I did some hard research (meaning climbing around in some rough countryside) a couple of years ago on the early cemeteries in the Lawrence/Barry/Newton area. This is what I came up with. * One of the oldest is the now completely abandoned Ross Cemetery in Newton County. Perrin Rutledge and his wife, Nancy are buried there. She was probably one of the last people buried there, in 1896. The oldest marked grave was John Ross who died 30 Oct 1855. This cemetery was near the old wagon road which is pretty much where the railroad runs now This cemetery is located in twp 26 R29 Sec 33 of Newton County, Missouri. Probably less than a mile to the east of it is the present Berwick Cumberland Presbyterian Church and cemetery. It only dates back to the late 1800's IN IT'S PRESENT LOCATION (more on this below). * As you approach the Lawrence / Barry line you come to Clear Creek Cemetery. It is about the same age as Berwick Cemetery, I would guess, but associated with a Baptist Church. Neither of those could really be considered pioneer cemeteries. * At one time, as you travel up Clear Creek you would have come to a cemetery that I know only from remarks in GOODSPEEDS HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY "In April, 1870, Peirce City (the way they spelled it then) was in embryo. The Baptist Church and cemetery, covering seven acres, for long years known as 'Clear Creek Grave Yard,' was even dedicated to the uses of progress." I don't know if this means they moved the graves, covered them over, or what... I suspect that some of my cousins were buried there. This doesn't seem to be the present day Pierce City cemetery where, if I remember correctly, Sampson Looney and so many others are buried. * If you head south from Pierce City in a few miles you reach the abandoned Mount Comfort Cemetery. This is where John Rutledge and some of the LeGrands are buried. (others of them are in Berwick and some in Jolly Bethel and other places to, I believe). Mount Comfort was the original site of the Cumberland church now at Berwick. It was established at Mount Comfort in the early 1840's. It fell out of use at about the time Berwick came into being - the church being moved at that time. There is a little bit of information, and a few photos, on this at the website below. A list of the marked graves in Mount Comfort is on the Barry County genweb site. http://www.ipa.net/~johndill/swmo.htm John