Successful historic preservation requires partnerships. This is especially true for historic cemeteries. Government officials, developers, and concerned citizens can all work together to incorporate historic cemeteries into the modern landscape. Johnson-Wilson Family Cemetery is the first in Boone County to be successfully managed by the community, but it will not be the last.

Cemeteries reflect the history and the lives within a community. Tragedies are documented, distinguished lives are celebrated, loved ones are mourned. There are an estimated 300 historic cemeteries in Boone County. Nearly 200 have been documented and mapped as of August, 2005. Due to the rapid growth of Boone County, many of the documented graveyards are located within subdivisions. In some cases, cemeteries are not discovered until after development is initiated. With each newly-discovered cemetery, a missing piece is fit into Boone County’s history. Though no longer active, the county’s historic graveyards still play a significant role within their perspective communities. The cemeteries are a physical tie with Boone County’s past. They allow new residents to experience and become a part of Boone County’s heritage.

Bridget Striker, Vice-President, JWCSA

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From the President

Who are we? Johnson-Wilson Cemetery Stewards Association is a 501 ( c) (3) or nonprofit organization. The Board of Directors is composed of five volunteers, all women, whose professional backgrounds include archaeology, library science, psychology, retail business, accounting, and teaching. The Board members are Diana Anderson, Jan Garbett, Lara Garbett, Jenna Rogers, and Bridget Striker.

What do we do? Our work is dedicated to the three-fold mission of restoring historic graveyards, documenting newly-found graveyards and gravestones, and educating the community about these invaluable resources.

Why is this work important? The rapid development of Boone County’s farmland has exposed and made vulnerable old family graveyards. New unmapped cemeteries are found almost weekly. There is an urgent need to keep them intact and to protect them as outdoor museums and primary resources.

How can you help? We currently manage two historic graveyards- Johnson-Wilson Cemetery in Hidden Creek subdivision, Burlington, and Souther Cemetery in Parlor Grove, Hebron.

• Option # 1: All or part of the matching funds to provide memorial markers for pioneer graveyards that have been relocated to larger county cemeteries.
  Total matching share needed: $1,500
• Option #2: All or part of the match needed to install signs for twenty family graveyards.
  Total matching share needed: $1,030
• Option # 3: Contribute all of part of the matching funds needed to construct an educational kiosk, made of stone or wood, at Johnson-Wilson Cemetery and fund the accompanying curriculum, “Teaching with Historic Cemeteries”.
  Total matching share needed; $1,000

• Partner with us in planning an outstanding fundraising event. Examples: A dinner theater or a spirit walk
• Advise us on developing a five year strategic plan.
• Volunteer as a Chautauqua performer; for example, Christopher or Lucy Wilson, Benjamin or Winefred Johnson, Asa, the enslaved African-American who preached with Christopher Wilson, or one of the Souther family members.
• Assist us with planting flowers beds and native grasses.
• Utilize your talents in graphic arts and help us design a new Johnson-Wilson brochure of the same caliber as our new county cemetery map and brochure.

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