This was the actual WPA report. gf

COURTNEY CEMETERY
(aka Indian Cliff, McGhee)
South Otter Township 4-11-7
6 Miles East of Palmyra
Macoupin County, Illinois

The Courtney Cemetery was also known as Indian Cliff, but originally known as the McGhee Cemetery deeded to Macoupin County in the 1850's.
Name of Cemetery Courtney
Location N.W. 1/4 of the N. W. 1/4 of sec. 34   12-7 N. Otter
Oldest Grave David, Son of J. C. & L. Emons; died 9/27/1858 age 4 years

Notes:    Stones are all in Creek. Fieldmen went down & copied inscriptions. No stones in Cemetery. The Base of the Stones in ground.

The Courtney Cemetery is an abandoned cemetery on the Leonard or Joe Wanauska farm on Section 4 of South Otter Township. We are unable to find out when or by whom this cemetery was laid out. Some of the old settlers living in the vicinity say that it was the Courtney Cemetery.

Land records of Macoupin County have been searched for a deed to the cemetery but none can be found, In the transfer of the land in Section 4 on which the cemetery is located no exception is made to the burial grounds.

The fieldmen could not take any measurements of the cemetery as there is no starting point. The graves cannot be distinguished and one would not know whether they included the graves or not. There is a hedge fence on the north and half of the west side which may have been the fence line but no one can verify that it is.

The Courtney Cemetery is not incorporated.

There are no trustees to the Courtney Cemetery.

The Courtney Cemetery is in an abandoned condition. It is in a stock pasture. The graves are all trampled; the stones have all been rolled over the 30 foot bluff into the creek and there is no sign of a fence having been there. There are a few bases of tombstones in the ground which show where the cemetery is. There is no driveway to or in the cemetery. The land slopes to the south and to the west and the bluff is on the south side.

To reach the Courtney Cemetery one travels 6 miles east of Palmyra on a dirt road to the Waneuska farm then 3/4 of a mile south to the burial grounds. One must be directed to the cemetery as it cannot be seen until one is in it.

There are no known veterans buried in the Courtney Cemetery.

The oldest marker that we can locate which had been in the cemetery is that of "David, son of J. C. and L. Emons" who died on September 27, 1858 at the age of 4 years.

The fieldmen counted and read all the stones that they could reach in the creek and some read as follows:

Benjamin Biggerstaff  Died -1869, aged 58 years

Daniel Sharp Died - Sept. 13, 1865

John T. Son of Sam'l and M. C. Dill
Died April 11, 1871
Aged 3 yrs. 3 mo. 15 da.
Sweet Babe thy Spirit now hath rest
Thy sufferings now are O'er
Secure in Thy Redeemer's breast,
Thouth reign for evermore.

Thomas Sanford Died- March 12, 1875

David, Son of J. C. & L. Emmons Died - Sept. 27, 1858, age 4 years

Kliza, Wife of James McGhee Died - September 16, 1873 Aged 43 yrs. 1 Mo. 11 Da.