BEATRICE – A rural Wymore couple wants to restore an abandoned pioneer cemetery in southern Gage County, that has gravesites dating back to 1906.
Lynn and Lea Anne Bogart have received a vote of approval from the Gage County Planning Commission, and Wednesday the topic was the subject of a public hearing by the Gage County Board.


County Planning Administrator Lisa Wiegand said the cemetery site previously sustained storm damage. "About two years ago that was hit by a tornado, and you as a county had committed to send some crews down there to do some cleanup of that, because they lost several trees."


Known as the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, it’s located at South 23rd and Willow Road. "This particular cemetery dates back to 1882."

Cemetary dates back to late 1800s

 
One other pioneer cemetery in Gage County has been restored to public use ….the Countryside cemetery in western Gage County. State law regulates maintenance of such cemeteries…and the Bogarts are taking the necessary legal steps to reestablish it. Lea Anne Bogart says the cemetery was abandoned in 1977.  "We have a cemetery association formed and it will be filed with the county clerk as soon as we get approval for the cemetery. Our initial desire is to just get it cleaned up and get the fence repaired."


Other work includes reestablishing the current boundary of the cemetery, removal of tree stumps and removal of cedar trees along the south side. "We won't reopen the cemetery until it is presentable to the public. By that time, we'll have our perpetual care fund advanced."


The association would maintain the cemetery and preserve its history. The Gage County Board plans to act on the proposal in two weeks.
Gage County has several pioneer cemeteries for which the county has agreements with groups to help maintain.

Weathered grave markers