Big Rock Church & Cemetery, Morgan County, MO

Big Rock Cemetery, Morgan county, MO

 Pictures of Big Rock Church & Cemetery
To View Pictures of the Church & Cemetery
Click on the link above, should open in a new window.

More Pictures Taken Inside the Church
on May 24, 2000.

     Big Rock is one of my favorite cemeteries to visit, although I have very few actual family members buried theree, it's solemn beauty and memories I visit it a few times every month.  My introduction to Big Rock was brought about by my in-laws living at the base of the hill behind the cemetery and they took care of the cemetery for several years.  I can remember helping my father-in-law move dirt from a grave there in the mid 1970's and on a few occasions I helped cut grass around the stones with a butcher knife, as this was in the days before the ever popular weed-eaters.  Often, when we had family gatherings, a group of us would walk up to the cemetery after a large meal and just wander around admiring the stones and just enjoying each other's company.  On these pages I will attempt to list all the persons buried in the cemetery, with the help of a cemetery book written by Bill and Dorothy Williams.  If you see a name in blue you should be able to click on it to gain further information, such as pictures of the stones, people, obituaries or short stories.  This will be a work in progress and more information and pictures will be added soon, if you have any information that I could add to these pages send it and I will add it to the proper person.  I hope you enjoy your visit here and find something of use.

HISTORY

     Big Rock Church and cemetery, located about a quarter mile south of Hiway 52, approx. 3 miles west of Barnett; 9 miles east of Versailles.  As you leave the main Highway and cross the railroad tracks, there is a pasture on the left, and an undeveloped piece of land on the right.  The cemetery is located on the left side of the road across from a house.  The road turns left at the end of the cemetery and the Church and cemetery are separated by this road. The cemetery is well taken care of and there are still burials taking place in the cemetery.
Big Rock Church was founded originally on August 8, 1827 in Cooper county, MO., a branch of the Bethlehem Baptist Church of Jesus Christ which met in the home of Jacob Chism.  In August of 1835 it was agreed to move this Church from Brother Chisms to Morgan county, MO.  For seven years the meetings were held in various places including homes and schoolhouses.  It is known that some of the meetings were held in Hardscrabble School (which later became East Prairie School)
    In 1847 the Church purchased a small building for fifteen dollars and the site was moved about a half mile south of where the present church and cemetery are located, near at a large sand rock formation.  This building was used until 1871.
    The present building was begun in 1866 and completed in January of 1888.  the building is 32 feet by 40 feet.
    The cemetery is located on land that was originally owned by the William P. Ross family.  The Ross family had started a small family cemetery on this land and later six acres were deeded to the Church.  An acre was also deeded to the church for the sum of one dollar by Samantha Hicks.
    Much of the above information about the history of the church was taken from an article written by Sudie Gunn Ferrin.
    Bill and Dorothy Williams have compiled listings of the persons buried in Big Rock Cemetery and much of the information on the pages below came from their Morgan County Cemeteries Book.
 

Surnames - Big Rock Cemetery

Click on the letters on the left to see full listings
A & B Abell, Allee, Arnold, Autry
Bailey, Baughman, Bell, Bellamy, Bennington, Bishop, Blurton, Boan, Brackett, Bradshaw, Brandstetter, Brodkway, Brown, Burkhardt, 
C & D Campbell, Carpenter, Carroll, Chapman, Christian, Clark, Cochran, Coffee, Colesar, Colvin, Compton, Conner, Cornett, Cotten, Cotton, Crane, Crockett
Daniels, Davenport, Davidson, Denney, Downing, Doyel, Duzan
E & F Easley, Edwards, Elley, Elwood, English, Erwin, 
Farley, Ferguson, Ferrin, Fields, Flottman, Forster, Friedly,
G & H Geiger, Gerber, Goans, Goodman, Gorham, Gunn
Haldiman, Harrison, Hatler, Hayes, Hees, Hensley, Henton, Heppard, Hicks, Hindman, Hinton, Hoag, Hollcroft, Holt, Hook, Hoskins, Houston, Howser, Huff, Huffman, Hunter, Hutchison, Hutson, 
I & J Imler, Inglish
Jackson, Jobe, Jobson, Johns, Johnson, Joiner, Jones
K & L Kays, Keck, Keith, Kelley, Kelly, Kelsay, Kidwell, Kiser, Kistner, Klahn
Lake, Lamm, Lawson, Leaton, Lehman, Long, Lusk
M Madole, Maher, Marotske, McDonald, McDow, McFalls, McFarland, McGorder, McKinley, Merriott, Metcalf, Milburn, Miles, Miller, Mobley, Monahan, Moritzky
N-O-P Nichols
Owens
Pennington, Phillips, Porter, Price, Purl
R Randolph, Ratclife, Rauschelbach, Rex, Roark, Roberts, Ross, Routon, Runyan, Russell, Rustin
S-T-V Saling, Sandberg, Sartor, Schubert, Scrivner, Shewmaker, Shofner, Silvey, Smith, Spaulding, Spurlock, Stickney, Stidham, Stiffler, Stillman, Strother, Swinford
Taylor, Thomas, Tompkins, Tryon
VanPool, 
W-Y
unknown
Waddell, Wallace, Watson, Wattenbarger, Weaver, Webster, Wendecan, Wheat, Whittle, Williams, Willis, Wilson, Wiseman, Witherell, Wood, Woods
Yarnell, Yates, Yowes, Yows
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