3 Miles east of Shipman

Name of Cemetery Fraley
Location 3 Mi South of Shipman NE 1/4 of Sec 28-8-5 
Oldest Grave Silas Lincoln died 1842 (as is)
Number of lots 2 can be counted
Number of graves 25
Number of graves to be filled 25
Number of Veterans graves that need stones None
Number of stones in cemetery that need resetting None
Number of stones cemetery that need recutting None
Rods of fence around cemetery 14
Condition of fence Poor
Rods of fence to be repaired None
Rods of fence to be replaced 14
Number of people interviewed 4

The Fraley Cemetery is a small private cemetery located on the Fraley farm. From the dates on the markers this cemetery originated about the middle years of 1840. We have been unable to find out who laid out the burial grounds. It has been on the Fraley Estate (it having been there when they bought the land) for many years and it is referred to as the Fraley Cemetery.

Land records of Macoupin County have been searched for a deed to the cemetery but none can be found. We have also traced the transfers of the land on which the cemetery is located for an exception to the burial grounds but no mention is made of the cemetery is the abstracts.

The only description that we can give of the Fraley Cemetery is that made by the fieldmen of the cemetery (as fenced in) and could read as follows:

A small plot of ground (1/72 of an acre) in the N. 1/2 of the E. 1/2 of the NE. 1/4 of Section 28.T. 8 N. R. 8. West of the Third Principal Meridian and measures as follows: Commencing at the NW. comer of the Fraley Cemetery running thence East 55 feet; thence South 55 feet; thence West 55 feet; thence North 55 feet to the place of beginning, situated in the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois.

The Fraley cemetery is not incorporated at the present time.

There are no trustees to the Fraley cemetery.

There is no care-taker to the cemetery. Relatives and friends of the deceased take care of the burial grounds, but today it looks like a brush pile.

The Fraley cemetery is in very bad condition. Trees have fallen over and rotted. Branches of the old trees from the adjoining timber littered over the grounds. The weeds, brush, and brier are so high that the tombstones cannot be seen. There are approximately 25 or 30 graves in this cemetery. It is hard to distinguish the graves. The woven-wire fence which encloses this burial grounds is broken in quite a few places. There is no driveway to or in the cemetery. This cemetery sets on a hill giving it good drainage on all sides.

To reach the Fraley cemetery one travels 3 miles east of Shipman on Route 38. The cemetery sets in a timber about 300 feet south of the road.

There are no veterans buried in the Fraley cemetery.

The oldest grave that we can locate by the dates on the markers is that of "Silas Lincoln" who died in 1846 (as is).

Sole: the following, single page, cemetery listing for Fleming Cemetery was in the Fraley Cemetery folder. The name of Silas Lincoln is listed in both Fraley and Fleming cemeteries. Perhaps there is a connection between the two cemeteries.

Fleming Cemetery

David Fleming, died Jan. 1, 1892, age 9 years, 6 mo.
J. R. Fleming, died Jan. 31, 1829, age 34 years, 28 days.
Edward Fleming, died June 10, 1847, age 59 years.
Elizabeth Seeley Fleming (Wife of Edw.) died 1888, age 78 years.
Silas W. Lincoln, died Sept. 15, 1882, age 21 years, 8 mo., 13 days.
Silas W. Lincoln, died July 17, 1860, age 25 years.
Alice Lincoln (Daughter of S. W. and M. L.) died Dec. 11, 1859, age 1 mo.
Althea Snedeker (Daughter of W. J. and A. E.) died Aug. 22, 1860, age 17 mo. 3 days.
John Drew (Son of D. and M.) Born 1858) died 1858
Maria Drew (Daughter of D. and M.) Born 1862 died 1862
Edward F. Drew (Son of D. and M.) (Born 1880) died 1881, age 1 year.

Three other unmarked graves appear.

Other old settlers are buried at Woodburn, Bunker Hill, Shipman and the Hilyard grave yard at Snedeker Grove.