Bushong - Elmwood Cemetery History - Flint Hills Genealogial Society

BUSHONG - ELMWOOD CEMETERY



The Bushong/Elmwood Cemetery is situated at Road 330 and Road G, a short distance to the east and south of Bushong, Kansas, GPS coordinates N 38.63667 and W -96.24333. The Elmwood Cemetery Association filed a plat in the Lyon County courthouse to be recorded on the 22nd day of April 1887. W. B. VANDIVORT, was the first president of the association, with Irvin KIRK, serving as secretary. It is located in Agnes City Township, and consists of four acres of land. The plot is described as NE corner of NE quarter of Section 25, Township 16, Range 10, Lyon County, Kansas.

Laura French say in her History of Lyon County, "Bushong first called Weeks , was established in 1886, at the time the Missouri Pacific Railway Company built its tracts across the northern part of Lyon County. Joseph WEEKS owned the farm on a part of which the Company wanted to build its station, and he donated to the railway company about twenty acres of land."

Joseph FULLS was the first postmaster, and L. A. GRIMSLEY was the first mayor. Mr. and Mrs. R. D. COTTRELL operated the first hotel. Mr. COTTRELL died in 1896, and the Mrs. COTTRELL married C. E. LEWIS .

There are burials in the Elmwood Cemetery of all these surnames, but only Joseph FULLS has a stone to mark his grave. The people above are most likely buried here, but no one really knows for sure. Like lots of early cemeteries, there are many graves unmarked.

In the 1878 Atlas of Lyon County, the land is recorded as belonging to one F. SHOUP . Daniel CROYLE , whose stone is listed, came to this county in 1872 from Cambria County, Pennsylvania. He was listed as stock raiser.

There are many accounts of the early settlers, now buried in this cemetery. One is the account of the HARDER'S as reported in the Emporia Gazette, dated January 1, 1952. An account of the golden wedding anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. John HARDER is written up. It states "Mrs. HARDER is the former Anna Catherine SLOWN , youngest daughter of John Wesley and Nancy Jane SLOWN , born in Antelope, Nebraska on April 10, 1884. When only one year old she came with her parents, two brothers and three sisters in a covered wagon to Kansas." J. W. and Nancy Jane SLOWN are buried in the Elmwood Cemetery. "John Edward HARDER was born October 1, 1875, at Edford, Henry County, Illinois, the second child of thirteen children, born to the late Henry H. and Louise HARDER . When he was one and a half years old, the HARDER family came by train to Emporia from Illinois. Mrs. Laurenia FITCH (Leon) is their daughter." Anna and John HARDER are both buried in the cemetery, not far from Anna's parents.



Map of Bushong (Elmwood) Cemetery


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Bushong / Elmwood Cemetery Readings


Bushong/Elmwood Cemetery Tombstone Readings and more

This link contains extras information as well as pictures of some stones.
{Used with permission from the researcher who posted the site.}



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Last updated Friday, 01-Jan-2021 09:46:17 MST

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