Memorial Service at Old Prairieville Cemetery.
2 pm Sunday, May 20th.
The cemetery is located on Hwy 60 2.5 miles east of Faribault, MN
The story of an abandoned pioneer cemetery
For years the East “Old” Prairieville Cemetery lay beneath a woods and weeds and briars, largely unknown to anyone except a few local residents. The graves of two Civil War Veterans and a War of 1812 Veteran lay buried along with the graves of early pioneers and settlers of East Prairieville, located just East of Faribault, Minnesota in Rice County.
Sometime in the early 1900’s, the cemetery was abandoned and had lain largely untouched since. Efforts in the l980’s and l990’s by John and Jan Dalby, Ole Stark, Helen Stearns, and Dallas Drake to bring this cause to the attention of officials, went largely unnoticed.
Coincidentally, in 2007, Timothy Lloyd, searching for the grave of his great great great grand parents, discovered Old Prairieville Cemetery, abandoned and nearly impenetrable. Tim’s search for the cemetery and the grave of his ancestor set off a series of actions that have led to the restoration of the cemetery which is still “in process”. With the passage of Minnesota Statute 306.243 MAINTAINING ABANDONED CEMETERIES and increasing pressure from local citizens, county officials agreed to help. Their cutting down of the woods and surveying the cemetery paved the way for restoration to begin.
Five summers of work with specially designed equipment uncovered the gravestones of some 55 Prairieville residents. Most of the gravestones are in good condition, quite legible, and some quite beautiful. Grass is now growing and gravestones protrude from beds of old day lilies that bloom profusely. Eleven large monuments, buried deeply, and perhaps intentionally, have been raised by a professional stone setter and stand now overlooking the Prairie---the view looking much as it must have one hundred fifty years ago when the cemetery was organized.(see photos at end of website)
The “Friends of Old Prairieville Cemetery” has made an effort to restore the cemetery in a way keeping with its Pioneer origins. Beautiful stands of Day Lilies, Vinca, etc. have been maintained while new grass grows around them. Native trees will be planted and a fence will be erected to maintain the cemetery’s borders.
Margaret Kelly is researching the families buried in Old Prairieville and will be glad to share her findings. Questions or information about the cemetery should be directed to the Lloyd’s and Ms Kelly at stp@oldprairievillecem.org or at Friends of Old Prairieville Cemetery, Box 450, Northfield, Mn. 55057
