Hilltop Cemetery TALES THE TOMBSTONES TELL
Hilltop Cemetery
Aka
Miller Cemetery
Eagle Township, Richland
County, Wisconsin USA
Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - February 14, 1957
Perhaps there are fifteen to twenty cemeteries in
Richland county that have long since ceased to be used for burial
purposes. The tombstones lay upon the ground covered by grass weeds.
Inscriptions upon the stones have become dim over the years and names,
dates and verses worn by the elements so they are difficult to read.
. . . .
The Miller Cemetery
This little cemetery is off the beaten path; located
on the Roy Parrish farm in section 23 town of Eagle. At one time it was
own by W. H. Miller, who became a resident of Richland Center. He was
known best as Squire Miller because he was for many years a justice of
the peace in Richland Center. Squire Miller was the father of George
Miller who for many, many years was a member of the barber firm of
Miller and Poynter. However there are no stones in this cemetery that
bear the name of Miller, or at least we did not locate any when in
company with Frank C. Poynter, our good friend and companion on most of
these cemetery visits throughout the county. We went to this burying
ground one day about silo filling time last year.
The cemetery is no longer used. It stands enclosed
by a wire fence, on top of a hill some two or three blocks west of the
farm house. One can drive to it, but the road is a bit rough to the
field that surrounds the graves.
The name Ewing appears upon some of the grave
stones; one for George V. Ewing, who died on March 13, 1860; aged 60
years, nine months and 28 days; another is for E. E. Ewing, who passed
on Sept. 25, 1861, aged six years, six months and 17 days, and C. V.
Ewing died Jan. 4, 1868, at the age of 14 years, three months and five
days. E. E. and C. V. Ewing, so the stone says, were children of John
and Patsy Ewing. Also buried in the cemetery is Jacob Beard, who died
March 7, 1864, at the age of 73. Members of the Beard family were long
identified with the town of Eagle.
One of the grave stones lay face down in the dirt
and when we turned it over, there imprinted by the weight of the stone,
were the words carved upon the slab and they could be read with ease
just as well as those upon the stone. We read - "Geo. W. Slater, died
Jan. 8, 1862, aged 37 years, one month and two days."
Mr. Slater we learn, was a native of the state of
Maryland, went with his parents to Indiana when quite young. He was
married to Rebecca Beard, Feb. 7, 1847. She was a native of Washington
county, West Virginia. In 1850 Mr. Slater came from Indiana and entered
land in what is now the town of Eagle, then returned to Indiana, and in
the fall he started for his new home in the wilds of Wisconsin,
accompanied by his family. They came overland and brought with them the
tools, implements and household goods to start up housekeeping. They
camped out nights and the trip was long and hard. A log house was
erected and the sound of the ax sounded as Mr. Slater began to clear
the giant trees from his farm in sections 22 23. He sold his farm
in 1861 and purchased another in
section 34, where he resided until the time of his death in 1862. His
wife passed on July 4, 1880. Among their children was William J., who
at one time was clerk of the court for Richland county. He was married
to Eudora Dosch, a native of the town of Richwood. They resided in
Eagle until moving to Richland Center. They were the parents of two
children, Della and Don. Miss Della is now a resident of the town of
Akan. She was a school teacher in Richland Center at one time and will
be so remembered by many.
. . . . .
S.F.
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