Then there is the Wildermuth cemetery over in the town of Willow in which plum trees grow in numbers, bushes are here, there and everywhere in this cemetery and it is with difficulty that one can reach the graves of the folks buried therein. This is a Mormon or Latter Day Saints cemetery. A burial has not been made there in close to 30 years, the last one there taking place in 1930 when Horace Newkirk was laid to rest. Tall pine trees mark the spot. No monuments can be seen from the highway, which passes by, so dense are the bushes that the markers are hidden from view.
 David Wildermuth, from whom the cemetery takes its name, was born in Ohio in 1803 and in 1831 married Anna Newkirk, moved to Illinois, then to Iowa, and back to Lafayette county, Wisconsin, and in the spring of 1856 came by ox team to Richland county together with his family and the family of Cyrus Newkirk. They were Mormons, Mr. Wildermuth being a saint. Quite a number of Mormons came from time to time. They settled in the vicinity of the cemetery. David Wildermuth died on April 6, 1889, and his wife passed away January 12, 1903. There are a number of the descendants of these families now residing in this county.
 Many are the "Tales the Tombstones Tell" that have appeared from time to time in this paper and they all make historical stories more or less.
 The earlist date on a tombstone that we noted was the one in the old time cemetery in the village of Orion, the oldest cemetery in the county. The stone is at the grave of Henry Ferris and reads:

 Of Henry we know nothing except what is carved upon the stone and perhaps nothing more will ever come to light for it has been 114 years since they laid him to rest on the little hill which overlooks the peaceful pioneer village which for a time was the county seat of Richland county.
 The date on the stone, 1844, conflicts a bit with the date of the first death to take place in Richland county as recorded in a history of Richland county. In the history of the county two dates are given, 1844 and 1846, both telling of the passing of David Pettie at the sawmill settlement at Rockbridge. Details of Pettie's passing jibe except in two statements, the date being one and the place of burial the other. One account says he was laid to rest at Mineral Point and one says he was buried in the cemetery at the village (Orion). If there was a cemetery at Orion when Pettie died, there must have been a previous burial, otherwise there would have been no need for a cemetery. It is all confusing indeed but Henry Ferris' monument says he died September 29, 1844.
   Correction
 In the article published previous concerning the Bowen's Mill cemetery, John Poole was listed as a native of Pennsylvania. Further information brings to light the fact that he was born in Scotland and this is so stated in the article below which is correct, according to family records.
   Born 185 Years Ago
 John Poole, whose body is buried in the Bowen's Mill cemetery in the town of Richland, first saw the light of day in Scotland in 1774 and this date is the earliest we have found in our visits to every cemetery in Richland county, although there is one down in the Sextonville burying ground on the grave of Elizabeth Boswell McCloud, whose birth date is given, as November 17, 1775. She was kin to A. H. Krouskop, a one time leading business man of Richland Center, and it was he that made possible Krouskop park here. 

Page 177

 John Poole came to America and evidently settled in Ohio, coming from that state to Richland county in 1852 and settled in the town of Rockbridge on what is now known as the Houck & Bowen farm. Mr. Poole lived before the days of the Revolutionary War; was on earth at the time of George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamine Franklin and other early day American heroes.
 Most of the history of John Poole and his sons herein has kindly supplied by Mrs. Harvey Poole, Richland Center, who spent much time in search of facts concerning the family. Not a great deal of information came to light concerning John, and there was no information as to what was the maiden name of his wife, though the given name was Mary and this appears upon the stone in the Bowen's Mill burying ground. On the boat coming from Scotland Mr. Poole met a young Irish girl and they were married. Their children were Henry, Nicholas, Perry, John and David, their birth place being given as Ohio.
 When John, the father, settled in Rockbridge, he took up his home in section 29, having bought a government claim to the land from Jules Preston, a native of New York state.
 In 1860 a son Nicholas was listed in the census as being 31 years of age and his wife, Sarah, as 18, three sons, Joel, 7 years; German, 5; James, 3, and a daughter, Addeline, 3 months. The 1870 census listed him as owning 80 acres, 35 improved and 45 woods, valued at $700. He had 80 bu. wheat, 200 bu. Indian corn, 15 oats, and 12 bu. of turnips and rutabagas, 2 horses, 1 cow, 4 other cattle, 19 sheep, 10 swine, listed at $400. This was quite a sum for those days. When Nicholas died he was buried in the Richland Center cemetery. His son Joel, was killed in a logging accident. Joel has a son living today in Ft. Atkinson, where he barbered for many years before he retired some two years ago.
 Of the sons of John Poole, the elder four served in the Civil War, Perry, James, John Jr. and David. Perry, James and David were members of the 20th regiment Wisconsin Volunteers. Perry gave his address as Loyd when he enlisted on July 19, 1862. David and James gave their addresses as Richland Center. Perry was wounded in the battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and as a result was discharged on April 30, 1863. James served until the close of the war, being discharged on July 14, 1865.
 David, who appears to be the youngest of the sons of John, Sr., enlisted August 12, 1862, and when he left for camp, he looked upon Richland county for the last time. He participated along with his company, through the south. Disease came to this soldier boy and he died, the government records show, at Fayetteville, Ark., the site of a rebel prison, on January 9, 1863.
 Clyde Poole, who operates a barber shop on South Church street, is a great grandson of John Poole and Billie Poole, employed in the Coppernoll barber shop, South Central avenue, is a great, great grandson, who carry on the barber business here.
 Hite Poole, for many years a barber in this city, who still lives in this area, is a grandson, and his son Theron Poole, a great grandson, operates a barber shop in Beloit.
 Morris Sexton, son of the founder of Sextonville, was among the Richland county "Boys in Blue" to be killed in the battle of Poplar Grove. He was killed on December 7, 1862, and David Poole took part in this battle.
 Up in the Bowen's Mill cemetery in the morning shade of the tall pine trees, on the gravestone for his father is engraved these words:
 David, son of John and Mary Poole, Died at Fayetteville, Ark., January 7, 1863, aged 23 years.
 This engraving is just below the inscription for his father. However it is very doubtful that David is buried here in this quiet little country cemetery in Richland county. Instead, it is almost certain that he rests in a cemetery near the place of his death, for back in the days of 1863 bodies could not be cared for like the present, making burial within a day or two after death necessary.
 In any event the tall pines sound a mournful sigh for those who sleep away the days and nights close by and also for the soldier boy far, far away.     

 John Poole, Sr., had a number of grandsons, great grandsons, and great, great grandsons who took up barbering as a trade and Mrs. Harvey Poole states that there were 13 members of the family who followed that occupation at one time.
  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
 With this "Tales the Tombstones Tell" comes to an end. We trust they have in a way furnished you with information concerning relatives or old friends as well as supplying some historical items of interest. The cemeteries visited and written about covers all but three or four in the county and of these we have been unable to learn but very little and that is the reason the articles come to an end with this final chapter of "Tales the Tombstones Tell."
 In our visits to these burying grounds Frank Poynter has been our companion to all but three or four. Others who have made frequent trips include Charles Ray, David Bender and Charles Johnson. Two others Frank Spry and P. L. Lincoln, who now themselves have found rest beneath the sod, were also with us on a number of journeys to those quite, sacred spots "where the crossroads meet."

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This slab of white marble, a bit faded after long years, is in the Bowen's Mill cemetery and on it are the names of John Poole, his wife Mary, and their soldier boy son David.
 

S. F. 

Page 179

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - December 17, 1959

 A burial ground, now unused, is what is known as the Lawton cemetery in the town of Forest. It is located just at the edge of Vernon county, across the highway from the Tunnelville school house on state highway 131 between Viola and La Farge. We doubt that another burial will ever be made in this hillside cemetery. The last burial, according to the markers, was made in 1936, when James W. Lawton was laid to rest. Another later day burial was in 1909. The hillside is quite steer and it must have been a task to make burials there.

 On the top of the hill close by, burials were made many, many years ago long before the coming of the white man to the Kickapoo Valley. In fact hundreds of years ago the Mound Builders, who preceeded the Indians, buried their dead and erected mounds here. When the Kickapoo railroad was being built between Viola and La Farge it was necessary to pierce a hill on the Lawton farm and build a tunnel through limestone rocks. On the hill was located a sacred burial ground. The mounds were dug into the mementos buried hundreds of years ago with the dead, were carried away and in some instances even bones were taken. This was back in 1896. These mounds are called "Indian" mounds though they were made by a race known as "Mound Builders" and their mounds are found in many places in Richland county, especially along the Wisconsin river in the towns of Orion, Eagle and Richwood.

 The farm, upon which the cemetery of which we write is on, is a pioneer farm now owned by Ray Lawton and his son Harold. The farm has been in the Lawton family since 1855, Isaac Lawton being the first owner. He and his wife Jennie, came to Richland county in 1855 from Waukesha county and took up their home in Forest township and here they spent the remainder of their lives and both were laid to rest in the little hillside cemetery on the farm.

 Isaac R. Lawton, a son, also came to Forest township in 1855. He was married in 1856 to Malissa Southworth. He served in the Civil War as did a number of his brothers. One of their sons, James W. Lawton, was born on the farm in August, 1860. He was raised upon the farm and attended the country school. In 1883 he married Sarah E. Saubert, who was born in Vernon county in 1864. Both are now at rest in the little cemetery. Mr. Lawton  died in 1936 and his wife preceeded him in death, having passed away in 1918, according to the marker.
 One of their sons was Ray, who was born in 1884 and became owner of this excellent farm. Ray is very much alive and now resides in Arizona, and the old homestead farm ownership is shared by his son Harold. Ray married Vesta Greenwood of Sauk county, the wedding taking place on June 15, 1906. She too is still among the living. Ray served as assemblyman from this county at one time, serving to the satisfaction of all.
 But what of the sacred spot on the hillside where members of the Lawton clan with others sleep away the years.

 One of the markers is for Watson S. Hickox, who died in 1872 at the age of 57. A flag waves here indicating that he was a Civil War veteran. On the same lot is a marker for his son, William, who also died in 1872. There is a marker for Lucy Buchanan, wife of Daniel Buchanan.

 Close by is buried an infant daughter of D. H. and L. Hanson, whose span of life was short as her birth and death are given as 1909. Another youngster to be buried here is Alfred G. Taylor who passed on July 11, 1865, at the age of one year, 10 months and three days. His parents were J. H. and E. Taylor. A little verse for him is carved upon the stone and reads:
   "Sleep on Alfred and take thy rest,
    God took thee home when He thought best." 

 Page 180

 Another marker is for Mary J. Green, who was born in 1824 and died in 1907. Another is for George W. Lawton who died in 1870 at the age of 30. He was a member of Co. H, 5th Wis. regiment in the Civil War. He gave Vernon county as his residence when he enlisted June 20, 1861.

 A marker for Isaac and Jennie Lawton catches the rays of an afternoon sun. She died in May, 1870, at the age of 69, and he passed on in August, 1869, at the age of 75. Upon the marker it says:

 There are a number of sunken spots in this burying ground indicating that a burial had been made there. Time and the elements have made some markers unreadable. One for instance is for a lady who died August 16, 1867. Her given name was Virginia but her maiden name could not be made out.

 On the marker for William Lawton, who died in 1870 at the age of one year, is this:

 Bradley P. Balcom and his wife Charlotte, have a marker. He was born, the stone says, in 1816 and died in 1900. His wife was born in 1817 and passed down the long road in 1905.

 On a monument, which stands in this cemetery, is this: "Lawton, veteran 1861-1865," and on the headstones one is marked "Mother" and the other "Father."
   _______________________
 
 Thus it is and thus it always will be. Hundreds of years have passed, since the day the Mound Builders laid their dead to rest upon the brow of the hill adjoining the cemetery. Then came the pioneers to this rich land and here too they died and some of them found rest upon the hillside.

 A flag, the Stars and Stripes, floats from a pole in the school yard across the highway, and boys and girls, bless their hearts, there learn their lessons. It was recess time and no doubt but that the youngsters, and the teacher also, were wondering what those strangers were doing up on the hillside.

   _______________________

 It was thought some weeks back that these articles had been finished but they seem to have not come to an end and will continue to be published whenever something of interest comes to our notice.

S. F.