History Of Gridley Cemetery

Nestled in a corner on the Gridley-Flanagan blacktop where McLean and Livingston Counties meet sits the beautiful ten-acre Gridley Cemetery. The gentle, rolling knoll has been carefully maintained for 150 years as a place of final rest.

It was recorded on June 16, 1866 that Asahel Gridley and his wife Mary sold the land to the “directors of the Gridley Cemetery Company” for $1.00 for the specific purpose to be a cemetery. The directors of the Gridley Cemetery Company were listed as James Jewett-president, James M. Michell-secretary, Wilbur H. Boies, Upton Coomes, and George W. Kent. This 5½ acre property was located at the northeast corner of section 4, township 26, north range 3 east of the 3rd principal meridian.

“The History of McLean County 1879” lists the first death which occurred in Gridley was that of the “excellent wife of businessman James M. Michell, who died shortly after he began business here.” (1857) Although her burial would be the first for the village of Gridley, no record exists of her death or where she might be buried.

The first burial listed in the cemetery record book is that of Ed Colburn who is buried in lot #157 (in 1856, according the Gridley Centennial Book). No dates are recorded and no stone exists today. Also buried in this lot are George Albert Colburn who was born in 1828 in Canada and died in 1861 and Caroline Colburn who was born in 1796 and died in 1862. Most assuredly these were family members but it is only speculation that Caroline was Ed’s wife and that George was their son.

Another early burial is that of infant Upton Coomes who died February 10, 1862 at the age of 1 year 5 months and 1 day. Upton was the son of Upton and Mary J. Coomes who, along with Upton’s brothers William and Henry, moved to Gridley from Ohio. Mr. Coomes served as one of the original 1858 village board members and died in September of 1901 at the home of his daughter in Paxton, Illinois.

Infant Thomas B. Houghton died August 7, 1865 and was buried in lot #184.

Two additional early burials were brothers William and Arthur Tarman. William was born in October of 1864 and died in January of 1865. His brother Arthur was born in November of 1865 and died in June of 1867. These children were born to John Thomas Tarman and his second wife Elizabeth. John Tarman was born at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia on April 7, 1825. He moved to Ohio as a young man and first married Maria Hocking. To them were born three sons: Chauncey, Chester, and Howard. (Howard remained in Gridley and operated a thriving furniture business.) Maria died in Ohio in 1853. John then married Elizabeth Baughman in Ohio in 1856 and to them were born six children, none of whom lived to be much over one year of age. Mr. Tarman moved to newly established Gridley where he worked at his trade, that of a carpenter. He built the home of Dr.J. C. Adams, at that time considered the finest home in Gridley. In addition to many houses in town including his own on 5 th Street, he also built the Congregational Church and the Gridley Public School building (located at 4 th and Woodford Streets), that being his last work in the carpenter business. Tarman served on the 1858 original board of directors for the new village of Gridley. He was a devout Christian, attending the Christian Church of Gridley. He died on March 27, 1895 at his home. His obituary states, “He lives at rest in the beautiful Gridley Cemetery.”

Other early burials were John Littler who died September 7, 1866 at the age of 55 years 2 months and 29 days. His wife Harriet was buried beside him. She was sborn August 26, 1807 and died April 5, 1872.

There exists a “potter’s lot” (pauper’s lot) which is provided by the cemetery for those who are unable to afford a burial plot. J. N. Casey, an ex-rebel soldier who had been working as a hired hand in this community died in 1870. He was buried in this potter’s lot. The Grand Army of the Republic (the association of Civil War veterans) purchased their own lot to provide a burial place for those soldiers who may be in need. A change of heart must have occurred because J. N. Casey was later reburied in the G.A.R. plot with other soldiers who had served in the Civil War although they had served the Northern cause. Other burials located in the potter’s lot include a man who was murdered in 1876 and a man who committed suicide in 1881. An unidentified man was buried in the potter’s lot on November 25, 1909. This man had been killed or found dead on the T P & W railroad tracks. It was not known whether this was accidental, intentional or if there had been foul play.

The Grand Army of the Republic lot is #141, and buried here are: 3 unknown graves; previously mentioned J. N. Casey; Alexander Sheret, a veteran of the Civil War who served as a private in the infantry of Company F; World War I veteran Byron Ray Phillis who was born in 1896 and died January 8, 1923 of tuberculosis contracted during his service; and Alvin Hoselton who was born December 7, 1888, served as a private in Company F, 33 rd division of the 129 th infantry and died February 11, 1958.

The Apostolic Christian Church purchased twenty-four lots located in the southwest corner. As the church members passed away, they were buried side by side.

An article appeared in the 1896 Gridley newspaper listing all lot owners’names and the number of persons buried in each lot. There were 132 lot owners, the Apostolic Christian Church lots, and one pauper lot on which three were buried. The number buried totaled 401. The article further stated that this list was furnished to the best of Mr. H. Sieberns ability since no full detail of the number buried was ever given on the record book At that time, Mr. Sieberns completed a plat book and record book for the cemetery.

The Gridley Cemetery Company, under the trustees of the village of Gridley, managed the Gridley Cemetery for these early years. On November 2, 1908, 53 lot owners petitioned the village board to transfer the rights, title and supervision of the Gridley Cemetery to the trustees of the cemetery. This petition was granted, and the Gridley Cemetery Association was formed and incorporated; all lot owners were to be members of the association. The first trustees were: J.F. Ropp, - president; E.F. Kent, - vice-president; Jasper Gilmore - treasurer; W.H. Boies - secretary; William Freed; and Alex Helbling. A permanent fund was created for perpetual care ($50 per lot), which would be used for grounds maintenance. The first sexton appointed in April of 1909 was John K. Andrews, who served in this position until his death in 1938.

A detailed list of the cemetery rules and regulations was adopted January 18, 1909 and published in booklet form by C. S. Rowley. This booklet included such interesting items as: no animals were to buried there; only one body was to be buried to a grave; horses must not be tied to any tree on the grounds; all persons were prohibited from destroying or mutilating any grave stone, shrubberies, or any object within the cemetery. Persons were strictly prohibited from hunting in this place and “these grounds were sacredly devoted to the interment of the dead and strict observance of the decorum which should characterize such a place was required of all.”

In the early years the neighbors or men of the community dug the grave and carried the casket to the cemetery. The Cemetery Association fee for opening and closing of a gravesite was $5, and the grave was not to be dug until the fee was paid.

In 1907 a wire fence was built along the north and east sides of the cemetery grounds, and a hedge was planted along the west and south sides. In 1911 the cemetery was tiled, and in 1916 red cedar trees were planted in the northwest section.

At the insistence of the Women’s Relief Corps ( the ladies auxiliary of the Grand Army of the Republic), the village was petitioned and it was granted in 1914 that a sidewalk be built from the village to the cemetery. The WRC helped to solicit funds and volunteer labor to build this sidewalk, extending along Seventh Street to the Flanagan road and continued north to the cemetery. The entire community took great interest in the building of this sidewalk with 225 contributions of labor or money that totaled $1500.

They began to lay crushed rock on the cemetery driveways in 1919. This project continued through 1925 and included much volunteer time and labor.

In 1925 a five-acre strip of land located to the south of the then existing cemetery was purchased from Fred Frey for $350 per acre. This land was surveyed, tiled, fenced, and lots were laid out in 1928. Landscaping and new rock drives were laid throughout, completed by the extensive voluntary labor of local farmers and businessmen.

At the time of the Memorial Day celebration on May 30, 1939, the cemetery association held a service to dedicate the new stone pillars at the Gridley Cemetery center gate and the newly planted landscaping to the old settlers of the Gridley community. Reverend Osceola McNemar, a pioneer of this community, officiated. Eleven of the older Gridley families had cooperated to place several hundred evergreens and shrubs throughout the cemetery and had erected the stone gate pillars. The inscription on the north pillar reads: “This memorial gateway has been erected and dedicated to the memory of the founders and organizers of this community by their descendants 1939.” Each family helping with this project placed a name on the south pillar and are as follows: W. D. Castle, Jasper Gilmore, James M. Michell, W. H. Boies, C. F. Hoobler, Sr., W. J. Niergarth, Richard Breese, Sarah Breese, John Pfeffinger, Pauline A. Pfeffinger, Kent family, Thomas B. Houghton, Sarah J. Houghton, and J. F. Ropp. Although this gateway is no longer used as an entrance, the gate and pillars silently serve to honor our early pioneer families.

It became apparent that the permanent fund augmented by fees for opening graves was not sufficient to support and maintain the cemetery. After letters requesting donations prompted a flood of funds, the association was able to continue operation until a permanent solution could be found. At a special meeting of the village board on August 4, 1950, the association requested the village to assume the operation of the cemetery. A small tax was voted by the village to aid in the support of the association, and the cemetery officially became a part of the village of Gridley. Its trustees were appointed by the village president and were confirmed by the city council.

Since 2006, the Gridley Cemetery is operated by the village board. A committee of three with a chairperson is appointed by the village president.