Chandra, The Clear Springs Cemetery was began in about 1820 next to the Clear Springs Primitive Baptist Church. The land was donated by Elder James Street, the preacher in Montgomery County. The Church had control of the cemetery until it disbanded in the early 1890's. At that time the Clear Springs Cemetery Association was established and registered with the State of Illinois. From that time until present, there are records kept for the secretary & treasurer. There were no records kept for burials or the sale of burial lots until the latest section to the cemetery was purchased in the 1930's, then only the purchaser of the lots. We do not know what became of any records that the church may have kept. There are no empty graves near John & Clara Row in the cemetery. My grandparents house would have been RR 2, Hillsboro. Yes, the house is still standing and is lived in by my son. My sister owns 20 acres with the house on it and I own the other 20 acres. If you ever get to the area, or wish more information, please contact me directly and I will be more than happy to answer more specific questions about the house, address, or what I can remember my grandmother telling me about Clara. Carol ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chandra" <chandra@swoidup.net> To: <ILMONTGO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 11:33 PM Subject: Re: [ILMONTGO] ROW - CLEAR SPRINGS CEM > Carol, > > Thank you for sharing this information! > > I believe Benj. Franklin Burgan to be the father of Clara (Burgan) Row, > though all of the other records for him show the name as Frank, but his > marriage record (Francis). > Does the address given on his Death Certificate match the mailing address > for your grandparents house? (Informant: Mrs. J. M. Row Litchfield R.R. #3) > > You mention that there is no tombstone. Does the cemetery have records going > back to 1916 that show the plots puchased? Does anyone know if the spot next > to Clara is blank (but perhaps not empty)? > > I would also like to know if the house is still standing and if anyone can > help us figure out the exact land location in case we get to Illinois > someday? Of course we would not bother the current owners, but knowing the > location would make searching county land records easier. > > I have the USGS GNIS maps that show roads etc. as well as legal land > description markers and GPS coordinates. > > Thank you Carol for including the personal touch with information on the > sale to your grandparents and the description of the house. I can almost > see it now! > > Chandra > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Carol & Alan Berry@consolidated.net" <turtle1@consolidated.net> > To: <ILMONTGO-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 02:42 PM > Subject: [ILMONTGO] ROW - CLEAR SPRINGS CEM > > > > John & Clara Row are buried at Clear Springs Cemetery, rural Hillsboro. > > > > John M. Row born Dec 1870 - died 14 May 1943 > > Clara R. Row born 27 Nov 1878 - died 19 Sep 1956. > > > > John & Clara owned 40 acres of land with a small 4 room house when John > died in 1943. In Sept. 1943, Clara sold the place to my grandparents. > Clara then, I believe, moved into Hillsboro until her death. > > > Benj. Franklin Burgan, died 11 Dec 1916 at Litchfield, to be buried at > Clear Springs (per death certificate). > > > > I am caretaker of the Clear Springs Cemetery and do not have any > tombstones for these two individuals. I would be interested if anyone has > more proof of these burials or their connections to John & Clara Row. > > > > Carol Berry > > > > > > ==== ILMONTGO Mailing List ==== > > Visit the Montgomery County ILGenWeb Home Page! > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmontgo/ > > > > > > > > > > ==== ILMONTGO Mailing List ==== > Montgomery County Genealogical Society was formed in 1978 and its holdings are housed at the Litchfield Carnegie Public Library in Litchfield IL.P.O. Box 212, Litchfield, IL 62056-0212 >