Cemetery will be on your right.

From the Musser library we also received this narrative written by Irene Sweitzer, a library staff member in 1972 regarding Timberlake Cemetery:

In looking at a map of Goshen township, a diagonal road is quite apparent. According to older citizens this marks the path that the wagon trains followed on their way west. Reportedly there is a very rocky bottom of the Cedar river where the wagon trains could cross the river with safety. Near this crossing are situated two rather old cemeteries. One is called Overman and the other Timberlake. One story is told that when a wagon with a family named Brown was passing on the way west, their eight year old daughter became ill with diptheria and died. She was buried at the site of Timberlake cemetery which may have been the start of the cemetery. Have also heard that the Timberlake family donated the land in 1857.

Interestingly, the oldest marked graves we found were those of several of the Overman family dated 1841 and 1842. Inside the main gate was a monument erected to some of the Timberlake family while in another part of the cemetery a tragic little story was carved on a stone as follows:

HANNAH TIMBERLAKE
wife of
HARMON TIMBERLAKE
Drowned while crossing
Cedar river during
Thunderstorm 1861

Harmon Timberlake and his second wife of many years later were buried in the cemetery at a different spot.

In one long line of markers this story was told on the markers; for here lay Prudence Heberling, aged 28 years with her six children in a row.

One stone carried the name of Elvan McLaughlin 1872 while the other side said Mildred Brown 1881.

We found this intriguing little story carved on a small stone off in the southwest part of the cemetery almost by itself. It said:

In memory of
little
Peter
An Indian
of the Piute Tribe
Carson River
Nevada
Died
November 4, 1869
Aged 12 years.

To reach Timberlake it is easiest to direct from Atalissa. There is an overhead bridge just west of the town on Highway 6. On the east approach to this bridge a blacktop road turns off to the south. It is X46 and it goes through some very flat and very rich, black farm land. At the first road that turns to the west, follow the gravel road to the cemetery. An early atlas shows #3 Schoolhouse situated right next to the cemetery on land that seemed to belong to the Robert Jewett farm. As far as we can find out, this cemetery has never been affiliated with any church.

We received two separate listings of Timberlake markers from the Musser library staff; one was the compilation of the library staff made in 1972 and a second was a much more detailed listing made by Mr. Raymond C. Lewis of Atalissa in 1978. We hope the combined transcription, together with information received from our visitors will be of assistance.

As with all transcriptions, errors will exist. You are encouraged to verify any information found here through additional sources.

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