HARPER CEMETERY

South East Quarter Section Three, Chestnut Township

This cemetery is located five miles West of Maquon on County Hwy 20, and about 100 yards South in a pasture. It was damaged by a tornado in May of 1995 and was pretty much completely destroyed by the current owner with a bulldozer. Some stones had previously been shattered with a large weed mower. With the damage that has been done it will be impossible to know which order the stones were in, that is if all of them are ever found, or if the transcript done earlier contained any mistakes or omissions. I have compiled the following using the transcription that was done for the "History of Maquon and Vicinity" in 1976. It was done by Charles Briggs, but not published in the book.  I have added any other information I could find.

Todd Walter
December, 2001

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William Cramer	Apr 24, 1875 Age 70y 3m 29d  (WILL)
Sarah A. (Shutes) Cramer	Apr 24, 1871 Age 65y 7m 11d

Charlotte B. (Morris) Cramer, Wife of R. S.	No Dates

Maude Briggs, Dau of Judson Willmont and Priscilla (Jones)	No Dates

Peter Jones, Father	No Dates
Sarah (Sally) H. Jones, Mother	No Dates 

George M. Smith	Feb 9, 1829 - June 14, 1913
Rachel E. (Jones) Smith, Wife of G.M.	1836 - Sep 8, 1876

Priscilla I. Smith, Dau of G.M. & R.E.	1857 - 1859

Uzzi Nickerson	July 3, 1789 - Feb 13, 1874
Elizabeth (Plumb) (Sweetser) Nickerson, Wife of Uzzi	Dec 4, 1797 - Feb 16, 1887
	        
James J. Hearn	Dec 3, 1859 Age 27y 11m 6d

James U. Hearn, Son of L.R. & M.	Dec 3, 1847 Age 10m 2d

Samuel Hearn	Died May 30, 1852 (No Age)

Josiah Tucker	Aug 14, 1879 Age 53y 9m 24d (PROBATE)
Catherine P. (Baughman) Tucker, Wife of Josiah	Jun 1, 1863 Age 33y 9m 19d
          (This date is possibly 1862, Josiah remarried Oct 8, 1863)

Laura Tucker, Dau of J. & C.	Jun 1, 1862 Age 2m 2d

Zachariah Stevenson	May 11, 1848 Age 66y 11m 24d (WILL)

Jemima (Stevenson) Conner, Wife of G. W.	Jul 16, 1856 Age 36y 8m 29d

Emily Conner, Dau of G.W. & J.	Sep 2, 1856 Age 10m 7d

Lynda M. Conner, Dau of G.W. & J.	Apr 10, 1855 Age 1y 9m 25d

Sarah (Conner) Snell, Wife of J.	Jul 26, 1856 Age 17y 7m 28d

Estella E. Jacobs, Dau of C.P. & R.A.	Sep 7, 1872 Age 1y 5m 22d

Clara L. Wainright, Dau of D. & E.	Oct 7, 1862 Age 1y 8m 3d

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A very probable burial is that of Sarah (Stevenson) Stevenson, wife of Zachariah, July 29, 1786 - ca. 1863. **********************************************************************************
History of Knox County, Illinois
Charles C. Chapman, 1878

JOSIAH TUCKER, farmer, son of Samuel and Mary (Sells) Tucker, was born in Tuscarawas co., Ohio, Nov. 12, 1826; his only educational opportunities were those of the district school.  He served in the United States Army as a private during the Mexican War.  He went from Ohio to Michigan in 1852; thence to Illinois, in 1855.  Nov. 12, 1848, he married Catherine Baughman who had 6 children; in 1862 he married Nancy Catherine Akins, who is the mother of 6 children.  He joined the Baptist Church in 1841.  Republican, P.O., Knoxville.

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Portrait and Biographical Album
Knox County, Illinois
1886

Excerpt of Elijah Cramer bio;
The father of our subject was a native of (Clermont Co.) Ohio, his parents, William and Sarah A. (Shute) Cramer, having emigrated to this state in 1852, making the journey overland and camping by the wayside to prepare their frugal meals. The father, on his arrival here, made his first purchase of land, consisting of 90 acres, in Chestnut Township. The land was somewhat improved when he bought it, and he located upon it with his family and continued it's improvement and cultivation, and added to the same until he had 400 acres of land, a large portion of which was under a fine state of cultivation at the time of his demise, which occurred in 1875. His wife died on the same farm in 1871, and they lie buried side by side in the Harper Cemetery in Chestnut Township.

(William's saltbox stone house that he built in 1854, is still standing on the South West Quarter of Section 3, Chestnut Township, on County Hwy 20 about 6 miles West of Maquon, and has been beautifully restored by the current (2001) owners, Steve and Fran Scharfenberg.) 

*****
Galesburg Evening Mail
June 16, 1913

MAQUON PIONEER TAKES HIS LIFE
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Mike Smith, 85 Years of Age, Committed Suicide Saturday Night
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WAS FOUND HANGING IN A PEACH TREE
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Used a Razor Hit His Head With a Hammer and Finally Hung Himself With a Clothes Line
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	Maquon, Ill., June 16 - Tired of living, despondent because his age and ill health prevented him from taking an active part in the work of his farm, George Michael Smith committed suicide at his daughter's home west of here last Saturday evening.
	His daughter, Mrs. Leslie Wolf, and the other members of the family were away from home on Saturday evening and when they returned late at night they found the old mans bed empty. At once a search was started and after looking about the place Mr. Smith's lifeless body was found swaying from the end of a rope attached to a limb in a large peach tree.
TRIED OTHER MEANS
	A razor and a hammer near the lifeless body testified to other phases of the tragedy. Apparently the old man had attempted to slash himself with the razor, but his nervous hands had failed in this trial. Cuts were found on his head and across his abdomen. Marks on his head showed that he must have made an effort to end his life by striking his head with a hammer.
	Although his relatives had not noticed anything peculiar in the actions of the old man of late, it is believed that despondency preyed upon his mind until he became mentally deranged. The futile attempts made with a hammer and a razor testify to an unbalanced mind of a very determined conviction that the best thing for him to do was end it all. He had been sick for several years with stomach trouble.
	It is thought he left the house with three implements of suicide, a razor, a hammer, and a rope, with the intention of trying them all until his aim was accomplished. The rope, nervously tied to the peach tree limb, finally allowed him to accomplish his purpose.
	Mr. Smith was 85 years of age. His wife has been dead many years. He leaves a daughter, Mrs. Leslie Wolf, of Maquon and another daughter in Iowa. His two sons, Arthur and John, live in this county.
	The funeral will be held tomorrow morning at ten o'clock from the home.
	At the coroners inquest held yesterday, the jury decided that Mr. Smith came to his death by his own hand, having been prompted to take his life because of his suffering from stomach trouble and other ills.
	
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	This Indenture, Made this 31st day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty Five Between David Harper and Sarah J. Harper his wife of the first part, and Josiah Tucker, Daniel Wainwright, and Theodore Stevenson, Trustees of a burying grounds in Chestnut Township, Knox County Illinois of the second part, Witnesseth That the said party of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of Five Dollars in hand paid, by the said party of the second part, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, has been granted, bargained and sold, and by these presents do Grant, Bargain and Sell, unto the said party of the second part, Their Successors in office and assigns, all the following described lot, piece, or parcel of land, situated in the Township of Chestnut in the County of Knox and State of Illinois, to wit: Commencing at the North West corner of the North East of the South East of Section three thence running thirty two rods South thence Seventeen rods East to a Stone thence twelve rods South, thence twelve rods East thence twelve rods North thence twelve West to the place of beginning in Chestnut Township Knox County State of Illinois.

	David Harper    {Seal}
	Sarah J. Harper {Seal}

Given under my hand and seal, this 31st day of March A. D. 1865.

	James Cramer, J. P.

Filed for Record on the 15 day of Oct 1866 at 1 o'clock PM.