Thurman Cemetery
Thurman Cemetery was originally known as Bennington Cemetery. It is located
three miles south of Maquon on Highway 97, and 100 yards west in a pasture on
the northeast quarter of Section 21 in Maquon Township. It is southwest of the
former Bennington School.
Elisha Thurman laid out the Town of Bennington on April 4, 1838, with 20 lots,
two streets, and two alleys, but it failed to develop. The State Legislature
subsequently vacated the plat, although it continued as the township polling
place until 1858. After that, polling was moved to Maquon.
Elisha had purchased the 160-acre farm with his brother, Mark, for $500 on
October 27, 1837. On January 12, 1880, he sold the farm to Andrew C. Housh, but
set aside one acre for the cemetery. Then on June 20, 1884, Elisha and his wife,
Anna, sold the one-acre cemetery plot to the Bennington Cemetery Association for
one dollar. They had previously sold the one-acre lot the school sat on to
Maquon School District No. 8, also for one dollar.
The first known burial in Bennington Cemetery was in 1836, with the last being
in 1923. It is not maintained or fenced, and cows have knocked over all of the
stones. Although one acre was set aside for the cemetery, the space actually
used is only about 50 by 30 feet.
Surname, Given Name * Birth Date * Death Date * Age
Foster, Eliza (Combs) * Jul 06 1820 * Mar 25 1847 * 26y 08m 19d
Foster, Harriet (Foster) * Sep 18 1845 * May 14 1871 * 25y 07m 26d
Foster, Infant * Sep 05 1842 * Sep 18 1842 * 00y 00m 13d
Foster, Infant * - * May 14 1871 * -
Foster, Joseph Evans * Apr 14 1840 * Apr 09 1917 * -
Keys, Amanda F. (Thurman) Smithson * Sep 29 1835 * Feb 09 1883 * 47y 04m 10d
Oaks, Bemon * - * 1841 * -
Oaks, Mary J. * Sep 11 1867 * May 28 1868 * 00y 08m 17d
Smithson, Edward Terrill * Dec 09 1804 * Oct 31 1836 * -
Smithson, John Walter * Sep 28 1835 * Nov 18 1862 * 27y 01m 20d
Thurman, Albert * 1857 * Apr 08 1923 * -
Thurman, Anna (Hall) * Oct 29 1814 * Dec 28 1899 * -
Thurman, Archie * Dec 08 1882 * Feb 16 1883 * -
Thurman, Elisha * Jul 01 1812 * Jul 04 1895 * -
Thurman, Infant daughter * - * Sep 26 1876 * -
Thurman, Infant son * Sep 17 1876 * Sep 26 1876 * -
Thurman, Nica * May 02 1840 * Sep 22 1841 * 01y 04m 20d
Contributed by Todd Walter in December 2001. See THURMAN.RTF for the complete text of Todd Walter's extensive Thurman Cemetery research.
