Otter Creek Cemetery
Cowley County
Kansas

           Name                Born          Died         Ckomments 
THOMPSON, Dorothy Magdelena                  12 Oct 1901  w/o Lars (81 y, 16 d)
THOMPSON, Lars                 15 Aug 1815   06 Jun 1909
ROCKWELL                       13 Jun 1906   16 Jun 1906  Inf. d/o O.A. & C.M.

The following is a story which appeared in the Sedan Times—Star, Sedan, Kansas,
newspaper in May 1981. We have their permission to share with you.

“OLD—NEW CEMETERY RESTORED”

The Cedar Vale area and a portion of Cowley County became a little richer in 
history due to the effort of a resident of the Otter Creek vicinity, Bonnie Henery. 
She, along with her husband, L. M. (Dutch) Henery, Earl and Effie Foster, and 
Melvin Johnson have been restoring an old cemetery which Bonnie discovered.

The Henerys purchased what is known as the Gammon place, northwest of Cedar Vale, 
in Otter Creek Township in 1974. One of Bonnie’s interests is historical research
of old cemeteries. She found the cemetery’s headstones and began cleaning the site
by herself. 

Later, she inquired of Effie Foster about the little cemetery. Effie said she knew
very little pertaining to it. The women went to the Winfield courthouse and were
informed by the Cowley County Clerk that no records could be found concerning the
site. Bonnie, a member of the township board contacted the other two members,
Albert Jarboe and Dale Hobart, to ask if they knew of any records. None were
available. Information obtained from various sources by Bonnie and Effie, disclosed
that the Lars Thompson family homesteaded in the Otter Creek area in the 1880’s. In
later years, they deeded one acre of land for a cemetery. It is on the farm where 
the Melvin Johnson family resides now. According to the headstones, Mrs. Dorothy 
Magdelena Thompson was buried in 1901 and in 1906, a three day old baby girl was 
buried. Lars Thompson’s burial date was 1909. The baby’s parents were O.D. and 
Clara Custer Rockwell who lived in the Otter Creek vicinity. 

Mrs. Nellie Mills of Cedar Vale was a cousin of Mrs. Rockwell. The late Cecil, 
Clarence and Frank Custer of Hoosier were brothers. The original Rockwell farm has 
had several owners through the years including the Vincient, Overman, Pajares and 
now Melvin Johnson families.

According to the June 19, 1909 Cedar Vale Commercial, Thompson’s obituary stated,
He was born in Norway in 1805 and emigrated with his family to America in 1857. 
They settled in Illinois where they lived for 16 years and moved to Kansas in 1872. 
He was one of the early settlers of eastern Cowley County. His survivors included 
two sons, F. L. Thompson and S. N. Thompson and one daughter, Mrs. Rush J. Steward. 
(Evelyn Aley Scott of Cedar Vale is a great—granddaughter). 

His sons were with him when he died His daughter who lives in New Mexico, did not 
arrive until too late. He was sick one short week. Services were conducted by Edgar 
Shaver and internment was in the cemetery near Otter Creek School, near which he 
had lived for 37 years.”

HE HATH DONE WHAT HE COULD is engraved on his headstone and ends the article in the 
Commercial.

In the June 22, 1906 Commercial, F. M. Hubbard reported in the Hoosier news items 
that “Mr. and Mrs. Rockwell lost their infant child, Saturday, (June 16) Mrs. 
Rockwell was very low for some days but is reported better now.” No obituary 
concerning the baby was published.

The Oct. 18, 1901 Commercial reported the death of Mrs. Thompson. It stated, “She 
was Norwegian by birth and nationality. She died on Saturday, Oct. 12 at the ripe 
old age of 81 years. She came to the country years ago and with her husband, had 
made a neat little—up on Otter Creek. 

She was born Sept. 26, 1820 and married Lars Thompson in June of 1847. They moved 
to Illinois in 1855 and to Kansas in 1872.” Her funeral was held on Saturday, Oct. 
13.

Many years elapsed during which no care was given to the cemetery. It was overgrown 
with trees, brush and weeds, when Bonnie began the project. Fencing materials were 
purchased and Henery, Johnson and Foster erected the new fence. A Mack Oil and Gas 
Company bulldozer pushed out the trees, brush, rocks, etc. Additional maintenance 
has been done by Bonnie. A length of sheet metal was donated by Waldorf Sheet Metal 
of Arkansas City for an appropriate “Otter Creek Cemetery” sign. Painting of the 
sign was done by Linda Mauzey of Cedar Vale. Other donations for the project came 
from Mrs. Nellie Mills.

Those who helped restore the site hope that the cemetery will serve as a landmark 
for anyone who travels the Otter Creek vicinity roads, according to Bonnie Henery. 
She also gave a big thanks to all who helped restore the Otter Creek Cemetery and 
the three graves it contains.

Donated by Cheryl Vorigtlander, Arkansas City, KS.