Pike County Missouri Cemeteries - Old Bethlehem Cemetery

Located in Pike County Missouri on the Southwest slope of Bethlehem Knob, Calumet Township, T. 53N, R.1W, Section 22, this cemetery was the burial ground for the Old Bethlehem Church. It has three sections, the main cemetery plus the Henry plot and the Estes plot. Burials were recorded from 1834 to 1900. This cemetery was inventoried in 1924 by Fred D. Stichter and his article was reprinted in “Tales & Talk from Down in Pike”. Mr. Stichter measured the cemetery as being about 300 feet (east/west) by 150 feet (north/south). There appeared to be several unmarked graves on the extreme north side, possibly slave graves. Mr. Stichter copied inscriptions on the stones and remarked that the cemetery was in pretty bad shape then. John M., Sharleen and Mildred Helenthal visited the cemetery in 1978 and copied additional inscriptions. Homer and Sarah Sterne found additional inscriptions in 1980. Kay Raithel and Charlotte Griffith resurveyed in 2002 and found fourteen tombstones that were not on the 1980 list. These names are marked with an * in this listing. Corrections to dates that had been previously listed incorrectly were also made. This list is in alphabetical order by surname. Information within parentheses is not written on the tombstone but added to aid in research.

You can see the Bond for the Building of the Bethlehem Meeting House & Commissioners Order by clicking here.

BROWN
Armilda C. Brown, wife of Wm L Brown, died 18 July 1900, age 66 yrs, 6 mos, 29 days
(Estes plot)

CLIFFORD
Benjamin Pepper Clifford, died 16 Dec 1852, age 1 yr, 9 mos, 14 days,
son of B P & Lucinda P Clifford
Nancy M. Clifford, died 6 Aug 18__, age 2 yrs 11 mos – death date on this stone difficult to read
daughter of B P & Lucinda Clifford, (Nancy born after 1840)
Smith Pepper Clifford, born 23 Nov 1853 - died 3 Dec 1858, “Dear to the Memory”

ELGIN
Alice B. Elgin, daughter of E W & P Elgin, born 9 Feb 1856 - died 6 Sept 1883, age 27 yrs,
6 mos, 27 days (Estes plot)
Edward Elgin, born 7 Feb 1813 - died 2 July 1900, age 87 yrs, 4 mos, 25 days (Estes plot)
W. F. Elgin, born 12 Oct 1837 - died 24 Nov 1869, age 32 yrs, 1 mon, 24 days

ESTES (Estes plot except for James who is in the Henry plot)
James Estes, died 4 May 1864, age 70 yrs, 11 mos, 20 days (Sarah Sterne gave age as 79 yrs)
R. C. Estes, born 10 Sept 1826-died 17 Nov 1890 (son of Elizabeth Griffith and Robert Estes)
Robert T. Estes, born 2 May 1792 - died 31 Aug 1858, age 66 yrs, 3 mos, 29 days
            (Sarah Sterne gives his year of birth as 1787 and year of death as 1853)
Elizabeth, wife of Robert T Estes, born 11 Nov 1790 - died 26 Dec 1877, age 87 yrs, 1 mon, 15 days
            (maiden name Griffith)
Elizabeth J. wife of Abel Griffith Estes, born 18 Jan 1827 - died 28 July 1863, age 36 yrs, 5 mos, 10 days
            (maiden name Stadley)
John H. Estes, died 12 Aug 1852, 3 mos, 25 days (son of A G Estes & Elizabeth Stadley Estes)
*William A. Estes, died 9 July 1858, age 9 yrs (son of A G Estes & Elizabeth Stadley Estes)

GRIFFITH
Amos Griffith, born 12 Jan 1800 –died 18 Nov 1852, age 52 yrs, 10 mos, 6 days
            (son of Amos and Mary Griffith)
*Cordelia Griffith, daughter of Amos & Margaret Griffith, born 27 Jun 1849 – died 24 Jun 1850
Joel Griffith, born 18 Jan 1772 - died 5 Dec 1844, age 72 yrs, 10 mos, 17 days
            (son of Amos and Mary Griffith)
Noah Griffith, born 22 Jan 1822 – died 3 Dec 1853, age 31 yrs, 11 mos, 3 days
            “Done by his affectionate mother Margaret Griffith” (son of Joel and Margaret Griffith)
Elizabeth Griffith, died 27 Dec 1853, age 26 yrs, 2 mos, 4 days
            “Done by her mother-in-law Margaret Griffith”
Clarissa, wife of James Griffith, born 20 Jan 1831 - died 1 Nov 1854, age 23 yrs, 9 mos, 11 days
*Levi Griffith, husband of M.E. Griffith, born 1840 – died 10 Oct 1862, age 22 yrs, 2 mos
*Alexander Henry Griffith, died 11 Jan 1843, age 16 yrs, 3 mos, 15 days
Susan, wife of Amos S. Griffith, died 29 Nov 1855, age 34 yrs, 7 mos, 10 days
Abel Griffith, born July 1802 - died 28 Mar 1859 (son of Abel and Hester Griffith) – (Estes plot)

GRIMMETT
Nicholas Grimmett, born 24 Feb 1779 - died 19 Aug 1859
Peggy, wife of N. Grimmett, died 13 Aug 1872, age 88 yrs, 29 days

HENRY (Henry plot)
Alexander Henry, born 3 Mar 17__ - died 10 Oct 1870
(Family records show birth year 1781, in the 1870 Census he was 89)
Margaret, wife of A. Henry, died 10 Apr 1852, aged 56 yrs, 1 month, 10 days
*James W. Henry, son of Alexander Henry, born 1 Mar 1823 – died 1 July 1849

HUNTER
Thomas Hunter, born 9 June 1774 - died 15 Mar 1852, age 78 yrs
Priscilla Hunter, wife of Thomas, born 5 Feb 1781- died 27 Oct 1849, age 68 yrs.
(Family records show birthdate 3 Feb 1782, maiden name maybe Mulliken/Mullican/Mulligan)
Mary K. Hunter, daughter of Wm & America Hunter born 7 July 1841 - died 15 Aug 1843
Julia, daughter of Wm & America Hunter, born 17 Nov 1843 - died 6 Oct 1851

JEWEL
*James S. Jewell, died 29 Jan 1853, child of S & M Jewel
*Mary Jewell, born and died 13 Sept 1848, child of S & M Jewell

KELLY
Vincent Kelly, born 3 Sep 1779 - died 18 Mar 1856, age 76 yrs, 6 mos, 15 dys
Susanna Kelly, wife of Vincent Kelly, born 2 Dec 1783 - died 23 Mar 1874, age 90 yrs, 3 mos, 21 days
Sarah E. Kelly, wife of Wm Kelly, died 16 Apr 1880, aged 54 yrs, 5 mos,
“Since thou canst no longer stay to cheer me with thy love,
I hope to meet with thee again in your bright home above.”

MACKEY
John R. Mackey, born 6 Nov 1833 - died 25 Feb 1857, age 23 yrs, 3 mos, 19 days
*John Mackey, died 30 Apr 1848, 57 yrs, 3 mos, 6 days (son of James and Rebecca Mackey)
*Susan, wife of John Mackey, born 20 Feb 1792 - died 20 Nov 1864, age 72 yrs, 9 mos
(maiden name McMillan)
John Milton Mackey, son of J A & M S Mackey, age 2 yrs, 4 mos
Jas A. Mackey, died 4 Nov 1854, age 31 yrs, 6 mos, 8 days

McCORD
Edna McCord, wife of James McCord, died 12 Dec 1849, age 32 yrs, 9 mos, 15 days
“Dear to the memory of her husband and friends”
*Robert S. McCord, child of Edna and James McCord
Robt McCord , native of county Tyrone, Ireland, born 16 Aug 1836 - died 25 Apr 1852

McILROY
Letitia McIlroy, consort of Thos. F. McIlroy, born 7 July 1827- died 3 Aug 1853, age 26 yrs, 26 days (Henry plot)

McLOED
Sally, wife of James S McLoed, born 11 Jan 1811-died 16 Aug 1857, age 46 yrs, 7 mos, 5 days
(daughter of Vincent and Susanna Kelly)
James T., son of James S & Sally McLoed, died 19 Jan 1846, age 60 days

Susan W. Minor, wife of W Minor, born 28 Feb 1819 - died 15 Sept 1850
(daughter of Samuel and Nancy Pepper)

PEPPER
*Nancy Pepper, wife of S. Pepper, died 25 Feb 1856, age 64 yrs, 2 mos, 3 days
*Enoch S. Pepper, born 10 July 1824 – died 5 Nov 1853 (son of Samuel and Nancy Pepper)
*Pepper, infant died 30 Oct 1854, age 2 days

POLLACK
Ann J. Pollock, wife of J Pollock, died 22 Mar 1853, 26 yrs, 3 mos, 7 days,
(maiden name Pepper, former married name Welsh)

PRICE
Price, infant daughter of R B & P Price, died 11 Jan 1867 (granddaughter of N and P Grimmett)

STADLEY
Mary, wife of John Stadley, born 14 Sept 1787 - died 1857 (Estes plot)
(Sarah Sterne gives death year as 1858)
John Stadley, born 14 Feb 1790 - died 2 Sept 1862, age 72 yrs 6 mos 16 days (Estes plot)

TEMPLETON
Mary, wife of M. Templeton, born 11 Oct 1812 - died 13 Aug 1853,
“All that’s born to live are bound to die; O, think of this as you pass by!"

THURMON
Rebecca, wife of C.M. Thurmon, born 6 May 1817 - died 1 Mar 1852
“Come blooming youth as you pass by and on me do cast an eye.
I once did bloom as well as thee. Prepare for death and follow me.”
Susan J. Thurmon , daughter of C M & R Thurmon, died 20 Dec 1858, age 20 yrs, 8 mos, 28 day

TILLETT
*Mary Tillett, born 25 Dec 1778 – died 24 Apr 1852, age 73 yrs, 3 mos, 29 days

TRIMBLE
John M. Trimble, died 6 Jan 1843, age 37 yrs, 10 mos, 21 days,
Mary Trimble, died 10 Feb 1846, age 61 yrs, 10 mos, 11 days
N. B. Trimble, died 27 Aug 1844, age 37 yrs, 1 mon, 15 days
A. J. Trimble, died 26 June 1851, age 34 yrs, 4 mos, 15 days,
“Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord”
John M. Trimble, son of A J & N Trimble, died 18 Nov 1854, age 10 yrs, 9 mos, 1 day
“There is rest in heaven”