Ballard Cemetery

Marshall County, Iowa

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GAER BALLARD CEMETERY

Gaer Ballard Cemetery is found in Section 36 of Iowa township. This cemetery is abandoned and almost completely destroyed. Also known as Arney Cemetery, Dent Cemetery, Dawson Cemetery and Poling Cemetery.

DIRECTIONS FROM ALBION: Head north on IA-330 N/North Main St. Turn left onto 160th St. Turn right onto Langford Ave. Turn left onto 155th St., and cemetery will be on your left.

STONE PLACEMENT MAP OF CEMETERY (this will open in a new tab in your internet browser)

This is the oldest cemetery in Marshall County. The original owner was Sheldon Gaer, and now owned by Mike and Shelly Walton. The Original cemetery plat was down by the North road (155^th Street) and was moved to the Center of the field. Deed does not show date when moved. This cemetery was so hidden with growth as to cover all traces of the cemetery and many stones were broken, missing & buried under the dirt. The cemetery has now been restored; stones repaired, buried ones have been dug up, cleaned and placed with the other stones. It stands proudly like it should for these pioneer folks. Some stones are missing as people took the stones several years ago before the present owner bought the property.

The first burial was John Ballard. The last burial was that of James Hamblin on 29 Nov 1897.

Note: Daniel Marling death date has never been confirmed. This was before Marshall County was settled. Was reported in the 1875 Iowa Andreas Atlas there was a body of a Mormon Pilgrim who spent the winter of 1844 – 45 in the area.

Last Name	First Name	Birth Date	Death Date	Age	Location	Other
Ballard	Elizabeth Melton		16 June 1852	42 y 3m 12d		w/ Phillip Ballard
	H.E. (Harriet)		21 Oct1879	1y 1m 7d		d/ James M. & Matilda (Gaer) Ballard
	Harriet R.		27 Dec 1858	4 m 8 d		D/Charles C, & Delila (Gaer) Ballard
	Henry Alva	28 Feb 1867	1 Mar 1886
	John		01 May 1848	69 y 22 d
	J.B.		30 April 1879			Son ?
	Rosennah (Leonard)		10 April 1858	35 y 6m 10d		w/ Phillip Ballard
Dent	Infant Infant	10 Aug 1870 10 Aug 1870	10 Aug 1870 10 Aug 1870	1 d 1 d		Two infants on same stone S/ W.H. & L.D. Dent
Duncan	Abediah C.		02 May 1856	20y 10m 22 d
	G. C. (Gerard)		02 May 1856	20 y 10m22d
	Melissa A.		09 Nov 1850	3y 3m 21d		d/G.C. & Sarah (Ballard) Duncan
	Sarah		27 May 1856	20y 4m 22d		w/O. Duncan
	Sarah A. (Ballard)		01 May 1859	38 y 5m 29d		w/G.C. Duncan
	William		1855	28 y
	William L.		15 Jan 1855	1y28d		s/G.C. &S.A. Duncan (S.A. is Sarah Ballard)
Gaer	Harriet A.		12 Dec 1863	2y 2m 11d		d/Almerion & Nancy (Ballard) Gaer
	Mary A.N.		19 Nov 1863	4y 2m 12d		d/Almerion & Nancy (Ballard) Gaer
Hamblin	James	1827	29 Nov 1897			Mexican War CO K 16^th U.S. Infantry
Hollady Miller	Tamer Frances A.		10 Nov 1886 11Apr1860	7m 11d		d/Jacob & H. (Harriet Ballard Miller
	James M.		02 Aug 1859	1y 4m 2d		s/Jacob & H. (Harriet Ballard Miller
Last Name	First Name	Birth Date	Death Date	Age	Location	Other
Marling	Daniel		11 June 1844	17 yrs		This date is before Marshall CO. was settled. Reported in the 1875 Iowa Andrea Atlas there was a body of a Mormon Pilgrim who spent the winter of 1844-45 in this area
Osburn	Ruth Ann	22 June 1865	29 Sept 1866			Father maybe Noah Osburn
Price	Claraiathe		17 Nov 1868	2y 4m 25 d		d/L&S.A. Price (Larkin Price)
Smith	Rebecca (Ballard)		10 May 1855	21y 9m 22d		w/ William C. Smith
Gaer	Infant	18 Dec 1851	18 Dec 1851	1 d		s/A & N. Gaer(Almerion Gaer & Nancy Ballard) Info on stone buried in ground in April 2006
Osborn	Infant		20 April 1878			Maybe son of Noah Osburn as the stone is the same style as Ruth Ann Osborn. Osborn’s lived next to Ballards.

The stones in this cemetery were copied in June 1971 & 1976 by Barbra Price & Shirley Price. (Not related). Located on property originally owned by Sheldon Gaer, He deeded the property to a G.S. Miller in 1871. This land then was deeded to John & Sarah Denbow who sold it to the Trustees of Iowa Township, Marshall County, Iowa for $6.00 on July 8. 1884. The property around this cemetery has been bought & sold many times.

A newspaper article in Times Republican, Marshalltown August 10 1985 said the property had been in the Poling Family for more then 92 yrs. Poling’s restored the cemetery and put a fence around it. The cemetery has been deserted and uncared for many of years. Storms have destroyed the trees which had fallen on the stones and broken then so many were just pieces. Several owners have tried to restore it as Iowa Township had no money for this cemetery.

On 05 Nov 2005 Merrill & Shirley Price, cut the 10’ weeds. Cleaned & repaired stones under the directions of Bob Terry “Terry’s Cemetery Restoration & Repairs” of Liscomb Iowa.

Mike Walton owner of the property dug out the buried stones and leveled the ground, reseeded the grass. Stones were set in place and a flag pole & flag was placed at cemetery. The site was the Spinning Wheel Chapter D.A.R. Regent’s (Shirley Price) project and was completed in Sept 30, 2006.

Mike & Shelly Walton (owner of the property) mow & maintain the cemetery and fly the flag on Special days.

Typed by Merrill J. Price on September 30, 2009