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Section 23, Mt. Pleasant Township, Bates County, Missouri
Directions
Oak Hill Cemetery is an endowed care cemetery owned and operated by the City of Butler, Missouri. It is located at the east edge of town and can be reached through gates on East Mill Street (H Highway) and East Pine Street. The cemetery is open from dawn to dusk. A sexton is at the cemetery, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 p.m. 660-679-4323
Those Who Rest Here
The list of interments has been gathered from old cemetery burial records, lot information, obituaries, funeral records and cross referenced with an on-going physical walking inventory of the cemetery. Every effort has been made to insure accuracy; however, some memorials are unreadable as is some old handwriting. If you find an error, or wish to provide additional information, please contact us.
Click on the initial of the last name. Names highlighted in blue indicate that additional information is available on these individuals including obituaries, biographies, photographs, funeral records, death certificates, family history and photographs of the person or memorial. Please contact us for a complete listing of what is available for that particular person.
History
In the autumn of 1856, as the city of Butler was becoming the county seat of Bates County, Missouri, James and Nancy Cogswell bought 240 acres of land east of town where they build a sturdy farm home with a large old-style stone chimney. They were not to find peace there. As the Civil War clouds gathered, Nancy sickened and died on June 16, 1860. There was no cemetery in the area and so James selected a small knoll covered with young oaks near their home. Here, “while the wild bees were humming among the wild prairie flowers that grew everywhere about in rich profusion, did Col. Cogswell with his family and a few friends, lay to rest his good wife.”
Time passed and others in the vicinity who lost family were permitted to bury near her grave. It was his intention to rest beside his wife but the times were uncertain, war was coming and Col.Cogswell with all the other people of Bates County was moved out with Order # 11. An old and feeble man, Cogswell moved to Cooper County, Missouri. The journey proved too much and he was found dead in a cornfield adjacent to his house.
 His estate sold his land and the citizens of Butler purchased 10 acres of it, including the grave of Mrs. Cogswell for the town cemetery. Capt. E.P. Henry bought 30 acres just south of the old cemetery and then sold it to the Bates County Fair Association. A race track, with grandstand and exhibition halls brought excitement and fun to east Butler for over 10 years. In 1881, the track was losing money and the Fair Association decided to dissolve.
A joint stock company was formed and shareholders in the Fair Association received lots in the new Oak Hill Cemetery Association. Twenty investors received shares of stock in the new Oak Hill Cemetery Association. They were: John Patterson, Anthony Heury, T. Boulware, S.P. Day, T.J. Day, A.E. Beaty, J. P. Wright J.P. Simpson, U.M. Cannon, J.C. Clark, F.J. Tygard, George Myers, F.N. Newberry, T.D. Rafter, R.G. Hartwell, J.N. Bradley, T.W. Childs, A. Breuermann, J.T. Smith and J.R. Jenkins.
The race track circle became the center circle drive of the cemetery. In 1883, the Oak Hill Cemetery Association transferred the cemetery to the city of Butler as it adjoined the old cemetery.
In 1909, members of the Ladies of Wednesday Coterie organized the Ladies Cemetery Association of Oak Hill to oversee beautification of the grounds. Gradually the Ladies assumed full operation of the cemetery. This continued until 1990’s when the city of Butler assumed operations of the cemetery. The Ladies continue to manage some of the Perpetual Care funds, are conducting this Oak Hill Cemetery survey and photography project, have begun a program to place memorials at old unmarked graves, and work with the City in cemetery affairs.
Ladies Cemetery Asociation
Unmarked Grave Project
The Ladies Cemetery Association will provide, free of charge, a small granite memorial to mark any grave currently unmarked where the death occurred more than 30 years ago. If you know the name and dates and exact location of any individual whose old grave is unmarked, please contact::
Ladies Cemetery Association of Oak Hill
208 North Delaware Street
Butler, Missouri 64730
or contact us
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