Cowles Hill Cemetery, located in Wyoming Precinct, Otoe County, Nebraska, consists of 5.09 acres northeast of the corner of D Road and North 55 Road.

 

     The Cemetery Association was organized August 5, 1870 at a meeting held in the Giles School house, located 1 mile north and 1/2 mile east of the Cemetery. Among the oldest settlers were Uncle Charles and Aunt Mary Cowles as they were familiarly known. they owned 320 acers of fine farmland and when the people desired to locate a cemetery, they sold a plot of land to the Cemetery Association. Two of the Cowles children had previously been buried on this plot of land.

 

    The Cemetery organization, with J. H. Gregg as a chairman and A. T. McCartney as the clerk, purchased 3 acres of ground from Charles and Mary Cowles for the sum of $50.00 on 23 of November 1872.

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     In 1878, Charles and Mary Cowles sold 2 acres of land just North of the cemetery to the Board of Trustees of the Wyoming M. E. Church for the purpose of building a church. In 1888 the Cemetery Association minutes showed the following resolution was presented and adopted:

           

                      Whereas a mistake was made in drawing the paper conveying the lot containing 2 acres to the board of                                  trustees of the Wyoming M. E. Church. And

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                     Whereas Said mistake leaves a space of one rod Between said church lot of the north side of the Cemetery                          ground.

                    

                     Therefore be it resolved that the trustees of said cemetery ground be instructed and empowered to negotiate                         for the purpose of purchasing said tract of land as an addition to the cemetery to be used as the association                           may designate. 

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     It wasn't until 1931 a strip of land 1 rod (16 1/2 feet) by 22 rods was purchased by the cemetery Association for the amount of 1 dollar and other considerations.

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     For a number of years, the cemetery was taken care of by the people of the community but as this was rather difficult to do, many were too far distant to maintain their lots, the Cemetery Association decided in 1929 to have a perpetual fund for the purpose of caring for and beatifying the cemetery. A total of $5210.16 was collected to start this fund. This shows the commitment of the people of this community as money was very tight at this time.

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     At the entrance of the cemetery stands a boulder, 7 feet high and weighing 10 tons, as a monument to the pioneers of the cemetery. This was placed here in 1938 due to the encouragement of Mary Luella James, and the efforts of Ed Gregg and Vantine James. The boulder was dug up at the Frank Marnell farm and then hauled to the cemetery and set by the Whipple Brothers, Loudore and William, Ed Gregg, Ed Sharp, Crate West, and Olney Easter. Loudore Whipple, working for the County at this time with the County permission, used a county truck to move and set the stone.  On the bronze plaque, made by Ed Gregg, are inscribed these words:

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                                       "In Memory of the Pioneers of this Community"

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A list of the early pioneers of the community are placed in a strongbox under the monument.

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     On Saturday  September 19, 1953 vandals invaded the cemetery and wrecked dozens of grave markers. Many of the stones were broken and others were flipped from foundations.  Saturday afternoon the cemetery was mowed and 

Sunday morning the vandalism was discovered. County officers question Nebraska City youth in an effort to find a clue of the crime. Many of the Markers have been pushed over and broken. Some never to be replaced because the families are gone.  

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     At the head of one child's grave sat a marker topped by a dove.  The vandals broke the marker in several pieces and cracked the head off the dove. Other markers were virtually battered to pieces. Officers said the invader pulled up GAR markers and beat the stones with the metal pieces. A reward of $100 was offered for information leading to an arrest. The vandals were never identified.

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     In 1961 the Cemetery Association purchased the 2 acres owned by the Wyoming M. E. Church, increasing the Cemetery to the present size of  5.09 acres.  They also acquired the Church building.    

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     In 1980 due to liability issues, the Cemetery Association incorporated itself. So, on September 30th, 1980, the Cowles Hill Cemetery Association became Cowles Hill Cemetery Association Inc.

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     This well-cared Cemetery if a tribute to our founding fathers.

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