WPA - Crawford Cemetery, South Palmyra Township, Macoupin County IL


A Transcription of the WPA Record in Macoupin County Archives, Carlinville, Illinois
by Linda R.F. Arnold, August 2008

CRAWFORD CEMETERY
on
Wilbur Cherry Farm

South Palmyra Township  1-11-8 Macoupin County
3 ½ miles East of Palmyra Illinois



[original 1930's WPA hand written notes]
partial page/part missing The Cem was laid out for a Public Cem about 1860.  At one time there stood a school-house where the cem is now. There are a number of Crawfords buried in this cem which were old settlers from which it gets its name.  There are a number of Crawfords buried in this cem. which were old settlers.  Mr. Joseph Crawford and his wife Rebak Crawford settled east of this cem and are buried in the cem. Mr. James M. Crawford was born east of the cem in Jan 1-1843- and went to school where the cem is now.
This cem is abut 3 mi east and ½ mi south of the town of Palmyra Ill. The present owner of the land is Jess Standifer on the southwest, and north. and the  Public road is on the east. The cem
has good drainage and in fair shape, but need the weeds cut, There is a deed.


3 handwritten form pages
County Macoupin
City or Twp South Palmyra                Cemetery Crawford

Name (First) J                     (Last) Crawford                    (Middle) D.

Field Check
A.
1. Grave No. 2         Lot No. 3                  Block No. 1
2. Marker: Flat______   Upright     X         None ____________
3. Information on Marker: (Copy exactly) J. D. Crawford (Gov Marker) Co. E 122 Ill. Inf
______________________
Clerk blank
Service Record
(D)
11. Date enlisted blank    Date Discharged blank    Serial No. blank
12. Branch of Service    Ill. Inf.  Rank Pvt.
13 Company, outfit or ship Co. E 122nd Ill. Inf.
Sources Roster              
________________
Clerk

Sources: (a)Inspection of burial plot   (b) Section or cemetery record (c) Death certificate or burial permit  (d) Patriotic organization (Name)  (e) Official U. S. Records (f) Other
(specify).
(a)    Poor Grave Sunken Stone leaning

County Macoupin
City or Twp South Palmyra                Cemetery Crawford


Name (First) James                     (Last) Crawford                    (Middle) M.

Field Check
A.
1. Grave No. 2         Lot No. 9                  Block No. 2
2. Marker: Flat______   Upright     X         None ____________
3. Information on Marker: (Copy exactly) James M. Crawford (Gov Marker) Co E 122nd Ill. Inf.
(Privet Marker) James M. Crawford 1-8-1843 – 4-16-1930
______________________
(Field ?Foreman)
B.
Cemetery Record Date
4. Grave No. 2    Lot. No. 9       Block No.  2
5. Date of Burial April 17, 1930 Remarks left blank
6. Book No. left blank           Page No. left blank
left blank
(Clerk)

Death Certificate Data
(C)
Certificate No. ________________blank

7. Address ___blank______ 
                   (Street)                     (City or Town)
8. Date of Death 4-16-1930  Place blank                            Cause Arterial Schlorsis

myocarditis
9. Date of birth 1-18-1843   Place blank
10. Next of Kin     name blank      Address blank
_____________________
Clerk blank
Service Record
(D)
11. Date enlisted blank    Date Discharged blank    Serial No. blank
12. Branch of Service    Ill. Inf.  Rank Pvt.
13 Company, outfit or ship Co. E 122nd Ill. Inf.
Sources Roster              
________________
Clerk

Sources: (a)Inspection of burial plot   (b) Section or cemetery record (c) Death certificate or

burial permit  (d) Patriotic organization (Name)  (e) Official U. S. Records (f) Other

(specify).
(a)Good


County Macoupin
City or Twp South Palmyra                Cemetery Crawford

Name (First) Levi                    (Last) Surber                    (Middle)

Field Check
A.
1. Grave No. 3         Lot No. 8                  Block No. 2
2. Marker: Flat __X___   Upright              None ____________
3. Information on Marker: (Copy exactly) Levi Surber (Pvt Stone) Born in Tenn May 25, 1839 died

Oct. 11, 1893
______________________
(Field ?Foreman)
B.
Cemetery Record Date
4. Grave No.     Lot. No.        Block No. 
5. Date of Burial             Remarks left blank
6. Book No. left blank           Page No. left blank
left blank
(Clerk)

Death Certificate Data
(C)
Certificate No. ________________blank

7. Address ___blank______ 
                   (Street)                     (City or Town)
8. Date of Death 10-11-1893  South Otter Twp                            Cause Natural
9. Date of birth 5-25-1839          Place blank
10. Next of Kin     name blank      Address blank
_____________________
Clerk blank
Service Record
(D)
11. Date enlisted blank    Date Discharged blank    Serial No. blank
12. Branch of Service      Rank
13 Company, outfit or ship
Sources blank       
________________
Clerk

Sources: (a)Inspection of burial plot   (b) Section or cemetery record (c) Death certificate or

burial permit  (d) Patriotic organization (Name)  (e) Official U. S. Records (f) Other

(specify).
(a)Poor  Stone Broken down


Also in the file is a typed set of data (may have been typed same time of WPA work):

The Crawford Cemetery was laid off in 1860 for a public burial ground.  A one time a log school-house, known as Copper Head school, stood where the cemetery is now.  There are a number of Crawfords buried in this small burial ground.  Mr. Joseph Crawford and his wife Rebecca Crawford, some of the early settlers of Macoupin County settled just east of the present cemetery location and they are buried in this small burial ground.  It is understood that Mr. Crawford laid out this cemetery for a public burial ground and made a deed for it.

Land records of Macoupin County have been searched for a possible deed to the cemetery but none has been found.  There is no exception to the cemetery in any of the transfers of the land on which the cemetery is located.

The only description that we can give of the Crawford Cemetery is that made by the fieldmen (as fenced in) and could read as follows:

A small plot of ground (about ¼ of an acre) out of the SE. corner of the NW. ¼ of the NE. ¼ of Section 1, T. 11 N.  R. 8, West of the Third Principal Meridian, and measures:  Commencing at the NE. corner of the Crawford Cemetery and running thence South 120 feet:  thence West 80 feet:  thence North 120 feet:  thence East 80 feet to the place beginning, situated in the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois.

The Crawford Cemetery is not incorporated.

The trustees of the Crawford Cemetery have all died and no new ones have ever been appointed.

Relatives of the deceased take care of the burial grounds.

The Crawford Cemetery is in fair condition.  Thirty-five graves have been counted in this small burial ground and they are in poor condition.  Twenty-eight graves need filling or levelling. [sic]  There are only eight tombstones marking the graves in this cemetery and three are leaning and need reseting. [sic]  Two stones are weather-worn and the inscriptions need recutting.  The land is almost level with a slight slope to the south and west.  The woven-wire fence which encloses this burial grounds is in fair condition but needs restretching.  Occassionally [sic]

(page 2)

sheep are turned into the cemetery to eat off the grass.

To reach the Crawford Cemetery one travels 3 miles east of Palmyra on Emmerson Airline to a cross road, then go south on dirt road ½ mile to the cemetery.  The cemetery sets on the west side of the road about 20 feet inward.

There are 3 veterans buried in the Crawford Cemetery.

Name	War	Rank	Company	Regiment or Vessel U.S. or State	Date of Death	Grave#
*Crawford, J. D.	C	Pvt	E	122 Illinois Infantry		2
*Crawford, James M.	C		E	122 Illinois Infantry	4-30-1930	2
Surber, Levi	C					3

* Have government markers

The oldest grave in the Crawford Cemetery that we can locate by the dates on the markers is that of “J.L.S. Tabor” who died on April 19, 1880 at the age of 18 years, 4 months, and 17 days.  There are older graves but they do not have any markers.




Return to Cemetery Main Page

Return to Macoupin County, Illinois Homepage