WPA - Centerville Cemetery, Hilyard Township, Macoupin County IL


A Transcription of the WPA Record in Macoupin County Archives, Carlinville, Illinois
by Mary McKenzie


CENTERVILLE CEMETERY

 Hilyard Township
Macoupin County
Section 34-8-8
Illinois



4 1/2 Miles South of Plainview

Name of Cemetery Centerville
Location S side NW - NW 34-8-8
Oldest Grave Ellen Huckelbridge Died 1845
Number of lots 20
Number of graves 71
Number of graves to be filled 6
Number of Veterans graves that need stones None
Number of stones in cemetery that need resetting 16
Number of stones that need recutting 12
Rods of fence around cemetery 33 rods Hedge
Condition of fence Good
Rods of fence to be repaired None
Rods of fence to be replaced None
Number of people interviewed 3

Notes:    School, Church, Cem. & Community Center in a group called Centerville

No slope to land. Grass has grown very tall. Graves hi good condition except about 6 which need filling in. 16 stones need resetting and about 12 are worn and need recutting. Fir trees in Cem. Hedge trimmed down.

To reach the Centerville Cemetery one travels 8 miles W of Gillespie on an improved road, then South 2 miles & then 1/8 mile East on Braded road to Cemetery. Cemetery rests along side of the road.

Centerville Cemetery

The Centerville Cemetery is a very old cemetery. It was first laid out by Mr. Huckelbridge for the benefit of the Huckelbridge family about 1845. This cemetery derives its name from the small community center known as Centerville. At this point there is a church, school, community hall and the cemetery. This cemetery is still used by the people of the community.

Land records of Macoupin County have been searched for a deed to the cemetery but none has been found. The cemetery is still in the Huckelbridge Estate and no exception can be found.

The only description that we can give of the Centerville Cemetery is that made by the fieldman of the cemetery that is fenced in and could read as follows:

1/4 acre of land more or less out of the NW. corner of the NW. 1/4 of the NW. 1/4 of Section 34, T. 8 N. R. 8, West of the Third Principal Meridian and measuring (as fenced in) as follows; Commencing at the NW. comer of the cemetery and running thence East 92 feet; thence South 12 degrees 30 minutes West a distance of 102 feet; thence West 121 feet; thence North 20 degrees East a distance of 119 feet to the place of beginning situated in the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois.

The cemetery is still in the Huckelbridge Estate and there are no acting trustees.

There is no caretaker for this cemetery. Friends and relatives of the deceased take care of the burial grounds.

The Centerville Cemetery is in good condition and is laid out very nicely. There are several pine trees growing in the burial grounds. It sets on level ground and has no slope. At the time of the field check the grass had grown very high and was in need of cutting. 71 graves have been counted in this cemetery and only about 6 of them need filling in. 16 tombstones need resetting and 12 tombstones need recutting as the inscriptions are worn and are hard to read. There is no driveway in the cemetery. A hedge fence encloses this burial grounds with the gateway being on the west side. The hedge is nicely trimmed.

The oldest grave in the cemetery that we can locate by the dates on the markers is that of "Ellen Huckelbridge" who died in 1845.




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