Bethel Union Church Cemetery, aka Old Bethel
Submitted by: George C. Willick
Source: George C. Willick, 3 June 2004
Elk Fork Township, Section 4 : 38.42.48N - 93.27.39W. North side of Y, about 12 miles west of Sedalia. Cemetery is about midway between Mahin Road (entering on the north side of Y) and Renfrow Road (entering on the south side). A rise in the road (Y) allows the drainage ditch to be filled, which gives narrow passage to a tree-line lane in the woods.
No sign of the church foundation is visible. For that matter, nothing defines the boundaries of the cemetery. Not recommended for the faint hearted. Bad ants and other insects, poison ivy and oak, and much underfoot neither visible nor identifiable. I went in with a machete. Likely 50% more could be found with probing and winter visibility. Surprisingly, a very late burial occurred in this cemetery in 1946 after it had been long abandoned. One broken stone found was not read as the ants were in charge of it (big time). GCW
Updated January 2008: Daniel and Nancy McIntyre visited this cemetery in mid-month and had no problem finding the church foundation(s). With your back to Y and facing north on the lane...the structure would have been located about 15 to 20 feet on the left. Dan thinks the church was 18 by 24 feet, not including a half circle foundation at the rear (north) of the church where the altar would have been. The cemetery was located, at least partially, behind the church. The McIntyres report the damage to land and markers from trucks continues.
Updated January 2009 by Nancy McIntyre: She says Daniel stepped off the church and believes it to be much larger than he first reported -- the main body of church 30 feet by 60 feet plus the altar at the back of the church.
Updated March 2009: Nancy McIntyre submitted additional information and photos of her Dorrance family. The marker for Isaac R. Dorrance was found lying down in 2008 and they returned this year to restore it. They also found the marker for Mary J. Ham Dorrance, and took photographs [1] [2] of the church foundation.
Updated July 2009: Justin Watkins sent in additional transcript information.
Listings without spaces are on one marker.
- [footstone A.B.]
- Barrer, John D., 1 Jan 1870 (Young transcript lists this burial as "Barber, John D., 2y 1m, 15 July 1870")
- Barrer, Walter C., 5y, 3 Jul 1866, s/o W H and M J (Young transcript lists this burial as "Barber, Walter C., 5y 11d 3 Jul 1866")
- Benz, Charles Edwin, 9d, 3 Jun 1937 (Young transcript lists this burial as "Benz, Charles Edwin, died at birth, 3 Jun 1937") Death Certificate
- Burch, Arthur, 20y, 22 Sept 1902, buried with Ida Martin
- Dorrance, Angieleex [Angieleek] , dau of I R and ____; d Sept 24, 1867 - aged 11m & 19d
- Dorrance, I. R.; Jan 4, 1836 - Mar 16, 1896
Dorrance, Elmedia [Elmeda] Bradley; 4 April 1854, 4 June 1940, 76y 2m, w/o Isaac K Death Certificate - Dorrance, Mary J. [Ham] Wife of I. R. Dorrance, Died May 12 1875, Aged 28 Yrs 10 Ms 28 DsDorrance, infant, 13 May 1887 - 13 May 1887
- Dorrance, infant dau of I. & E.; d Jan 22, 1878 - aged 19d
- Dorrance, Joel L., son of I. & M.; d Mar 10, 1883 [1880] - aged 8y, 1m, & 7d
- Infant s/o Asa & Anna Brosing Elliott, 6 Sep 1910-11 Sep 1910
- Embree, Haddie T., son of J M and Kate O; Jan 12, 1885 - Sept 20, 1904
- Embree, John M.; 7 Feb 1852 - 13 Nov 1932 (Death Certificate)
Embree, Kate Oglesby Siller, his wife; 20 Jun [1850] 1849 - 27 Jun 1923 (Death Certificate) - Enos James; June 10, 1820 - June 20, 1874 - aged 54y & 10d
- Ewing, Ernest, son of Robert & Mary; Mar 21, 1882 - Sept 1, 1905 (DAR: 1 Sep 1906)
- Galloway, Mary U. Ray, wife of S. B.; Oct 9, 1885 - July 11, 1907 [footstone M.U.R.G.]
- Guy, Fervie, 12 Ap[ril 1884 - 17 December 1910
- Hill, Grace A., 19 May 1896 - 26 Mar 1912, d/o J C and A J (Young transcript lists dates as 19 Sep 1896 - 26 Mar 1912)
- Huckaby, James Claud Huckabay; d Mar 8, 1903 - aged 29y, 6m, & 9d [footstone J.C.H.]
- Martin, Ida M.; d Mar 14, 1899 - aged 19y
- Nall, Bryant Russell, 16 October 1831 - 14 June 1901
- Nolte, Ida; d/o Henry F and Josephine Nolte, 3d, 11 Sep 1896
Nolte, Laura May; d Aug 10, 1903 - aged 11y - Oversby, Alice Sedgwick, 23 August 1843 - 5 February 1917 (Death Certificate)
- Oversby, Clarence, son of Tom & Florence; Dec 3, 1903 - Apr 21, 1904
- Oversby, Florence, 1876 - 8 February 1926 (Death Certificate)
- Oversby, Oliver, 10 June 1898 - 21 March 1938, h/o Nellie (Death Certificate)
- Oversby, Thomas Oliver, 30 Dec 1864 - 8 Jul 1939, h/o Florence (Death Certificate)
- Ray, Elizabeth, wife of J. R.; d June 7, 1872 [1822] w/o J R (broken, additional info set in concrete)
- Ray, infant daughter of J R and E J
- Ray, Lucinda, wife of J. R.; Jan 8, 1857 - Nov 7, 1902
- Rice, Annie M., wife of J. W.; July 26, 1877 - Sept 23, 1898
- Ray, W. B., 1y 1m 1d, 15 February 1876, s/o J R and L A
- Infant d/o C D and Josie Reynolds, 11 Jan 1911 - 12 Jan 1911 (Death Certificate)
- Rice, Annie Miller, wife of J W, 26 July 1877 - 23 September 1898
- Rice, James Wesley; Nov 22, 1856 - June 26, 1946
- Rice, Nora E. Shinn, wife of Jacob Oliver, dau of Robt. Franklin and Martha Virginia Davis Shinn; Apr 29, 1874 - Apr 1, 1898 [DAR: 23 April 1873 - 1 April 1898, Watkins: 23 April 1874 - 1 April 1898]
- Schmidt, John Frederick; 5 Nov 1850 - 13 Apr 1923 (Death Certificate)
Schmidt, Viola Casady; 14 Dec 1862 - 14 Jan 1940 (Death Certificate) - Schmidt, Perly H.; May 26, 1889 - Apr 10, 1902, s/o J F and V
- Shinn, Herbert T., son of R. F. & M. V.; Sept 15, 1870 - Sept 13, 1891
- Shinn, Martha V., wife of Robert F.; Oct 16, 1853 - Nov 29, 1897
[also on this stone is the following cenotaph]
Shinn, John R. son of Robert & Martha V; Apr 30, 1876 - July 1, 1898 [DAR: 28 Apr 1898]
Enlisted in Co I, 2nd Reg Mo Vol, Apr 1, 1898 [Young: 28 Apr 1898]
Buried in Nat'l Cem, Chattanooga, Tenn.
[d. 07/02/1898, PVT I 2 MO INF WWS, Plot: S 13152, Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, TN]
![Dorrance, Elmedia [Elmeda] Bradley](/cemeteries/bethel/dorrance_eb.jpg){kind=link}
