4 Miles West of Staunton
10/31/39

Name of Cemetery: Funderburke
Location 4 Mi. West of Staunton
Oldest Grave Parrmu, son of E. P. & E. A. Funderburke May 1, 1852; 8 Months 30 days
Number of graves 92
Number of graves to be filled 3/4 of them
Rods of fence around cemetery none
Number of people interviewed 3

Heavy brush on north part. Have been unable to work there.

The Funderburk Cemetery derives its name from the Funderburk family who laid out this plot of ground on their land for a burial place for the Funderburk family and relatives early 1850. Later it was used for a public burying grounds.

After searching the Macoupin County land records we have been unable to find a deed to the cemetery at an early date.
However in 1912, the heirs of Mr, Funderburk, quit claim to Sarah Funderburk the right to 93 acres of land and the deed excepts 1 acre which is reserved for a cemetery.

In 1937 a Henry F. Meyers deeds to the Funderburk heirs, the Funderburk Cemetery which he acquired in the purchase of his land. The deed reads: THE GRANTORS: Henry F, Meyer and Christina Meyer, his wife, of the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois for the consideration of $ 1,00 QUIT CLAIM to Mary Alice Kell, Hester L. Funderburk, and Nettie Hartnett of the County of Sangamon, State of I the following described real-estate, to-wit:

A parcel of land out of the SW. 1/4 of the-NE. 1/4 of Section 34, T. 7 N. R. 7, West of the Third principal Meridian, more particularly described as: BEGINNING at a point on the South line thereof 104 feet West of the SW. corner thereof and running thence North 209 feet; thence East 209 feet; thence South 209 feet to said south line and thence West 209 feet to the point of beginning, as long as the same shall be used for cemetery purposes and thereafter to revert to the then owners of said 40 acre tract, situated in the County of Macoupin, in the State of Illinois hereby releasing and waiving all rights under and by virtue of the Homestead Exemption Laws of this state. (This deed is dated May 7, 1937 and was recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds for Macoupin County, Illinois on June 25, 1937 in Volume 375 of Miscellaneous Records at page 588.)

Mrs. Sarah Funderburks last wish before she died was that the heirs take out enough money from the estate to put up a good fence around the small cemetery. This has not been done. We contacted Mr. Carey E. Barnes, attorney for the Funderburk estate of Springfield in regard to this matter by a letter of August 2, 1939 to which we received a reply immediately stating that no provision was made in the will for the upkeep of the cemetery except that the heirs of Sarah Funderburk, deceased, made a certain exchange of land with H. F. Meyer and Mr. Meyer agreed to put up a substantial fence around the cemetery. Mrs. Mary Alive (as is) Kell of Sedalia, Missouri has also been contacted in regard to this matter but had not given us a reply. (These letters are on file)

The present trustees of the Funderburk Cemetery are as follows: Charles Soapes & Mary Alice Kell

The Funderburk Cemetery is not incorporated.

The Funderburk Cemetery is Located about 4 miles West of Staunton on an improved road. It is in a rundown condition.
It is not used for a burial place any more due to its appearance. The grass has grown up and the east side of the grounds is grown up in brush and blackberry brier. Almost all of the graves are sunken and need refilling. Three-fourths of the stones are down and need resetting. This cemetery was laid out before the road was made and this accounts for some of the graves being so near the road. On the south side of the grounds the bank is washing away and when there is a heavy rain, the graves along this embankment are left in a morbid condition. This embankment is about 5 feet high and could be rip-rapped with stone to keep the ground from washing away and protect the graves. There is not driveway leading into the cemetery. At the entrance of the cemetery is an arch made of stone and concrete with the name of the cemetery and the date mat it was laid out painted on it. On these posts are iron hinges to which an iron fence was intended to be attached but had never been done. Mr. Soapes, trustee, is the only one interested in the cemetery. He was only a small boy when his uncle (Mr. Funderburk) was buried in this cemetery. He has kept this cemetery clean for 40 years, he and several others would meet before Thanksgiving day and clean off the cemetery each year until the last two years. These men are now too old to do the work and the younger generation does not take any interest in it.

There are two veterans buried in the Funderburk Cemetery.

Name:    Grant, James; Civil War; Pvt. Co. B 144 Illinois Inf.; Died 12/11/1861; Grave 1 Lot 9 Block 1
Name:   Grant, James
Field Check:      Lot No. 7; Upright marker
Information on Marker: Co. B 144 ILL. Inf. Govt Marker
A. T. Guenther (Field Forman)
Cemetery Record Data:  Grave No. 1 Lot No. 7 Block No. 1
Inspection of burial plot: Very Poor. Cemetery very poor. Over run by weeds & bushes.

Name:    Soapes, Adam; Warof 1812 & Civil War; Died 12/11/1861; Grave 1 Lot 13 Block 1
Name:   Soapes, Adam
Field Check:       Upright marker
Information on Marker: Born June 24, 1795; Died Dec. 11, 1861 Aged 65 yrs. 5 ms. 17 days; War 1812 + Civil War
A. T. Guenther (Field Foreman)
Cemetery Record Data:   Grave No. 1 Lot No. 13 Block No, 1

The oldest grave that we can locate by the date on the marker is that of Parrmu, son of E. P. and E. A. Funderburk who died on May 1, 1852—8 months old.

Page of miscellaneous notes in the Funderburk file.

Charles Soap - trustee. 13 acres & 1 acre of this donated as a cemetery by Isaac Funderburk. Cemetery is about 70 years old.

Two Civil War veterans; Grant & Soapes. Sarah Funderburk wanted to put fence around cemetery, this was her last wish.

Deeded to Funderburks by Henry Meyer. Robert & Francis Hartnik boys in Springfield who are to look over the
cemetery.

Deeded in 1937 from H. F. Meyer to Robert & Francis Hartnik.
Alice Funderburk lives in Sedalia, Mo. who is also one of the trustees the oldest child. Alice Kell since her marriage. About 83 yrs old.

Carey E. Barnes atty for Funderburks.

Chas Soapes - Merchant.   Henry Meyer - farmer East side of Cem.

Mr. Soaps was about 6 or 7 years old when his uncle was buried in the cemetery. Mr. Soaps has cleaned off the cemetery for the last 40 years.

Oldest Grave & information 1852 May 1; 8 mo. 30 days. Parrmu Son of D. P. and E. A. Funderburk. Oldest grave we could find. There are graves in the Northern part under the brush but we couldn't find any information.

Number of graves 92.