Cazenovia; was the second postmaster in the village, a member of the First Methodist church; the first class leader and held that position for many years; he also was superintendent of the first Sunday school. Back in the long ago there was no hotel in the village but the public was taken care of by Mr. and Mrs. Tinker until 1875, when J. W. Thompson opened a hotel. The first millinery shop in the village was opened in the Tinker home back in 1867 by Addie Boyd. It is quite evident that Mr. and Mrs. a Tinker had much to do with the early day doings in the village. They were worthy pioneers indeed.

 They left behind them at the close of life's journey, worthy descendants, some of whom still reside in Cazenovia. While up to the village not so long ago we met Charles Bible, who for many years represented the village on the county board. In talking with him we happened to mention Allen Tinker when Charles spoke up and said "Well, he was my grandfather." Sure enough, Charles' mother, Mary J. Tinker, became the wife of Joshua Bible, Charles' father. These, along with two daughters, are up on "Cemetery Hill."

 Joshua Bible was a Civil War veteran, born in 1839 and died in 1926. Mary Jane, his wife, was born in 1842, and breathed her last in 1923. Charles, their son, gets about in a wheel chair, but despite this handicap, he makes the best of things and it is sure a pleasure for us to renew old friendships.

 Otis L. Gleason has a marker in the cemetery as does his wife, Mila. He was one of the first settlers of Cazenovia, born in Massachusetts in 1811. When he was eleven years old he and a brother started out selling notions, coming to Wisconsin. He came to Richland county in 1854. In 1849 he was married to Mila Butterfield, widow of David Fuller. They had one child, Effie May, who became the wife of Ira Banks.

 N. R. Kline, another of the pioneers, is buried in this cemetery. He died in 1882 at the age of 62. He was Mrs. Fred Moyes' father and came to Cazenovia about 1855. One of the oldest persons to be laid to rest here was Thomas Blakeman who passed on April 15, 1875, at the age of 80 years. Other members of the Blakeman family are close by but we were unable to read the inscriptions upon the tombstones.

 One of the old time tavernkeepers in Cazenovia was Henry Rebillard Sr., and his son Henry Jr., kept tavern at Hub City 40 or 50 years ago. Both father and son are in this cemetery. A daughter of Henry Sr. is also on the lot. She died in 1879 at the age of 14. On her marker it says:
   "What to us is life without thee,
    Darkness and dispair alone
    When with sighs we seek to find thee,
    This proves that you are gone."
 Mr. Rebillard was a Frenchman, and another of the same nationality in the cemetery is Peter Bonhotel. Peter, so his marker says, was born in 1835 and died in 1882.

 Fred Specht, a German, is "up on the hill." He was born in 1840 and died in August, 1904. The inscriptions on his monument are in German and all we could make out were the date of his birth and of his death.

 John Marshall, born in 1831, and his wife Anna, born in 1845, found the end of the trail in the village cemetery. They are the parents of J. J. Marshall who happened in the cemetery when we were there on this visit. Mrs. Marshall pointed out the graves of many of the pioneers and was very kind to us. We have since learned that she is the secretary of the Cazenovia cemetery association. In search of more information we stopped at the Marshall home on May 7th but found no one at home. George Stevenson and William Moll, brothers-in-law of Mr. Marshall, are on the same lot.

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 Another Frenchman to find a final resting place here, is Ludger Pheonix, one of the early settlers of Westford, who was born in the province of Quebec, September 29, 1831, and in 1855 he came to Richland county, locating in the town of Westford where he built a rude log cabin and went to Dane county where he married Mary Tooley. They commenced life in the log cabin. Seven children were born to them. It was January, 1869, when Mrs. Pheonix closed her eyes upon earthly things. In 1870 Mr. Pheonix was married to Eliza Lutz. Eight stones mark the burial places of members of the family, and as fate would have it, Mr. Phoenix and his wife Eliza passed away within several hours of each other and both were laid to rest on the same day in 1901.

 Among the early day settlers were Mr. and Mrs. Nels Nelson. Mr. Nelson was a native of Denmark and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Swensen, was Norwegian. Mr. Nelson first took up his home in Mineral Point and engaged in the business of a wagon maker which trade he followed at Cazenovia. The Nelson family, which he headed have long been identified with the business life of the village, and today, John, a son of the pioneer, is in the furniture and undertaking business there. Kenneth Nelson, a grandson, is a resident of Richland Center, associated with the Pratt Funeral Service. Mrs. Isabelle Nelson, mother of Kenneth, is in the cemetery, and another member of the family, James Nelson, also is there. James was a resident of Richland Center at the time of his death.

 Years and years ago some old papers came to light which indicated that royal blood flowed in the veins of the Nelson family and that they were of noble birth in the generations far back over the years in the dim past. James Nelson took interest in the old papers and if they be true or not has never been proven.

 Names upon the tombstones include Banks, Simpson, Woodman, Nehls, Storey and others.

 Also laid to rest in this village burying ground are John Anderson and his wife. Mrs. Anderson was a daughter of Moses Bible, early settler. Mr. Anderson served, and served well, as assemblyman from Richland county. His popularity in his home town can be proven by the fact that in the election he received all but two or three votes in the village of Cazenovia which was at that time a Democratic stronghold, and Mr. Anderson was a candidate of the Republicans.

S. F.

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Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - June 20, 1957

 These two cemeteries, the Conkle and Mill Creek, are on what is known as the "Middle Branch" of Mill Creek and are located not so far apart on county trunk E. The Conkle cemetery is in the town of Dayton and the Mill Creek burying ground in the town of Sylvan just a bit off of county trunk E close to the town line between Marshall and Sylvan.

 In the Conkle burying ground some of the early settlers of the area ended their journey through life. On the monument of one of the early settlers, Lovina Hook, wife of John Hook, it says she was born in North Carolina December 18, 1811, and died on Mill Creek, Richland County, Wisconsin, March 13, 1904. A line follows which reads "All is Well." The young also found rest on the Hook lot. Thelma Hook, who was born on March 26, 1898, died February 25, 1900, lacked but a month of being two years of age. A verse on the stone says of the little girl:
   "Beautiful, lovely, she was but given a fair
    bud to earth to blossom in Heaven."

 Buried there are members of the Wood family, one of whom, W. J. Wood, was a Civil War veteran, a member of Co. D. 11th Wisconsin Volunteers. He enlisted from the town of Dayton, January 25, 1864, and was mustered out May 25, 1865. Henry Toms and Jesse S. Miller, Richland Center, were captains of Co. D; Wm. Hill, also of Richland Center, was a First Lieutenant and Wm. H. Dawson of Orion, a Second Lieutenant.

 Daniel Conkle, also buried in this cemetery, served in Co. D. He was born, so the tombstone says, in 1843 and died in 1922. He enlisted in the Civil War in 1861. His wife, Cindaretta, was born in 1847 and died in 1913. Another member of the Conkle family, Michael, lived to be 72 years of age. He died June 27, 1890.

 Many members of the Miller clan are buried in the Conkle cemetery. One of these was Jacob Miller, who was born in Ohio, on March 12, 1821, came to Richland county in 1850. His death took place on Christmas Day, 1863. Other members of the family are buried on the lot, one Milton, was born in 1855 and died in 1942. Members of the Miller family still own the old farm, up the road, not so far from the cemetery. The son Milton, was born in Eagle, coming to Mill Creek when he was but three years old. The rest of his life was spent on the old home farm. He served as town clerk of Dayton for over 50 years.

 Albert C. Herlitz and his wife Dorothea, also early settlers, are buried in the Conkle cemetery. Mr. Herlitz was born in 1854, and died in 1921. His wife first saw the light of day in 1860 and died in 1933. Other members of the family are buried on the lot.

 Members of the Nevel clan are also in the cemetery. George W., born in 1839 and died in 1917, is there as are Harve Nevel and his wife Zula.
 A finely carved statue of a young girl stands upon the resting place of miss Minnie Groh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Groh. The daughter, born August 24, 1900, met a tragic death on August 7, 1914. She and a companion had gone to the creek to swim and both were drowned. Minnie had not quite reached her 14th birthday. Drowned with her was Miss Lillias Grant of Janesville, who was visiting at the Groh home. Miss Grant's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Grant, at one time conducted the Park hotel in Richland Center. Henry Groh, father of Minnie, is buried close to his daughter. He was born in 1866 and passed on in 1949. Another member of the Groh family was Arthur, born September 16, 1907, and died Aug. 29, 1910. The verse on his marker reads:
   "A little time on earth he spent
    'Till God for him His angel sent."

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  Valentine Groh, who died in 1895 and Dorothea Groh, who died in 1909 at the age of 79, are, buried there. Valentine was 75 years of age when he died.

 Among those who found rest in this little cemetery were Charles Bender and his wife Mary. He was born in 1858 and died in 1938; she was born in 1862 and died in 1938. Another early death was that of John Hull, who died May 1, 1859.

 Joseph Conkle, another of the early settlers thereabouts, lived to a ripe old age. He died October 15, 1890, at the age of 83 years, 7 months and 11 days.

 The ravages of the elements has laid a heavy hand on some of the older markers in the cemetery.
 They are difficult to read and some of them, covered by moss, cannot be made out.

 This cemetery is situated on the bank of the creek just over the line in the town of Sylvan. The Mill Creek church, unused now, stands on the south portion of the grounds. When we visited the cemetery along with Charles Ray and Frank Poynter not so long ago, we went into the church and found to our surprise, that it was empty. No seats, no pulpit, no stove, but a few Sunday school books and papers were upon the floor. Close beside the church house is the cemetery and from the names upon the stones the Ewers family would comprise at least half of the population of this burying ground.
 John Ewers was one of the early comers to Marshall. He was born in Ohio in 1823 and in 1855 came to Richland county. Besides his farm he owned a half interest in a flouring mill on section 31 which was capable of grinding 100 bushels of wheat in a day. He was married in 1845 to Mary Thomas and she passed on in 1855, and in 1860 he married Marietta Barnes.
 Buried close to Mr. Ewers is Orlen, a son, and Romeo, another son. Orlen died in 1896, and he and Romeo must have been musicians for their grave stones bear the outline of harps. Romeo died in 1900 and his marker says:
   "Your voice and music in our memory will remain,
         until in heaven we meet you again."
 On the marker for Orlen, along side the harp it says:
   "May your voice be as sweet to those in heaven above,
    as it was to us who miss your music and love."

 Another member of the Ewers clan resting in the cemetery is Elihu Ewers who was born in Ohio in May, 1852, a son of William and Rachel Ewers. Elihu married Iva Cooper, a native of Ohio; and they became the parents of eight children. Mr. Ewers died in 1918, and his wife in 1944. A son, Robert, who died in 1904, is buried on the lot with his parents.

 Death came in early life to James Turnmire, son of Alfred and Minnie Turnmire, who died in 1926 before reaching his second birthday; another son, Delburn, died November 18, 1911, was less than a month of age, and Buford passed on in August 1910, when he was less than three months old.

 Harrison Davis, born in 1854, died in 1928, and his wife Elizabeth, born in 1861, and died in 1946, are in this cemetery, and on the same lot is Emil Davis, World War veteran, Private, 316 Aux. died November 9, 1930. Another World War veteran, Lucius Adsit, known to his host of friends as "Toots" was buried in 1938. He was born in 1899. Another veteran, Howard Earl Felton, born November, 1896, and died at Camp Hancock, Georgia, October 3, 1918, is also buried here.

 Page 95

 Many familiar names, Starkey, McDaniel, Ferguson, Breese, Kidd, Draper, Laque and others appear upon the headstones. A double marker for Rachel and Elizabeth Kerby notes the date of their birth and death. Rachel was born in 1838 and died in June, 1907. Elizabeth, born in 1835, outlived Rachel by a year and 11 days, the date of her death was June 15, 1902.

 We found another member of the Ewers family to be buried here was Edgar Ewers, who served as district attorney for the county. His father and mother also rest close by. Edgar, his marker says, was born in 1870 and died in 1950. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Achilles Ewers.

 An early settler to be buried in the Mill Creek cemetery is William F. Kepler, who was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1834. In 1855 he came to Richland county together with his father. A log house 14xl4 was put up and eleven persons passed the winter in this dwelling. In 1859 he opened a carpenter shop manufacturing coffins, spinning wheels and reels. In 1860 he was married to Rachel Kirby, and after her death to Mrs. Mariam Bailey. His third wife was Mrs. Anna Van Poole. A son Elmer is buried in the Mill Creek cemetery as is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Kepler, Vada.

 Aquilla Cook, born in 1859, spent his entire life in Richland county. His parents came here from Ohio in 1854. settling in the town of Marshall, on Mill Creek. He was married in December, 1885, to Miss Minnie Ripley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Ripley.

 One of the long to be remembered events to transpire in the little church took place some 40 years ago. The funeral of one of the early settlers was to take place. Relatives and friends gathered for the last sad rites. The bereaved family sat in the front row and a hush spread as the pastor of the church arose and in a solemn voice announced that the funeral was being held at the usual hour of the church service, there fore the ushers would take up the usual collection. This was done and no one was slighted as the plate was passed to the mourners as well as all others there. As one of the mourners remarked later, "passing the hat sort of relieved the tensions."

 We should pause here to note that one of the persons to sleep away the years in this burying ground is John Cook. If it had not been for him we doubt if any of "The Tales the Tombstones Tell" would have ever been thought of and certainly you would not be reading one now but for a chance remark made long ago by Mr. Cook to the writer of these tales.
 It all started back before 1932. Mr. Cook, who spent part of his winters in Florida, had just returned from the south. There had been a large number of deaths during the winter among the older folks and Mr. Cook remarked that many of his old time friends had passed down, the long, long road. He spoke up and said, "It has become so during the past few years that if I want to visit my old time friends, I have to go to the cemetery to do so." The writer thought of that remark and as he had visited a few cemeteries and always found some one he once knew he made up his mind to visit, if possible, every burying ground in the county. There are 91 of these cemeteries and visits have been made, with two or three exceptions, to all of them. Mr. Cook, according to his monument, was born July 14, 1844, and died July 24, 1932. He was a Civil War veteran, a member of Co. I, 46th Wisconsin Infantry . He enlisted from the town of Richland, was promoted to a corporal before being mustered out in 1865. A large number of Richland county men served in the 46th.
 Mr. Cook's wife, Cassandra, is buried by his side. She was born May 10, 1847, and died June 7, 1916.
 At the bottom of the stone it says: "Gone from labor to reward."
 Two odd but pretty names appear in the above write-up. One on a stone in the Conkle cemetery and is for Cindaretta Conkle. The other is in the Mill Creek cemetery and is for Cassandra Cook.

S. F.