Hackberry Cemetery maintainance

Dear Editor:

Hackberry Cemetery is a small country cemetery located southwest of Nevada, one-fourth mile south of Highway KK on 850 Road. Many older people in the area will remember attending Hackberry School adjacent to the cemetery. The school building burned many years ago, but the cemetery is still being cared for.

Ancestors of many local residents are buried in this peaceful final resting place. Most of the surnames on the graves are Chezem, Tylar, Weber, Wolf and Zilliox. The earliest dates on the gravestones are 1867, with 33 dating before 1900. The last interment was for Gene Zilliox in 2014.

The Zilliox family has cared for Hackberry Cemetery for more than 60 years. Joe Zilliox and his brother Otto mowed with hand scythes in the 1950s. Joe lived one-half mile up the road, and tended the cemetery until his death in 1969. Gene moved onto the farm and continued maintenance until 2010 when age and health issues made it impossible to continue. Denny and Carol Chadd took over at that point and established a board of directors and a non --profit to invest donations to pay for future maintenance when they are no longer able to donate their labor to care for the cemetery. They mowed 11 times in 2015, as well as cutting tree limbs off the fence and repairing the fence damage.

There has recently been some vandalism causing damage to some stones. This act of disrespect resulted in more expense and effort to repair the damage.

Donations for upkeep are appreciated and may be sent to:

Hackberry Cemetery Association

Care of Carol Chadd

18811 S. 2800 Road

El Dorado Springs, Mo. 64744

All monies received will be deposited in the account at First National Bank in Nevada. A receipt will be sent on request.

Thank You

Carol Zilliox Chadd

El Dorado Springs