Big Grove Cemetery

Photograph of Big Grove Cemetery.

Photograph of Fairview-Freemont Cemetery.

Big Grove Cemetery is located in Waynesville Township section 16. This is one of the saddest sights in DeWitt County. I realize that it was a family burial ground and very small but it is shameful that no ones cares enough to protect the graves of the pioneers buried here. In my hunt to find it, I stopped and asked a neighbor if she knew where it was. At first she said there were no cemeteries in the area and then she stopped and said "oh, wait, when I walk my dog I see what look like headstones in the junkyard behind the house on the corner, that could be what you are looking for". The picture above is actually two pictures scanned together as I wanted you to see the full effect of this poor forgotten cemetery. Below is a list of those reportedly buried there. There seem to be many missing stones but who can tell with all the junk.

  • William L. Bovee b. Apr. 4, 1883 d. Aug. 17, 1888
  • Albert N. Bovee b. Aug. 21, 1884 d. May 21, 1888
  • Howaard R. Bovee b. Apr. 6, 1892 d. May 21, 1892
  • Asael R.Bovee b. Dec. 20, 1888 d. Feb. 15, 1889
  • Above were all sons of Richard Baxter and Mary E. (Story) Bovee. Mary was the daughter of William and Eliza C.(Phares) Story.
  • William Story b. Aug. 23, 1830 d. March 11, 1921 (fairly new stone)
  • Eliza C. Story b. July 26, 1833 d. Jan. 29, 1898 (fairly new stone)
  • Lucy A. Story b. Dec. 30, 1860 d. Dec. 6, 1879 daughter of Wm. and Eliza C. (Phares) Story
  • James H. Houchin b. Apr. 4, 1822 d. June 18, 1894 (Civil War Vet.)
  • Lovina (Jones) Houchin b. Mar. 1, 1824 d. Dec. 5, 1904 wife of James married Oct. 10, 1844
  • Mary Sills b. Apr. 11, 1888 d. Mar. 11, 1891 daughter of J. C. and J.
  • Gertrude Tudor b. June 2, 1892 d. Sept. 27, 1892 daughter of Stephen and Minnie Tudor
  • Alydia Caplinger d. 1880 daughter of W. N. and C.
  • Musa Frisby b. Mar. 8, 1874 d. Mar. 21, 1875
  • Susan Cornish b. May 10, 1848 d. Feb 15, 1897 wife of Rev. J. S. Cornish

New photos submitted by Angie Johnson April 2010.  To see more of her photos, visit her website: http://walkamongthedeadgirl.com/index.php/Illinois/DeWitt.

Click on each photo for a closer look.

Photograph of Barnett Cemetery. Photograph of Barnett Cemetery. Photograph of Barnett Cemetery.

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