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Antioch Pioneer Cemetery, Est. 1872Researched by: Tim Dormady © 2007 Pat Fox, a local historian, has graciously allowed us to add her "Historic Antioch Pioneer Cemetery" document to our website. In the early 1850's, a site in Johnson County, KS. at a location which is now 75th St. and Antioch Rd. was selected for a church and cemetery by a group associated with the Quaker Indian Mission in what is now Merriam, KS. Over the years as the Indian Mission diminished so did the church members. One of the families involved with the early church was Mr. & Mrs. Elijah C. Chase who farmed a tract just North of the cemetery. Mr. Chase, a descendant of the founder of Cornell University, taught agriculture at the Quaker Indian Mission. He is said to have been the man who introduced sweet potatoes to America. Other members were early settlers of the Overland Park, KS area. Burials began in 1870. In the early 1870's, the membership reorganized itself as the Antioch Presbyterian Church and in 1873, a frame church building was erected. Rough sawn lumber was used to form 24 foot rafters, forming a steep pitched roof. It is believed that the windows and pews were shipped up the Missouri river from St. Louis, MO. The church fell on sad days by 1900, it was abandoned. In 1910, a group of old members with the support of some new families, formed a community Sunday school which met each Sunday. By 1925, the attendance was down so far that the Sunday school was discontinued and the aging and deteriorating church was locked. At that time, the cemetery which had approximately 100 graves was a wilderness of trees, brush and weeds. Many headstones had been toppled and some were damaged. In 1925 interested lot owners chartered the nonprofit Antioch Cemetery Association, Inc.. The first board of directors set about clearing and cleaning the cemetery to make it a respectable burial ground. The cemetery was platted and stone pillars at the entrance-way were constructed and a fence installed. In 1936, the year I was born, a member donated a small tract adjacent on the North of the cemetery making the grounds measure 210 feet by 526 feet. This original cemetery board marked all the lots platted at that time with numbered concrete markers. In 1939, the Presbyterian Synod relinquished all rights to the cemetery and old church building and the association decided to raze the church building and contract with a member of the association board of directors to build a scaled down version of the old church using materials left from the razing. The resulting chapel contains one of the old gas chandeliers, the pews, pulpit, one of the wood stoves and cut-down windows and the original vestibule double doors. The chimney was constructed using stone recovered from the belfry of the old church. Throughout the years since the1925 incorporation, there have been a steady stream of dedicated volunteers active in the preservation and maintenance of the cemetery. There are usually a dozen burials per year and we continue to sell lots. There are 1200 platted lots in the cemetery. There have been approximately 750 burials. At this time, there are approximately 95 lots unsold. It is our hope to have the cemetery registered with the State of Kansas as a historical place, however our first application was denied. My first recollection of the cemetery is from the 1940's. Our family had a tradition of visiting the cemetery yearly to decorate the graves of my paternal grandparents, an aunt and uncle, cousin and my brother who died at the age of two days many years before I was born. My involvement as a child consisted of picking up unused flower containers and expended flower memorials, fallen branches and other trash every year while the adults paid their respects. I was asked to take the office of secretary-treasurer of the association in 1962, a position I held for 30 years. My place of employment was very near the cemetery and my employer allowed me to go there at a moment's notice. When one of our very active board members decided to retire to Florida, he trained me to sell and mark graves for opening, a task I still perform along with the help of trained volunteers . Later, I served as President of the cemetery association for several years then resumed the office of Sec.-Treas. two years ago. I have seen
the completion of many new projects at the cemetery plus Over the years, there have always been people who work at cleanup and trash removal when they visit the cemetery. We have had groups from colleges, churches, Boy Scouts and community clubs perform various tasks as a community service project. These acts of kindness are always welcome. Our cemetery has a wonderful core group of volunteers and an active board of directors. Since the early days of my involvement, my father, one of my sisters, a niece, two nephews and a brother-in-law have been buried there and it will be the final resting place of myself and my husband and several other family members. My paternal grandparents and a brother were buried there in the 1920s and 1930s. The cemetery occupies ground at the Northwest corner of Antioch Rd. and 75 St. in Merriam, KS, one of the busiest intersections in the area. It is a quiet, beautifully maintained place surrounded by a large hospital and doctors buildings and other commercial businesses and housing. Many notable pioneers in the development of the area are buried there. I will remain active as long as I am able and my prayer is that others will carry on the work of the cemetery association for years to come. Citations Lewis, Linda. "Antioch Pioneer Cemetery."
www.interment.net. 12 November 2005. 6 Feb 2007 Related Links Johnson
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In 1850
a group of pioneers founded the church and cemetery at the Antioch Pioneer
Cemetery site. The graves were marked with just rocks and wooden stakes. In 1873
the church's name was changed to the Antioch Presbyterian Church, which was
destroyed and rebuilt. By 1925 the church and the cemetery were closed. In 1930
the Antioch Cemetery Association formed, the members destroyed the church and
rebuilt it. Fences, stone pillars, and a cornerstone were added to the church.
In 1939 the Presbyterian Synod was razed and had to use salvageable materials to
rebuild everything. The Antioch Pioneer Cemetery is located at 7500 Antioch Road
across from the Shawnee Mission Medical Center.
