Marion Co TOC

       In 1948 the Corp of Engineers began the process of building Bull Shoals Reservoir. "The first step in the process involved the location of all known cemeteries and grave sites in the area to be covered by Bull Shoals Lake. Since there were so many graves to be moved (559 from Milum Cemetery alone) and since the existing cemeteries and grave sites were widely scattered over four counties in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, the removal was divided into separate projects to be carried out by contractors selected through competitive bidding. Each of these projects or contracts was designated by the name of one of the new cemetery sites: New Milum, New Peel, New Wildcat, New Friend, New Kissee Mills, New Riddle, New Oakland, New Turnbo, New Cedar Creek. Typically, a new site would receive remains from at least one large existing cemetery, as well as several smaller family burial plots and, in some cases, individual grave sites. ... "By the time the dam was completed and the reservoir began to fill, more than three thousand human remains had been moved from old burial grounds in the White River Valley to new cemetery sites acquired by the Corps of Engineers.
       Before the relocation began grave sites and cemeteries were located, surveyed and a map was made showing the location of the cemetery and each grave site within the cemetery. Each grave site was numbered on the map and the name of the individual was recorded from existing tombstones or markers. If no identifying marker was found the grave was listed as "Uknown." What wasn't recorded on the survey map, but was recorded when a grave was opened was a listing (Grave Contents Report) of all items found with the remains: "rings are the most frequently listed item, sometimes specifically identified as a "gold wedding band" or "signet ring." Other possessions included such things as combs, Masonic emblems, eye glasses, "a watch & fob," "85 cents in money," "a .44 cal. cartridge," "green beads," "a spear head," and a badge bearing the words "American Detective Association.'' Certainly the most pathetic of all the items recorded are the china dolls and other toys found in the graves of children.
       Once the cemetery was mapped the removal of the remains began. Either the remains were re-interned in an existing cemetery or a new cemetery was built. In either event a map was made as the remains were re-interned. The location of the new grave site was recorded and cross-referenced back to the cemetery the remains was being relocated from. As much as possible the relationship of graves was maintained in the new location. If the original grave site had a tombstone it was moved along with the remains. If there wasn't those graves were identified by a wooden marker bearing only the word "unknown"". (OzarksWatch Vol. IX, No 3, 1996)

Not all of the Marion County cemeteries and/or graves were relocated within Marion Co. If the closest existing cemetery was located in an adjoining county the remains were moved to that cemetery or a new cemetery was built in the closest most accessible area even if that area was in an adjoining county - for example the remains found in Oakland Cemetery in Marion Co were moved to a newly built Oakland Cemetery in Baxter County.

A final note - Many of the relocated original cemeteries were small family cemeteries - i.e. Glover, Long, Hawkins, etc. but do not assume that your ancestor will be found only in a family cemetery bearing his/her surname. For example there are no Parkers in the Parker Cemetery, but there are several McCrackens. Use the search engine on the Home page to locate a surname of interest.