Rio Blanco County CO Archives News.....Historical Society Held Dedication Services at Three Rural Cemeteries June 4, 1964 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Greg Berthelson flinx@cmn.net October 27, 2010, 4:03 pm Meeker Herald, Now The Rio Blanco Herald Times June 4, 1964 The Rio Blanco County Historical Society held their regular May meeting on Saturday of last week. The quarterly meeting for May is always held on Memorial Day as a number of Old Timers return for Highland Cemetery services and then attend the Historical Society meeting in the afternoon. A short business session was held after the covered dish luncheon at Kilowatt Korner. Welton Pollard, president of the Society, presided and called on Rev. Kenneth C. Edwards, pastor of the First Baptist church at Rangely, to return thanks. Mrs. Dorothy Kehrberger stated that the Society had had the old stage coach varnished to preserve it. She also reported that she had a letter and check from Mrs. Margaret Isaac of Denver and asking that the check be used in a project to mark the first White River Indian Agency site which was on the old Lark Craig place eight miles east of Meeker on the ranch now owned by Carl Seely and Sons. It was moved to have a sign made and to be placed on the highway to point to the site of the agency which was located there until N. C. Meeker came and moved it to Powell Park. It was reported that the Angora club was going to mark the grave located near the Angora school house; and Commissioner Caldwell was asked to find out more about a grave near the Moffat-Rio Blanco county line in the Red Wash area. The meeting was cut short so that the group could start on the trip to Strawberry and Piceance creek where the three rural cemeteries would be dedicated. The group drove first to Strawberry cemetery. The plot of ground for this cemetery was given many years ago by Ray Shain who gave enough land both for the Strawberry cemetery and for the Strawberry school. Over a year ago the County Commissioners were asked and agreed to place bronze markers at the three rural cemeteries in the county; one at Strawberry; one at Black Sulphur and one at Miller Hill Piceance cemetery. It took a great deal of research to try and get all the names of those buried in these three cemeteries. Mrs. Sue Mantle, our County Clerk and Recorder took the lead in getting this information which was placed on the plaques. The plaques for Strawberry and Black Sulphur were here for some months but it was not until in April that all the available information was completed on the Piceance Creek Miller Hill cemetery and the plaque was received from Denver just in time to be erected. Mrs. Sue Mantle has asked that we give credit to those who helped her in research on the cemeteries as it was a hard job to run down (Continued on Page 9) Historical Society (Continued from Front Page) all the graves. The following people contributed in the research with Mrs. Mantle: Mrs. Nina Boies of Rifle; Mrs. Nina Mae Anderson of Hamilton City, Calif.; Mrs. Mary Lord of Grand Junction; Mrs. Faye Brainbrick of Grand Junction; Mr. Thomas Burke of Meeker; Mr. Ger. Duckworth of Rifle; Orval Sowder of Rifle; Mrs. May Mullen, Registrar of Garfield county at Glenwood; the late Art Caywood of Meeker. Many of the early burials were made while this county was still part of Garfield county, so they are recorded in that county. The County road crew under the direction of Leasil French erected the monuments. They first build concrete bases and then the bronze plaques with the names were fastened into the top of the cement bases. They did a mighty fine job. The county road crew took an exceptional interest in this worthy project. In addition to the cement bases and fastening the plaques on the bases they painted the gates to the cemeteries bronze and also built little crosses of steel which were painted white and placed at the head of each grave where there was no permanent marker. At the Strawberry cemetery President Pollard called on Commissioner William Murray to say a few words. He next called on Rev. Edwards for a short talk and dedication prayer after which a beautiful wreath with the words, "Strawberry Cemetery" was placed beside the monument by Dorothy Kehrberger. The ceremony was completed with the playing of "taps" by Philip Jensen, Jr., on his trumpet. Those buried in the Strawberry cemetery and whose names appear on the plaque are: Indianolo Shaw, Raymond Atkinson, Walter Atkinson, Adolph Pinkermon, Lusina Atkinson, Roberta Knettle, Mahlon N. Weller, Emma Janes Weller, Baby of Floyd Brown, Mable Patterson, Della May Patterson, Chester Shaw, Baby of F. A. Brown, Arnold H. Atkinson, Gertie Brown, Baby McAlary, Edwin Shain. The largest of the three rural cemeteries dedicated Saturday is the Miller Hill Piceance Creek cemetery and which is located just south of the Piceance creek highway and about a mile west of the Rock School house. Here again President Pollard presided. He called on R. G. Lyttle for a few words about this cemetery, followed by a short talk and dedication prayer by Rev. Edwards. Mrs. Dorothy Kehrberger placed the wreath which said "Miller Hill Cemetery" at the base of the monument; and Phillip Jensen played taps. The names on this cemetery plaque which is one of the oldest in the county are: James Cole, Carmel Buck, John F. Monahan, Caroline B. Sprague, Lela Holden, James W. Bainbrich Jr., John Augustine Kisinger, Charles Robert Caywood, James W. Bainbrich Sr., Nellie Bly Bainbrich, Annie Z. Burke, Mrs. James Bainbrich Sr., Baby Boy Bainbrich, Baby Boy Bainbrich, Roland Dudley, Flora Dudley, Nettie Mae Dudley, Orris L. Dudley, Mrs. Richard Parkes, Richard Parkes, Charles Parks, Mr. Jim Gray, Mrs. Susan A. Davis, Freddie Burke, Nancy Burke, David D. Burke, Charlie Collins baby, Fred Burke Sr., Louis Cox baby, Oscar Dudley baby boy, Elizabeth Hasley Boland, Mrs. Homer Holder and Max Butner. The caravan of the Historical Society then moved to the Black Sulphur cemetery which is about mile up Black Sulphur from the main Piceance highway. Here in the small plot are six burials, all made many years ago. At this site President Pollard called on Commissioner Caldwell to say a few words. Mr. Caldwell gave a brief but interesting history of this pioneer graveyard. Rev. Edwards again gave a short talk followed by a dedication prayer and Mrs. Kehrberger placed the wreath and Phillip Jensen played taps. Those buried here were: John Weldon, Blanche Wilson, Mrs. Williams, Frankie Jones baby; baby girl of T. B. "Jack" Rhoades; and Florence Boies. This concluded the dedication of these cemeteries all of which are enclosed in well repaired barbed wire fences and were all neat and well kept. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/rioblanco/newspapers/historic14nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cofiles/ File size: 7.2 Kb