Knox County, Nebraska
A Free Service of the Nebraska GenWeb Project
http://negenweb.us/knox/



Links:
Home
Surnames
Queries
Marriage Index
Obituaries
Cemeteries
Resources & Lookups
1890 Gazetteer
1912 Compendium
1920 Atlas
Andrea's History
Civil War Vets.
Communities
Current Towns & Org.
Family Collections
Gen. & Hist. Soc's.
Ghost Towns +
Historical Sketch
Probate Index
Registered Person List
War Casualties
World War 1 Inductees

Email & Site Design:
Jacquelyn Romberg
Thomas Risinger

Rose Hill Cemetery History
Knox County, Nebraska


Contributed by Judy Carlson, 2000


The year 1881 brought about many changes for the budding community of Creighton. The first train came into town on June 3. This was the first of events that led to the demise of the Village of Bazile Mills.

In the fall of 1880 the Catholic families decided to build a church in Bazile Mills. The foundation was started, but winter set in and problems with the deed halted work on the church. The railroad was built to Creighton and in the fall of 1882 the Catholic Church was started in Creighton and completed in 1883. It was named St. Ludgerus.

Before the completion of the church, there was already a need for a cemetery for the Catholic families. Mrs. R. Y. Bruce (one of the original Bruce Colony) platted and gave to the St. Ludgerus Catholic Church the Rose Hill Cemetery. There are about 60 burials in this small cemetery and at least one-half of them date prior to 1900. As usual, the majority are young women and children.

November 16, 1886 a raging blizzard hit Knox County. Little Willie Bonge, the seven year old son of Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Bonge, was lost in this blizzard. He froze to death on the way home from the post office where he had stopped to get the mail after school. His body wasn’t found until December when the snow began to melt. A farmer, picking corn, was attracted to the shiny dinner pail that was grasped in the frozen fingers. Willie is one of the burials in the Rose Hill Cemetery.

Over the years Rose Hill has been forgotten. Many of the stones have deteriorated and are extremely fragile. Some years ago some area youth vandalized the cemetery. Many of the stones lay like fallen soldiers on a battlefield, never to rise again.

Last summer, inspired by the restoration of the Olcott Cemetery west of Creighton, a group of volunteers from Creighton tackled the job of reviving the stones in the Rose Hill Cemetery. Surrounded by cedar trees on three sides, and overlooking the Bazile Creek on the other side, this cemetery excels in serenity.

Many of you have visited the Greenwood Cemetery and St. Ludgers Cemetery on the north edge of Creighton. How many of you knew that across the road to the east, completely hidden by the cedar trees, is the Rose Hill Cemetery? Next time you are over that way, take a peek.

P.S. Greenwood Cemetery began with the first burial in 1872 of a child of Mr. Cheatham. This was shortly after the Bruce Colony arrived here in 1871. When space began to be a problem in Rose Hill, St. Ludgers added a cemetery onto the north side of the Greenwood Cemetery.