Bilyeu Den Cemetery

This time of year my thoughts turn to cemeteries. Visiting the Bilyeu Den Cemetery in the rural community of Jordan, Oregon, are among my earliest memories. This is where many of my father's family are buried. The cemetery got it's name from the Bilyeu Family, who lived in the area. The cemetery was established in the 1857 and has changed a lot since my first memories, which was either a memorial day or the burial of my grandmother Ellen J. Weidman in 1951.

It has been over a year since my last visit and I printed out the roster from the Internet. 23 pages with a single column of data. Reading it brings back memories

There on page 1, between Lester R. Wood, a World War I Navy veteran, and Donald Wilber Fleming, are the names of my parents, Chester Lee and Lilia M. Grimes. I can picture their graves. nearby are my grandparents, Defsie and William Grimes and my step grandfather Clarence Barnett. Because he served in WWI, I have eligibility for membership in the Sons of the American Legion.

Laura Neal is here. She was my favorite substitute teacher at Mari-Linn School in Lyons. I think we had her for every grade. I enjoyed visiting their farm. Today a major portion of it is a county park.

Also there is Hazel Worth, my 7th grade teacher. We had history. She went to school with my dad. I grew up on stories of Hazel.

Near Hazel are my great-grandmother, Ellen Weidman and her mother, Elizabeth McCoy. there are also aunts, uncles and cousins of various degrees.

One memory I have of past visits was the number of young children buried there. Reviewing the roster confirmed that life was hard on infants and young children. the earliest burials seem to be the three young children of H & M.A. Bilyeu. All three died in 1857. James died June 17th at the age of 5 years, 1 month and 23 days. Then George H. died on December 26th, at the age of 3 years, 10 months and 13 days. Five days later Isabell died on December 31st, at the age of 2 months and 25 days.

Another family lost three children in October 1917. Were they victims of the Influenza Pandemic?

I have a new mystery. I remember doing some family research and finding a Farrier somewhere among my ancestors. Yesterday, on page 3 I found Ambrose and Marian Farrier, Pioneers of 1845. Now, where are those papers at?

It has been fun walking among those buried in the Bilyeu Den Cemetery. I sometimes wonder if someday I will be joining my family here.