Snapshots of History: Diagonal Cemetery

By Editor | October 16, 2024 |

Diagonal Cemetery in 2024.

By Mike Avitt
In my research, I often use a book called, “Cemetery Gravestone Recordings of Ringgold County, Iowa.”
This book was compiled by Raymond Banner in 2003 using information gathered by Raymond, Betty Ruby, Ruth Haley, Rick Wiley, and others over a period of many years.
This book is helpful to me in finding obituaries because the death date is often, but not always, listed on the grave marker or monument. Not every grave site is indicated by a marker or stone.
A few weeks ago I came across an article in an old newspaper stating a Mr. Anthony Brown was the first body interred in the “new cemetery” south of Diagonal. This information appeared in the November 23, 1893 edition of the Weekly News, a Mount Ayr newspaper.
His death notice and obituary appeared in the same paper on two different pages. The only relative mentioned in this area was a Mrs. A. A. (Sarah) Payne. She died about one year later, but I have been unable to find her grave.
Neither have I found Anthony Brown’s grave. I looked in my gravestone book and he is not listed in the Diagonal Cemetery or any other Ringgold County cemetery. So I took a closer look at the Diagonal Cemetery interments.
According to my book, there are six graves in the Diagonal Cemetery that give death dates prior to that of the cemetery’s establishment, 1893. I tried to find the obituaries of all six but found only one. Unfortunately, that obituary did not give the original burial site. So, I assume these six were moved to the new cemetery after it was platted. And Mr. Brown?
I believe he is buried there in an unmarked grave, which might be recorded in the cemetery’s plat book.
Still, I have more questions than answers. Sarah (Brown) Payne died in 1894 but her widower, A. A. Payne, lived in the area until at least 1898. I found a brief obituary for Sarah Payne, but it failed the mention a burial site. The Paynes lived in Diagonal and vicinity.
I also found the first burial in the Benton Cemetery. The newspapers called him Mack West but the cemetery book calls him Jack West. He died of an accidental self inflicted gunshot wound in December 1892.
A blurb in the Weekly News of February 9, 1893 says “several of the boys were busy last week moving the dead to the new cemetery north of town (Benton).” The February 9, 1893 Ringgold Record newspaper gives a more detailed account: Samuel West has moved the remains of his children to the new cemetery north of Benton. And, indeed, Charles and Marshall West are buried at Benton and both died well ahead of Benton or its cemetery. In fact, Charles died in 1870 when less than a year old.
I found three other Benton grave sites in my book of people who died before December 1893. Again, I have to assume they were removed from their original burial plot and taken to the Benton Cemetery at a later date.
Family plots had one very big liability — those plots didn’t always stay in the family! The new owner of the land might want to plant corn where grandma is resting in peace.
I have visited many cemeteries and seen stones toppled over with grass growing over top of them. I once saw a clay marker that was crumbling to dust.
A friend of mine bought his burial plot in advance and referred to it as his “permanent real estate.” His body now resides in that “permanent real estate.”
Cemeteries are interesting because of the monuments. The earliest graves are marked with marble monuments; granite came later. I always go to the marble section first. Technology has improved the artwork on grave markers a great deal.
Cemeteries get more interesting all the time.