Union Cemetery (Monticello United Methodist Church)

Union Cemetery

(A.K.A. the Monticello United Methodist Church Cemetery)

A little history of this burial place in Kansas of many Mize descendants and related families

 

Union Cemetery, known locally as Monticello Union, was established in 1884 and located west of the Town of Monticello. The land was first patented to George W Walker as bounty land given to officers and soldiers under an act passed by Congress on 3 Mar 1855. Walker sold this land to F. L Kueker on 29 Dec 1868,

In 1884, the Union Cemetery Company purchased 5 acres from F.L. and Mary C. Kueker (pronounced "kee-kur"), for $275. There are 23 marked Kuekler inscriptions in this cemetery, including an old stone for Fred Kueker in the old central area of the cemetery. (I'll post later about the Mize connection to the Kuekers)

 Fred Kueker's grave marker

Yet, with the oldest grave dating to 1860, these grounds were already known locally as a cemetery.  

Garrett Memorial (oldest known burial - Elizabeth Garrett - is listed on this memorial)

 

In 1895, citizens built a Civil War monument at the center of the cemetery with four mounds of cannon balls marking each of its corners and a cannon pointed West.  On Memorial Days, there were programs with prayers, music, and speeches by local dignitaries, recitation of the Gettysburg Address, and firing of the cannon.  People would bring flowers from their yards and gardens to tidy up their family graves.

Unfortunately, the cannon was stolen along with the pipe fence and the cannon balls - and the weekend of Memorial Day events faded away.

 

The photo below is the Civil War Monument.

The picture above was found in a display in the old Monticello Methodist Church. From this angle you can see the relationship of the old church to the cemetery.

Today Union Cemetery is still an active burial location and a telling vestige of generations of life and memorial traditions.

- from Historic Monticello Driving Biking Tour, a brochure published by the Monticello Community Historical Society, 2013  www.monticelloks.org

Address
75th St and Gleason Rd
Shawnee, Monticello
Johnson, KS

GPS Location
38° 59' 31" N, 94° 51' 44" W
38.9919, -94.8622

Legal Location
Section 21, Township 12S, Range 23E

 

The following is a list of people with the MIZE surname who are buried in this cemetery. Other Mize family members (wives, descendants, etc.) whose last name is no longer MIZE can be searched for by using the link at the end of this list. 

Mize, Byron Keith, d. 15 Jan 1930, Infant Son of Harold Mize, Sec. SW, Row-3

Mize, C J, b. 29 Sep 1817, d. 13 Dec 1884, Sec. EC, Row-1

Mize, Daisy L, b. 5 Apr 1888, d. 28 Jun 1969, Sec. SE, Row-5

Mize, Edna P, b. 9 May 1910, d. 13 Oct 1992, Sec. SW, Row-3

Mize, Emma A, b. 1847, d. 1936, Sec. WC, Row-11

Mize, Flossie Anna, b. 1889, d. 1960, s/w Olen Ray Mize, Sec. EC, Row-7

Mize, George W, b. 1861, d. 1941, Sec. EC, Row-13

Mize, Harriet McClure, b. 1879, d. 1969, Sec. SW, Row-3

Mize, Henry, b. 1837, d. 1918, Sec. SW, Row-12

Mize, Infant, d. 28 Nov 1903, Daughter, Sec. EC, Row-13

Mize, Jamesw H, no dates, CO A 17 Kansas Inf, GAR 1861-1865, Sec. WC, Row-11

Mize, John, b. 28 Feb 1856, d. 4 Sep 1935, s/w Sarah Frances Mize, Sec. WC, Row-13

Mize, Mary Ann, b. 1855, d. 1891, Mother, Sec. WC, Row-11

Mize, Mary Enid, b. 22 Oct 1906, d. 12 Feb 1909, Daughter of Alfred and Mary Mize, Broken footstone, Sec. SW, Row-3

Mize, Mattie, b. 1862, d. 1948, Sec. EC, Row-13

Mize, Olen Ray, b. 1890, d. 1971, s/w Flossie Anna Mize, Sec. EC, Row-7

Mize, Sarah Ann, b. 1842, d. 1929, Sec. SW, Row-12

Mize, Sarah Frances, b. 27 Apr 1863, d. 12 Oct 1914, s/w John Mize, Sec. WC, Row-13

Mize, William N, b. 17 Jul 1913, d. 20 Mar 1994, US Army WWII, Sec. SW, Row-3

Mize, William S, b. 1876, d. 1952, Sec. SW, Row-3 

A list of all burials in this cemetery was made by photographing all gravestones, and then transcribing them. That list is available starting here (updated in 2008). Photos are also available for all entries.

Cemetery Diagram

1884 Union Cemetery Plat Map