Poor Farm Cemetery
Brief History of the Crawford County Cemetery
The Crawford County Home was also known as the "Poor Farm" and had established a cemetery in the following location:
A parcel in the Southeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter (SE1/4 SW1/4) of Section Thirty-one (31), Township Eighty-three (83) North, Range Thirty-nine (39), West of the 5th P.M., Crawford County, Iowa, containing .60 acres.
It is noted that the Crawford County, Iowa, Board of Supervisors did not maintain any separate records as to the burials in the county cemetery. For this reason, information has been taken from both the County Home record book and the Crawford County Death Books to compile the list of burials. It is not known how complete the burial list is and no record of the individual burials, except for William P. Groat (stone marker)and Rhoda Webb(metal funeral home marker) has been located.
As of this date in August of 1987, although many inquiries have been made, no one has been located that knows how anyone decided where to place the twenty-one(21) angle iron crosses that are now in the cemetery or, furthermore, who placed them there. It has since been discovered that Ralph Hoffemeir and Walter Watke placed the crosses in the cemetery.
Because of poor record keeping, there are some discrepancies in dates and the spelling of names and for this reason, notations have been made in an effort to clarify information.
As of August 1987, the cemetery remains in a very poor condition overgrown with plum bushes and weeds and a large tree in the center of the cemetery is dead and has fallen over. Appeals have been made to the County Board of Supervisors and hopefully, some action will be taken to maintain the cemetery in a respectful condition soon.
Directions to Cemetery from Arion:
From the intersection of the main entrance to Arion and U.S. Highway 30, go south approximately 1/2 mile on gravel road until you cross the Boyer River bridge, turn left going northeast and then east approximately 1 1/4 mile; at the "Y" intersection, turn to the left and go approximately 1 1/3 mile. At the first intersection, turn right (east) and go approximately 1/2 mile. The cemetery is located on the north side of the road.(The cemetery can also be reached by taking County Road M24 from the intersection with U.S.Highway 30 approximately 2 miles west of Denison and traveling approximately 5 miles southwesterly on M24.
NOTE: Arion, Iowa, is located on U.S. Highway 30 two (2) miles northeast of Dow City and eight (8) miles southwest of Denison.
Recorded Burials at Crawford County Cemetery
The following individuals were buried at the Crawford County Cemetery owned by Crawford County, Iowa, and located Southeast of Arion, Iowa, in Denison Township. These burials were taken from the records maintained by the Stewards and Administrators of the Crawford County Car Facility formerly known as the "County Home" and "County Poor House" by local people. (This information taken directly from the County Home record book - not all burials were recorded in this book)
1. BEISER, HERMAN
Died 19 July 1918 (Approximate age 73). Born 20 July 1844. At the time of admission to the County Home on 4 April 1918, he was age 73 and from the Vail, Iowa area.
2. BENSEN, MICHAEL U.
Died 25 August 1914
3. BOYD, NORENACE (or Norman)
(Spelling of first name may not be correct as a entry was made in script.) Apparent non-resident. Entry status buried at County Cemetery on 13 July 1930 by Ch. Bartcher.
4. BUDDE, WM. (or BUDDLE)
Apparent non-resident: Entry only - Wm. Budde Buried at County Cemetery 19 December 1942 by Johnson and Huebner
5. CARSTENS, IVEN WILLY
Born 28 May 1913 - Died December 8, 1913
6. CARSTENSEN, FRIEDRICH L. (or FREDRICH)
Apparent non-resident: Entry only - Fredrich L. Carstensen buried at County Cemetery 3 July 1934 by Shnoor & Koch.
7. COLE, (HARRY)
(no first name listed in records.) F.N.Cole died at the hospital in Denison, Iowa. Buried at the County Cemetery on 16 May 1919.
Entry was made in the County Home records of 1 January 1919 but no resident by name Cole is listed.
8. COSBY, BERTHA LEWIS
(no death certificate located) Apparent non-resident: Entry only - Bertha Lewis Cosby (color black) buried in County Cemetery 9 December 1939.
9. DOVER, MRS. EVA
Apparent non-resident: Entry only - Mrs. Eva Dover buried at the County Cemetery 25 March 1935 by Burnes.
10. DRYER MARTIN:
Died September 13, 1896, age 78
11. ERNST, JACOB
(death certificate states: JACOB, ERNEST) Died 4 September 1913 (age unknown) at the time of admission to the County Home on 18 January, 1912, his age was not listed. He was killed by C.N.W. (Chicago Northwestern) train at Denison, Iowa
12. FLANSBURO, RAY
September 14, 1912, age 32(?)
13. GRAG, BABY
(death certificate states Grey) Entry only: Baby Grag buried at the County Home Cemetery by Schnoor on 11 February 1930.
14. GROAT, WILLIAM P.
(death certificate states GROTH) Apparent non-resident: No entry regarding Mr. Groat appears in the County Home records, however, in the cemetery is a formal monument stone which states William P. Groat 1865- 1932 Father. This stone is the only formal stone in the county cemetery.
15. HERNANDEZ, JOHN
Apparent non-resident: Entry only - John Hernandez (Mexican) buried at County Cemetery 17 July 1943 by Huebner and Johnson.
16. HOGAN, ALBERT
Died 9 December 1911 (approximate age 47). At the time of admission to the County Home on 29 November 1911, he was 47 and from Manilla, Iowa, area.
17. JACKET, WALTER
Entry states: "Went away to the hospital on October 12 - died. Buried at the County Home January l." At the time of admission to the County Home on 21 September 1923, he was 73 years old and from the Buck Grove area.
18. JOHNSON, CARL
February 6, 1933 - age 56-Sweden - Sievert, Charter Oak
19. JOHNSON, JOHN VALFRED
Born September 30, 1895 - June 4, 1923. 27 years 8 months 5 days.
20. KLINGENBURG, CLAUS
March 12, 1918 - 87 years.
21. LONGSTRETH, HEZEKIAH (or LANGSTRETH)
Apparent non-resident: Entry only - Hezekiah Longstreth buried at the County Cemetery 10 February, 1935, by Schnoor.
22. MACKEY, LORENZ
January 27, 1908 - March 17, 1919. Age 11 years1 month 18 days.
23. MURDOCK, RUSSEL S.
October 22, 1916 - February 23, 1917. Age 4 months l day.
24. NELSON, PETER (or PETE)
Died 18 November 1922 (approximate age 74). Born March 11, 1849. At the time of admission to the County Home on 16 November 1920, he was age 72 and from Dow City, Iowa, area. NOTE: Home's records state that he died 19 November but burial permit #17 date of issue was 18 November 1922.
25. OKEIF, DENNIS
Died September 10, 1901 ( approximate age 34). At the time of admission to the County Home on 10 September 1901, he was age 34, from the Westside, Iowa, area, and entry indicates "dead". Buried 12 September 1901 by order of the Board of Supervisors. (Assume burial in the County Cemetery.)
26. PETERSON, EDWIN
Born April 5, 1897 - January 29, 1916. Age: 18 years 9 months and 17 days.
27. PAGE, JOHN
Apparent non-resident: Entry only - death due to suicide near Dow City, Iowa. Buried at the County Cemetery 1 July 1921.
28. REIMERS, JOHANNES
Died 25 June 1943 (approximate age 65). At the time of admission to the county home on 14 June 1943 he was 65 and from the Schleswig, Iowa, area.
29. RICHIE, VERNON
Apparent non-resident. Entry only. Meehan Junction, Mississippi. Buried at the county cemetery 3 September 1935 by Burnes of Vail.
30. ROGERS, ROSS
Died 23 July 1929 (approximate age 91). At the time of admission to the county home on 27 October 1922 he was 84 and from the Dow City, Iowa, area.
31. SCHIRMER, CHARLEY or CHARLIE
Apparent non-resident. Entry only. Buried at the county cemetery 6 August 1913 by Schnoor and Koch.
32. no entry
33. SCHULTZ, STEVE
18 July 1914
34. SCHUTT, HERMAN
Died 27 December 1943 (approximate age 59.). At the time of admission to the county home on 19 March 1943, he was 59 and from the Schleswig, Iowa, area. Buried 29 December 1943 at the county cemetery.
35. SHELBY, JOE
14 September 1930, age 72 years.
36. SIEMER, GERTRUDE ANN
Apparent non-resident. Entry only. Buried at the county cemetery 25 July 1935 by Bartcher.
37. SINGLETON, GLENN
Apparent non-resident. Entry only, Lancaster, Ohio. Buried in the county cemetery 20 September 1941.
38. SLATER, THEO FREDRICK
Died 30 January 1915 (approximate age 81). At the time of admission to the county home on 6 January 1915 he was 70 and from the Denison, Iowa, area.
39. SNIDER or SCHNEIDER, HENRY or HERMAN
Death certificate states Schneider, Herman died 24 April 1913 (approximate age 70). At the time of admission to the county home on 6 April 1913 his age was 70 and from the Denison Iowa area.
40. STORPHANN, 2 infants
Infants (2) 31 August 1918 - 25 September 1918
41. SUHR, PETER CHRISTIAN
Apparent non-resident. Entry only - Peter Suhr buried at theCrawford county cemetery
21 May 1935 by Schnoor. Following information provided by Dorothy Lueck.
Peter Suhr was probably not a resident of the county home, but he was living in Crawford
County when he died -- death record is in the courthouse. He's a half-brother of my grandmother,
Louise (Suhr) Hanss.
42. STANTON, MELVIN
17 October 1941
43. TOSCANO, GOETANO
29 June 1920. Killed at North Western RR, Dow City, Iowa.
44. VERGOVEK, GEORGE
Apparent non-resident. Entry only - (alien) Czechoslovakia. Buried in the cemetery 4 April 1939.
45. VINCENT, M W
(no death certificate located)(so no first or second name in records). Died 24 August 1914 (approximate age 81). At the time of admission to the county home on 3 October 1911, his age was 78 and was from the Arion, Iowa, area.
46. WILSON, CHARLES
Died 10 August 1913(approximate age 90). At the time of admission to the county home on 19 September 1911, he was 88 and from the Arion, Iowa, area.
47. WENDT, THEODORE, Theodore
Marvin Wendt's great uncle. Died 28 December 1928 (approximate age 90) and from the Arion, Iowa, area.
48. WEBB, ROHDA
Died 30 November 1952 (approximate age 82). At the time of admission to the county home on 4 April 1934, she was 64 and from the Deloit, Iowa, area. Buried in the County Cemetery by Maxwell in December 1952. (Funeral home marker at the grave site has dates 1870-1952.)
OTHERS: NO NAME LISTED
49. Buried stranger on 13 February 1920. Killed at Buck Grove on railroad track. (John Doe)
50. Buried unknown baby, age 1 month on 27 January 1922. Died at the hospital (Jane or John Doe)
51. and 52. WHITAKER, Twins (black)
Buried two negro babies at the county cemetery. Listed in report dated 1 January 1927.
53. Stranger buried in the County Cemetery on 24 July 1934 (John Doe)
54. and 55. CHANDLER twins (negro)
Compiled and submitted by Sharon Hopper.
Permission to use cemetery data granted by Arlo North, Township Trustee.
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