Chic Stevens recently brought down and burned off two trees whose root systems were invading graves at London Cemetery.

By Beverly Clinkingbeard

The small cemetery doesn’t have many visitors. The most recent burial was in 1975, and prior to that, 1961. The London Cemetery, Colfax Township, is noted on an 1877 plat map. On Memorial Day, it is especially lovely. The iris and peonies are prolific. Many years ago, loving hands planted them for their loved ones, and Mother Nature sees to that they are still on duty.

Recently, Chic Stevens and Rod McEnaney arrived with chain saw and matches. Two very old cedar trees, one which threatened to fall and take out several tombstones, and the other, had invaded graves with their root systems. They sawed and burned and discouraged other tree sprouts that persist. The cemetery is now ready for another spring. By summer, the prairie grasses will wave to and fro.

Sadly, one night several years ago, vandals arrived. They pulled stones over – even big stones. It took a lot of effort, possibly, log chain and truck, to accomplish that level of devastation. Chic Stevens says it is a ‘someday’ fix. The damage is such it may take a couple tries to restore it as it once was.

Cemeteries were established by need and the first land transfer from the Willsie (also spelled Wilsie) family was as early as 1865, though the first known burial was 1873. According to the “Gone, But Not Forgotten” book, there are as many as thirty unmarked graves. It is doubtful the little cemetery did not have any burials from the time land was set aside to the first known burial.

In 1874, “Anna M. Stafford, age 9 yr., 4 mo., 22 da. – dau. of Richard & Elizabeth O. Wilson Stafford – twin sister of Mary Stafford” was buried at London Cemetery. As many stones are very old, they represent old designs and artistry. Some are quite elaborate, such as Richard and Anna Stafford’s stone. They were first settlers into what became the London neighborhood and built a block home on a hill within sight of the cemetery. An Ida C. Stafford and John R. Stafford, from London, Missouri, attended Amity College (Amity, Iowa, now known as College Springs, Iowa) for the 1882-83 school year. A London Post Office is listed on the 1877 plat map and London School was open until the 1950 consolidation. London, Missouri, was also an early-day stage coach stop. The road to the cemetery no longer connects 170th Street with 180th. Access is by a gravel road going south a quarter mile east of the 170th and State Highway M corner. There is no sign pointing to the cemetery.

There seems not to have been a church connected to the London neighborhood, but a mile north of the London neighborhood was North Star. The school was first known as Francis School and there was a small church. The school was on the southeast side of the road and the church on the southwest of what is now State Highway M & 160th Street. Another mile north of North Star was the Long Branch Covenanter Cemetery and church. The Covenanters were somewhat separatists and buried in their cemetery.

Many North Star neighborhood (East Lincoln Township) names are buried at London Cemetery.  For instance, there are 14 Clarks, 12 Cozads, 11 Hutts, 10 Stevenses, and a couple unusual first names were “Phelena,” “Delpha,” and “Missouri.”

In the 1877 plat map, there are many sections of land without ownership, however, in the next 20 years that changed swiftly. Some original names listed were:  Wishard, Wilsie, Hull, Murray, Colwell, Staples, Rouse, Harness, Gordon, Stevens, Clark and Thompson.

Over the years, members of the Stevens family have cared for the cemetery, hence, Chic Stevens’ interest. His grandfather, Glenn, and Presley Clark cared for the cemetery for many years. The first Stevens burial was Mina May “Minnie,” age 10 mo., 28 da. – dau. of Robert & Elizabeth Barnett Stevens, d. Jan 12, 1876. Robert died in 1901 and Elizabeth in 1911. Their son, William Alva, died in 1912, and his wife, Emma Senora Bevard in 1939. These are the great (4) and great (3) grandparents of “Chic” Stevens and are buried at London Cemetery.

Rodney McEnaney’s interest in the London Cemetery may be because he grew up in the London neighborhood, and like many of us, somehow finds the cemetery a special place. Thank you, Rod, from many, for your interest.

A visitor from Tennessee doing family research was pleasantly surprised at how well kept the cemeteries in northwest Missouri are. It really can’t be said that of all of them, but after an occasion of grave searching in Tennessee, his remark could be appreciated. When looking at inscriptions of names and dates of tombstones, one can only wonder how very deeply hearts must have ached with the finality of being at the cemetery. It seems each pioneer family must have known this with the loss of a child. Many old graves are of children. Not all burials were neighborhood or family related. In one instance, and the story is short on detail, a couple was traveling from Rock Port, Missouri, to Clarinda, Iowa. Their baby took sick and they stopped at a neighborhood home. The baby died and is buried in London Cemetery. The year was 1907 and though he rests alone, his family erected a stone and visited the grave.

A copy of the “Gone, But Not Forgotten” directory of the deceased of Atchison County and the “Country Schools of Atchison County” is available from  Nancy Dunham, 402-960-9567.

’Til next time…