Porter researches old Bethel Cemetery east of I-35

The cemetery is the final resting place for us humans here on earth. It is a special, sacred ground where we place the remains of our loved ones. It’s so important we erect monuments and place headstones marking their names along with birth and death dates for history. There are times when a cemetery isn’t cared for as one would expect, and that has stirred up the feelings of Mack Porter of Kearney.

For those who don’t know the successful lumberman, his interest in building his business is matched only by his awareness in doing the right thing. Mack says he has a ‘long nose,” but he’s not talking about the feature on his face. No, he’s talking about his curiosity of what he found at the Bethel

Cemetery in Lathrop, located on 116 Highway just east of I-35.

Mr. Porter located the cemetery on a recent trip to visit friends who live just west of the cemetery. When they told him about it, he was spurred to investigate.

He determined that the cemetery covers an acre and a half, with an acre dedicated to the gravesites – 50 or more graves for the mem bers of the Bethel Church.

The cemetery isn’t visible from 116 Highway due to a hill that was created when the highway was built. The entrance is on Fagin Road, just off the highway. The path back west is grass and leads to the cemetery where family members are buried, some with large headstones.

Seeking further information about the cemetery led Mr. Porter to contact

Peter Vanderhorn of Smithville. Mr. Vanderhorn has an interest in researching cemeteries, more than 80 cemeteries so far.

The first Bethel Church was deemed the First Baptist Church and was in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Research shows in the year 1805, Eld. David Green, a native of Virginia, but then a resident of Kentucky, visited the area. That same year he visited the Baptists in the vicinity of Cape Girardeau. His desire led him to return, and the next spring he came with his family and moved to this vicinity. With the help of others, he organized Bethel Church on July 19, 1806. Brother Green and wife became charter members, and he served them as their first pastor till his death on December 9, 1809.

Through his extensive research, Mr. Vanderhorn has determined there are 22 different families buried on the half-acre cemetery. The most have a last name of Douglas with nine. The Walker family has seven. Some of the names that are familiar to Lathrop are Walker, Swindler, Stonum, Hubbard, and Parman.

Mr. Vanderhorn’s research shows that many of these family members were landowners, mainly in Caldwell County. Some died in

Caldwell County but were buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Clinton County.

Porter suggested that the relatives of the people buried there could organize a clean-up day to clear away some of the overgrowth.