Cemeteries

While the topic of cemeteries may seem morbid, cemeteries provide some information that can be found no where else. To date, we have access to recorded information on six cemeteries that figure into the family lore.

• The Axsom Family Cemetery, in Surry County, NC is listed at the Axsom Family Page website, maintained by Norma Axsom Zanetti. The cemetery is on property that once belonged to the son of Joseph H. and Nancy Axsom's son, Martin. Martin and his wife, along with other family members, are also buried there. The cemetery was abandoned until 1995. An uncle of Norma Axsom Zanetti cleaned it up (a big job) right before the 1997 National Axsom Reunion. Norma has provided us with a photo of Nancy Axsom's stone.
• Freedom Cemetery, near Saline, Mercer County, Missouri. Buried here are John Wesley Hughes and Etta Iona (Axsom) Hughes, as well as John's maternal grandfather, Wesley McDonald (April 21, 1905 aged 69 5 mo 5 days.)
• The information we have on the Hart Cemetery, on the site of the farm of William and Rebecca Hart (pioneers to Missouri) in Mercer County, Missouri is believed to be complete.
• Information about the Hughes Cemetery has been recently improved, with over 1/3 of the graves now represented and photos for most of the stones listed. This cemetery is located on the farm of Hiram Hughes, in Harrison County, Missouri, though it can now only be readily accessed from Mercer County, Missouri.
• The listing for the Huntsburg Township Cemeteries (includes listings for the Huntsburg Center, Pioneer, and Smith cemeteries) is now available on the WWW. Buried in the Huntsbury Center cemetery are Ira and Sally Hughes, along with several of their children and grandchildren.
• St. Paul Cemetery, in Mercer County, Missouri south of Freedom Cemetery and north of the Hart Cemetery. Buried here are Willard P. Hall Hart, his two wives (Mary Ann Walters and Sarah Emmoline Overton), and many of their children. Also buried here is Kelly Walton Hughes. This is an active cemetery, so new burials take place from time to time.

Other cemeteries that figure into the family lore are:

• Bethel Cemetery, where an infant daughter of W. and M.A. McDonald is buried (November 9, 1877 aged 9 days.) Note: no other McDonald tombstones are found in this cemetery.
• Hillcrest Cemetery, in Gallatin, Missouri, where Rosanna (Sorrell) Alexander is buried.
• St. Concordia Catholic Cemetery, Concordia, Kansas where Peter Sorell and Idelaide Morin are buried.
• Tenessee Cemetery, in Mercer County, Missouri, where several of the Overtons are buried.

We'll try to get these indexed over time...