Prairie Grove Cemetery
In 1862, Henry and Sarah Keller donated land where their young son Edwin was buried to establish a formal cemetery. Almost immediately it was populated with reinterments from Silver Lake Cemetery .
After Nunda Township agreed to take over several of the old cemeteries in 1968, efforts were made to recreate records for the burial grounds since no known original early records could be found. However, more recent records recount the usual tragedies interspersed with the more peaceful deaths of the elderly. It can be daunting to read through the list and find four young O’Howel siblings who died in a fire or the three young Granthams who drowned in a fishing accident.
In the old part there are many unmarked graves along east driveway, which was enlarged to accommodate the potter’s field. The cemetery increased in size in 1971 when Mabel Schroeder donated a one-acre addition to the north end and a strip along the western edge to be used as a driveway. This newer area with its modern markers provides an interesting counterpoint to the weathered old stones standing guard beside the busy highway.