WPA VETERANS' CEMETERY PROJECT
The Macoupin County Archives has in its files, indexes/listings of many veterans buried in numerous Macoupin County cemeteries. WPA workers compiled the indexes during the Depression Era (about 1939-1940).
The cemeteries below were checked for veterans and I found there was also other information that a genealogist might fmd useful. I generally didn't copy the legal descriptions of the property if they were very long and drawn out. If you want that information, contact the Archives.
As in previous issues of the Macoupin County Searcher, I listed veterans' information from both typed sheets and work sheets. The work sheets are typed in bold and the typed sheets are typed in a normal font. In some cases the work sheet had additional or conflicting information from the typed sheets. The work sheets with soldier
information stated to check these sources: burial plot, cemetery record, death certificate or burial permit, patriotic organization (name), official U. S. records or other. These sources would probably be good sources to check still, today, as we have no way of knowing how thorough the WPA workers were. In these records, as always, I try to keep the grammar and spelling "as is" even if it appears incorrect.

Note: They have 8-8-8 but the section should be 6.

Harmony Cemetery
6-8-8
Book E E - 688
Name of Cemetery Harmony Cemetery
Location Township 8 Range 8 Sec. 8 Hillyard Township
Oldest Grave Sally Greenwood, Died 1848
Number of Lots 33
Number of graves 97
Number of Veterans that need stones One
Number of stones in cemetery that need resetting 26
Number of stones that need recutting 34
Rods of fence around cemetery 63.6
Condition of fence poor
Rods of fence to be repaired 63.6
Rods of fence to be repaired None
Number of people interviewed two

History

The Harmony Cemetery is located on the Drew farm, in Township 8 Range 8, Sec 8, Hillyard Township.
When this cemetery began this ground belonged to Charles Rhoades, and as we were told, he is the one that started this cemetery and was once called the Rhodes Cemetery, but when it was started, no one seems to know. This cemetery sets on a hill, south of the Drew farm about a quarter of a mile. It is in a very bad condition, the weeds and brush are so high you can hardly see the tombstones. There are quite a few graves in the cemetery that have no markers.

The oldest grave that we could locate is Sally Greenwood, Died Aug. 28, 1848. There is no driveway to the cemetery. It is surrounded on the North by a public road, on the east and south by plowland and on the west by pasture. It also has a good drain as it sets on a hill. There is a wire fence on all sides of the cemetery and it is in very poor condition. Most of it is broke and parts of the fence is down.

This cemetery could stand a very good cleaning as it was not cleaned for years. This cemetery is still used once in a while, but not very often.

The Grantors, Nancy Ellen Rhoads, Carrie L. Rickard and Perry G. Rickard her husband, Edward C. Rhoads, Hettie E. Jolly and Chas. W. Jolly her husband of the County of Macoupin and State of Illinois for and in consideration of one dollar in hand paid convey and quit claim to the trustees of Harmony United Baptist Church, the following described
Real Estate: a strip of ground 20 feet wide for a private roadway to the Grave yard beginning at a stone at the NE corner of the W ½ of the NW ¼ of section # 6 Township # 8 Range 8, County of Macoupin and State of Illinois then south 8 rods to a stone thence W 12 rods and 55 links to a stone - witnessed by a Hickory tree 10 inches in diameter south 17 ¼ degrees East 51 links. Also for a graveyard as follows beginning at the last named stone at S end of said roadway thence W - 3 rods and 17 links to a stone thence S 21 rods to a stone thence E 10 rods and 2 links to a stone thence North 21 rods to a stone thence W 6 rods and 10 links to the place of beginning. Containing one and 32/100 acres more or less situated in the County of Macoupin in the State of Illinois hereby releasing and waiving all rights under & by virtue of the homestead Exemption Laws of this State.

Dated this __ day of March, 1885.

Signed Sealed & Delivered in Presence of} Nancy Ellen Rhoads, E. C. Rhoads, Hettie E. Jolly, C. W. Jolly, Perry G. Rickard, Carrie L. Rickard.
Recorded: Feb. 4, 1886 Book D V Page 374 & 375.

There is a deed made to Harmony Church between Samuel V. Rhoads and Francis his wife and Trustees of Harmony Church, 1855. Recorded in Book E. E. Page 688.

Name: Brown, Marcellus Died 4-30-1933
Name: Brown, Marcellus
Field Check: Upright marker
Information on Marker: Marcellus Brown 1845 Not Buried There No date of death on marker

Not on typed list, has work sheet only:
Brown, Archemides
Field Check: Grave 4 Lot No. 25; Upright marker
Informatioon on Marker: Archimides Brown; Co. G. 154 Ill. Vol., 1836 - 1865
Notes: Has no Govt. marker