ELMWOOD CEMETERY 338 S. STATE ST., FLORA IL

Elmwood Sexton – 618-662-8023

elmwood@florail.us

Lot Prices: Original cemetery - $500.00; New addition - $600.00

Burial Fees: $150.00 - covers the marking fee, fee for monuments, and settlement fee

For information concerning grave sites please call Elmwood Sexton at 618-662-8023 or City Hall at 618-662-8313.

You can also locate grave sites at findagrave.com. Just enter Elmwood, Illinois, Clay County.

The first person buried in Elmwood Cemetery was William E. Wilson the infant son of Amos and Sarah White Wilson.  William E. was born in Flora on June 15, 1853, and died on September 20, 1854.  Since there was no cemetery in Flora at that time, a cornfield was cleared off, so there was a place to bury him.  They located the cemetery there and named it Elmwood Cemetery.  Samuel Kinnaman donated the land for the cemetery.  William E. was buried in what is now Samuel White’s family plot in Elmwood Cemetery.  Little William was the nephew of Samuel White.

Samuel White founded the town of Flora.  His first wife, Sarah Ann Wall, was born in 1833, Sarah died December 13, 1859, in Flora,Illinois.  She is buried in the family plot in the Elmwood Cemetery.  Samuel White was buried in his "Family Plot" in Elmwood Cemetery in Lot Number 82, original addition of the cemetery.  Eight family members are buried in his "Family Plot".

There are approximately 777 veterans from all wars buried in Elmwood Cemetery.  Of the 59 marked civil war soldiers' graves, 1 is a Confederate soldier named Wm. Wallace Porter.  Mr. Porter is 1 of 13 Confederate soldiers known to be buried in Clay County, Illinois.

Our most famous interment is Jonathan E. Spilman.  He wrote the music for Robert Burns "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton" best remembered of his seven melodies.  An adaptation of this music is used in "Away in a Manger" words by Martin Luther.  He was connected with such famous personalities as Robert Burns, Martin Luther, President Zachary Taylor, Jefferson Davis, and Edward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

The Big Mausoleum holds the remains of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gray.  Mr. Gray was a member of Company C, of the One Hundred and First Indiana Regiment, and was wounded and made a prisoner on September 19, 1863, at the battle of Chickamauga.  He was retained a prisoner just a short time after which he was attached to the United State Reserve Corps at Washington City.  He was discharged on April 14, 1864.  Mrs. Clara Gray, whose maiden name was Lee, was the daughter of John and Parmelia Lee.  She was born on February 25, 1848, in Switzerland County, IN.