CEDARVIEW CEMETERY, MULLEN NEBRASKA

by Claudia Tompkins with Hooker County Genealogical Society

Entry T76 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Cedarview Cemetery 1987.

A reprint of a 1901 article, was in the
Hooker County Tribune September 1933 in
part, follows: ". . . we mentioned the neces-
sity for some action on the part of our citizens
in providing a cemetery more suitable for the
burial of the dead. . . . every burial in the old
ground causes argument and adds to the
already deplorable situation. . . . the follow-
ing is a statement of facts: there is no record
of any kind of an association organized by law
for the purpose of providing or caring for a
cemetery. There has been no title acquired
from the state or government for the grounds
now used. The ground is used without regard
to order or regularity, being unsurveyed and
many of the graves are becoming obliterated
by drifting sand and will soon be lost. The
ground is unsuitable as a location under any
circumstances and should be used no longer
for that purpose. There is one more and
greater reason for taking action, and that is
that we who are living owe to our dead friends
a decent burial in a ground that can be cared
for and where we can at least show memorial
respect we owe to them. This matter has been
talked of in a way for the last three or four
years, but now let us make it a public matter,
and for that reason, a meeting of all citizens
of Mullen will be held at the school house in
Mullen on the 20th day of December, 1901,
at 7 o'clock P.M. Come with your wives. -
Wilson Hewitt"

Then we find in our files an AD - April
21, 1917 which is 16 years later as follows:
"April 21, is designated to begin to plant
evergreens, shrubbery, etc., a good number of
pines that have been secured from the
Government nursery and they will be free.
Apply to Mr. Pierce, the Sexton on the date.
A meeting will be held at the courthouse
afterwards to elect officers and a discussion
of plans for the betterment of the Cemetery.
W.H. Garrett, Secretary"

The following news item in the Hooker
County Tribune the next month May 18,
1917: "During the past several nights many
of our town citizens have gathered at the
cemetery and done much along the lines of
improvement. Much work has been done
about the graves and a strip has been burned
around the silent city as a means of warding
off possible fires set by passing trains. Until
this spring our cemetery has been neglected,
but now that a good start has been made to
give it better care, let us hope the present
spirit will continue. The matter of piping
water from the mains to that part of town is
being talked up, and we would like to see the
plan materialize, for it is the right thing to
do."

April 22, 1922, five years later an item in
the Tribune reads: ". . . A new iron fence will
replace the wire fence along the south side
inclosure. Water will be piped in. A tool house
will be built for housing hose and tools
needed by the Sexton to carry on the work.
New officers of the board are: John Kudrna,
President; C.C. Campbell, Secretary; H.J.
Pierce, Sexton; and Mrs. Pearl Burnett and
W.H. Wigent as members."

The following history is taken from the
booklet put out by the Hooker County
Genealogical Society and the Cedarview
Cemetery Association - 1983.

The legal description: 580' x 167' in
NW 1/4 NW 1/4; Section 21, Twp 21N R 32W 6
P.M. Strip 150' wide along west edge of above
tract and all Block one (1) Humphrey's
Addition to Original town of Mullen, Hooker
County.

A.F. Hatch platted and donated a piece of
land for a cemetery in the spring of 1904. The
first addition was opened in 1928, the second
addition in 1960 and a third addition was
purchased in 1976.

The first trustees of the Cedarview Associ-
ation were: L.H. Brown, C.M. Barnebey, H.J.
Lowe, F.S. Albright and J.H. Dodd. The
board members in 1988 are: President, Elva
Phipps; Vice-President Frank Harding; Sec-
retary & Memorials, Shirley Sweet; Treasur-
er, Evelyn (Mrs. Dean) Elliott; Sale of Lots
J.E. (Butch) Macke; Howard Wright; and
Caretakers, Mary Elliott and Allen Smith.

According to available records some of
those giving service have been:

In charge of selling lots: Leonard E.
Eriksen, John A. Gibson, Jr., Stewart Simon-
son, and J.E. Macke.

Grave Diggers: Amos Arends, Archie
Palmer, Jubal A. Wright, Harold C. Wright,
Eilert Burrious, and John G. Wright.

The Woman's Welfare Club have their
special cemetery maintainence account as
their part toward upkeep of the cemetery.
(The Silent City)

Maud Nelson was awarded a placque
posthumously for her untiring efforts to
beautify the Cemetery with evergreen trees
and flowers.

Mary Alice Elliott did most of the watering
in the 1970's. The first water was piped into
the cemetery in 1922. The fence was finished
in 1964. The roads were paved in 1969. The
last water system was finished in 1972.

In 1973 an alphabetical list and card file
was begun from existing records and research
by Bessie Bradley. A numerical listing of
burials and owners of lots was also prepared.

In order to bring the records up to date and
correct errors, all new deeds were issued in
1977. The cemetery was surveyed and a map
prepared by Cleve Kennedy. Wayne Fitzg-
erald made cases for the maps, one to hang
in the Village office and one to hang in the
cemetery house. Claudia Tompkins printed
the names on the maps.

Maintainence of the cemetery had always
been a voluntary service. Due to the number
of people buried there who had no one to care
for their lots, a change was necessary. Thus
in 1977, when new deeds were issued, lots
were sold with perpetual care or a yearly
upkeep fee. This permitted the hiring of
persons to do the mowing, trimming and
watering.

The Cedarview Cemetery is now very
beautiful and one the community has reason
to be especially proud of.

Compiled by Claudia Tompkins with
Hooker County Genealogical Society.