PERU CEMETERY

There are two cemeteries in Walnut township, the largest of which is known as the Peru cemetery. It contains about four acres of land, on the hill near where the original town of Peru was located in Section 3. The first part of the cemetery was given by Aaron Hiatt, grandfather of C. M. Hiatt of Peru. The second part from Leslie Hiatt, and the last part from the Weaver estate. According to the records, one of the earliest burials was in 1860, that of Hannah S. Brown, wife of Benjamin F. Brown, who died May 18, 1860, at the age of 41 years. Calvin S. Hollingsworth died in 1865, and William M. Lytle died December 29, 1862, at the age of 35 years.

Some of the families who had lots in the original section of the cemetery and were buried there in the 1870’s and 1880’s were G. C. Foster, Daniel Baker, Martin C. Travis and Jed Osborn. Other families having lots are the Youngs, Hillmans, Ackelsons, Reeds, Bishops, Fosters, Browns, Sawhills, Harwoods, Emersons and Lorimors. Those having lots in the second addition were the Fenimores, Grimes, Moores, Shearers, Schoenenbergers, Hamms, Travis, Gregorys, Howards and the Kirks. The Spencers, Shearers and Showers have graves in the third addition.¹

In September, 1900, the cemetery association purchased several more acres of land from Mr. Harwood for $300.  This made an outlet to the road and a way to enter with less inconvenience.  Three months later another piece of property was purchased that adjoined the grounds on the Northeast.  A new road was then opened on the divide doing away with the road through the ditch. New driveways were built through the cemetery in October 1928.²

This cemetery is still used and is kept in good condition.

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Source: 1. The Winterset Madisonian - Centennial Edition

                 Winterset, Iowa

                 July 18, 1956

                 Page 3, Columns 2 & 3  (page 46 in on-line version)
   

             2. East Peru Centennial Book

                Peru Centennial Committee

                1987

                Page 82

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