The one stone which bears any words is for Maria Marshall and her son Simon. He died first, the date being July 17, 1855. He was 20 years, 10 months and 23 days old.

The inscription for the mother reads:

 Note the date, December 25th, Christmas Day.

 Probably the first death in the town of Marshall or at least one of the first, was that of Simon Marshall, and his mother passed away five months later. Simon and his brother John G., were among the first permanent settlers of Marshall. They came in 1852 from Ohio and settled on Sections 3, 4, 9 and 10. In the fall of 1852 their mother, Maria, then a widow, came to Marshall accompanied by two other sons Mahlon and George. They made their home together until 1855, when Simon died and the mother became sick. She went to live with her daughter, Mrs. John Hart where she died on Christmas Day. John G., who came here with his brother Simon, went to the mountains and later on moved to Tennessee. Mahlon died in 1879 and George remained on the old homestead, what is now known as the Alta Roudebush farm on highway 56, Mrs. Roudebush is a granddaughter of both Mr. Copenhefer and Mrs. Maria Marshall. Mrs. Marshall's son George, was Mrs. Roudebush's father, and Mr. Copenhefer was her mother's father.

 There never will be another other burial in the Copenhefer cemetery. The march of progress has left it far behind. Visits to it will not be numerous as the years roll by, in fact a person would have a hard time even find it unless they knew its exact location. Mr. Glen Patch, on whose farm it is located, led Frank C. Poynter and myself to the spot, hidden among the trees at the edge of a field. This field looked to us to be about the size of Texas as we started across it. On our return to the Patch home Mrs. Patch got out the abstract of title to the place which dated back to November 15, 1854. It had many interesting items and familiar names. One of the transfers was to L. D. Gage when he paid around $17 back taxes and took what was known as a tax deed. It is a sure thing $17 would not go far these days in paying back taxes for a couple of years on this now fine farm.
S. F.

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Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - December 13, 1956

When Jeremiah B. Newburn came to the town of Eagle in 1852 and located at what is now Eagle Corners, he became in 1870 postmaster of the cross roads village and was Uncle Sam's head man at that point until 1882, when he resigned in favor of John A. Lawrence. There is a cemetery a half mile straight south of Eagle Corners, known as the Newburn cemetery, and Mr. Newburn and members of his family are buried therein.

 The cemetery is now a neglected one to say the least, overgrown with brush, many of the tombstones there are almost hidden from view. Perhaps 20 or 30 tombstones are in this burying ground and only two of them are of granite. Of the marble ones time and the elements have taken toll of the words engraved upon them, so much so that they cannot be read.

 On the Newburn stone it says he "died February 28, 1886; aged 71 years, 3 months and 26 days." We learn that he came to Richland county in 1852, remained a short time then returned to his home in Edgar county, Illinois. The next June he loaded his wife and family and their household goods on a wagon and started for Richland county. They camped at night by the roadside and after 20 days reached their destination; built a rude cabin in which they lived for several years. A new house was built but burned down in 1875, so he built another home.

 He was a native of Pennsylvania, born December 2, 1814. When two years of age he was bitten by a snake and was a cripple for 14 years, not being able to work. In 1838 he was married to Caroline Mapes.

 "James Harvey - Susan Harvey" is all that one monument says but a GAR emblem is there. We note that a James Harvey opened a store in Eagle Corners in 1879.

 Some of the monuments bear the names of Craigo, Boak, Lightfoot, Barrett, Pool, and Cornwell. Margaret Pool, we note by the stone on her grave, was born October 14, 1844, and died March 28, 1935.

 One stone reads:
  Leander Cooper 1858-1935.
  Lucinda Cooper 1859-1934.

 Three large cedar trees stand in this neglected cemetery. Rev. A. R. Moon is buried close to the north fence. His tombstone reads:
  "Rev. A. R. Moon, born at Bernington, Vt., March 6, 1815,
   Died March 17, 1901."

 On one side of the monument is a Masonic emblem and on the other side it reads: "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Matt. 5.8
 

 On county trunk X north of the Blue River bridge is the Greenwood cemetery, a well kept burying ground. It was first known, back in the early days, as the Shore's cemetery, it's name being changed to "Greenwood." Many members of the Shore family been laid to their long rest in the burying grounds. One of these was William Shore, who was born July 21, 1845; and died June 16, 1923.

 An inscription says:
  "Eternal rest granted to him
   O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on him."

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 On the same marker is this:

  "Nancy Jane Shore, born October 7, 1824,
   died March 5, 1893."
  "She has fallen asleep, she is resting at last;
   The pulse has grown still, that fever is past.
   She suffers no longer in heart or in brain
   And the pain that so racked her shall not come again."

 David Shore, born March, 1816, and died on November 25, 1883, has as this inscription on his marker:

  "'Tis hard to break the tender cord,
   When love has bound the heart,
   'Tis hard, so hard to speak the words,
   Must we forever part."

 One of the pioneers buried in the Greenwood cemetery is Peter Kinder. He was a native of Kentucky, born February 7, 1799. Coming to Richland county in 1845 with his family and two children he settled in Richwood and engaged in farming until the time of his death in 1873. It is related that while hunting he saw a bear on a hillside which he tracked into a den. Upon investigation he found the den to be a cave and is now known far and wide as Eagle Cave, said to be the largest in the state of Wisconsin.

 His first wife died, so the tombstone says, January 1, 1875, at the age of 75.

 A stone for a son of Peter, Solomon Kinder and his wife, marks their resting place. He was born in 1844, died in 1919. His wife Mary, born January 9, 1848, died October 10, 1926.

 Many well known names of the early settlers appear upon the stones, Dunston, Kent, Hamilton, Moon, Adams, Hillberry, Crye, Wade, Garner, Tisdale, Givens, Hubanks, McVay, Morgan and Whitesel are a few. On one it reads:

  "My dearest friends that dwell above
   I now have gone to see,
   And all my friends in Christ below
   Will soon come after me."

 Among two of the pioneers in the Greenwood cemetery are Samuel Ferebee and his wife Elizabeth Ann Chitwood Ferebee. He was born in North Carolina, in 1816 moved to Indiana and was married to Elizabeth Ann Chitwood in 1844. Lived on the Miami reservation and in 1855 came to Richland county where he died October 21, 1889. His wife was born on April 14, 1827, in Indiana and died May 13, 1907. On her stone it says: "She was an exemplary woman, a devoted mother." One of her sons was James M. Ferebee, at one time superintendent of schools for Richland county and later a successful and well known dentist in Richland Center. Another son, Matt, became an successful farmer. On the marker for William J. Ferebee, who was born in 1854, and died in 1922, it says: "He was a good citizen, a kind neighbor and constant friend."

 Another pioneer was C. W. Elliott who was born in 1849 and died in 1927; he and his wife are buried in this cemetery. Stephen B. Marsh, a native of Indiana, was born Dec. 8, 1830 and died in August, 1902. In 1855, he married Rebecca Miller, who passed away in 1920. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Jones are counted as early pioneers. He was born in November, 1836, and she in 1838. They were the parents of Lee Jones, who passed away in 1950 at his farm at Byrds Creek.

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 A number of veterans of the Civil War are in this cemetery. One, we noted was, was David Craigo. He was a member of Co. K, 92nd Ohio Volunteers. Edward Smith, a member of Co. F, 33rd Wis. Volunteers; is another who rests there. We note by the army record that he enlisted at Lake Mills, January 20, 1864; transferred to Co. F. 11th Wis. Infantry on July 17, 1865, and was mustered out July 22, 1865.

 On the stone of Wm. R. Garner, born in 1842 and died in 1920, it states that he was buried at Imboden, Ark.

 Theodore Wheaton, while not an early comer to Richland county, became prominent in the affairs of the town of Eagle as well as the county. He was born in Ohio, on Dec. 11, 1846. He served in the Civil War with an Ohio regiment. During the war his parents had moved to Richland county where he joined them after his discharge in 1865. His wife, whom he married in 1869, was Abigail, daughter of the Rev. John and Rhoda Crandall. She died in 1911.

 A stone in the cemetery marks the grave of R. L Carver who was at one, time postmaster at Port Andrews. He kept store and postoffice for over 20 years. His death was caused by heart disease and was sudden. His body was found on the river bank, by a son.

 There are many monuments for members of the Hillberry family and for the Jones family. Flowers were still fresh upon the grave of Emmett F. Dingman, when we visited the cemetery. He passed away on August 20, 1956, at the age of 84 years, 6 months and 18 days. He was born at Port Andrew on February 2, 1872.

 On the monument of Francis J. Crower it says:

  "Born in New York, Sept. 7, 1830, married in Canada to
   Lucinda Bradley, December 15, 1852, moved to Wisconsin in
   1854; began preaching when 22 years old and continued until
   his death at Byrds Creek February 25, 1903."

S. F.

 Page 65

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - December 20, 1956

 The Willow Valley cemetery over in the town of Ithaca, is an early burying ground. It was first called the Derrickson cemetery and a part of it set aside by the Derrickson family and by them called the Derrickson Reservation.

 It is a well kept cemetery. Buried therein are the early settlers of the vicinity; frequent burials are still made there.

 The first burials were made therein back in the long ago; 107 years in fact. They were children of Thomas P. and Rachel L. Derrickson and, according to the tombstone upon the lot, died October 6, 1849. They were James T. and Hester A. Derrickson. Hester was two years of age, and James was two months and one day. James, the infant, was the first to die and was soon followed in death by his brother, Hester. James was also the first white child to be born in what is now the town of Ithaca. His birth took place on August 5, 1849.

 Mr. and Mrs. Derrickson came to Ithaca in the fall of 1848 and located on section 30 where they settled and made the place their future home. Coming with them was John Walker, who settled on section 31, Mr. Walker was a Methodist exhorter, and for a number of years preached in the neighborhood and worked upon his farm. No doubt but that Mr. Walker officiated at the last rites for the Derrickson children when they were laid to rest and he might have used as a text "Suffer little children to come unto Me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." There could have been only a few folks present, for at that time there were but a small number of families for miles and miles around. It indeed was a pioneer burial in the wilderness at the time of the hunter's moon.

 J. G. Marden, a soldier boy, has a monument in the Willow Valley cemetery, but we doubt if he is buried there. He died at Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 18, 1865, aged 19 years, 6 months and 16 days. Mr. Marden was a member of the 6th Battery, Light Artillery; enlisted December 29, 1863, giving his residence as Sextonville. He served in many important engagements; took ill at Chattanooga, sickened and died. In the 6th Battery were many Richland county men; led by Captain Henry Dillon of Lone Rock. Thomas R. Hood of Lone Rock was also a captain. The 6th Battery was formed at Lone Rock and the shop of Mr. Dillon which was used as a recruiting station, still stands at Battery Park. Upon the tombstone for Mr. Marden appears the inscription for his wife who died November 7, 1872.

 Alexander Black, a native of Blacksburg, Virginia, first came to Richland county in 1854. He was born in 1800. He and Mrs. Black were the parents of 12 children. One of the sons, Harvey, was a soldier in the Mexican War. About 1849 he went to Chicago, purchased a horse and set out to find a home for his parents. He went to Green Bay; down to Mineral Point where he purchased land in Richland county, then returned through the southern states to Virginia the entire trip from Chicago being made on horseback.

 In 1854 Alexander Black, the father, in company with another son Oscar F. Black came to Ithaca to take a look at the land purchased by Harvey; liked the land so well that he bought a large tract and moved his family to the new home where he resided until September 17, 1872, when he died. His wife  passed away on May 27, 1880. On his tombstone it says:
  "A kind father with firm trust in God.
   May his children emulate example."