Bureau County’s Hunter Cemetery to be rededicated during June 24 celebration

The Hunter Cemetery Association will hold an anniversary celebration to rededicate the Hunter Cemetery from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at 1725 East St., just south of Tiskilwa.

The long-abandoned pioneer cemetery has been restored to an approximation of its appearance from a century ago.

The cemetery began in 1848 with the first burial of George Albee, brother of Asahel Albee who donated the land for the cemetery. Others who have family members buried at Hunter include Barber, Barto, Burnside, DeMaranville, Edminster, Grange and Hunter and several others.

When the site was rediscovered in 2000, it was a tangled, unrecognized jungle aside from few markers poking through. Through the resurrection process, it has been transformed to a smooth and clean site with mostly legible headstones and a white picket fence.

The cemetery now features a permanent covered kiosk with pictures and information about the people who were buried there.

Family members from those pioneers resting in the cemetery have come from all over the country, including California and Pennsylvania, for biennial weekend “work parties” to clear brush, cut down trees, correct toppled headstones, repair broken markers and more.

The cemetery is located on private land, surrounded by cornfields. Visitors are asked to be respectful and to only drive and park in designated areas.

For information, text Mikki Judge at 563-468-9880 or Rick Barto at 309-525-0899 or email jjudge2127@aol.com.