cemeteries
Wapello County has more than 70 separate cemeteries and burial sites , dating back to the county ’ s earliest settlers . The largest is the Ottumwa Cemetery , which includes a veterans ’ section and one grave that belongs to a veteran of the Revolutionary War .
Ottumwa also includes the county ’ s only Jewish cemetery and the Mt . Olivet cemetery , which includes the remains of the nuns who once lived and worked at the Ottumwa Heights chapterhouse . The Mt . Olivet cemetery is now on the grounds of Indian Hills Community College .
Many of the sites are pioneer cemeteries . And not all have been cared for in the history & heritage
way one would hope . One cemetery west of Ottumwa now includes only one marked grave , which belonged to the oldest known veteran to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War . Other burials are known to have taken place at the cemetery , but are now lost amid undergrowth and a nearby corn field .
Here is a list of cemeteries that can be found in Wapello County :
Abegg Cemetery , Agency Cemetery , Anderson Hill Cemetery , Ashland Cemetery , Bladensburg Cemetery , Blakesburg Cemetery , Bowen Cemetery , Brooks Cemetery , Brumsey Cemetery , Burns Cemetery , Calvary Cemetery , Chief Wapello Cemetery , Chillicothe Cemetery , Chisman Cemetery , Columbia Cemetery , Competine Cemetery , Comstock Cemetery , Cooper Cemetery , County Farm Cemetery , County Farm Number One Cemetery , Daggett Grave , Dahlonega Cemetery , Denton Cemetery , Deuser Cemetery , Dexter Baby
museums
Iowa Heartland History Connection 700 Farm Credit Drive Ottumwa , Iowa 52501 641-682-8676 www . iaheartland . org
Grave , Dickens Cemetery , Eldon Cemetery , Ellsworth Cemetery , Folgman Cemetery , Forrest Cemetery , Funk Cemetery , Garrison Rock Cemetery , Griffith Cemetery , Hackney Grave , Harris Cemetery , Hebrew Jewish Cemetery , Hook Cemetery , Hopewell Cemetery , Kingsley Cemetery , Kitterman Cemetery , Little Chisman Cemetery , Mars Hill Cemetery , Martinsburg Cemetery , McCormick Cemetery , McIntire Cemetery , Memorial Lawn Cemetery , Mount Olivet Cemetery , Mount Zion Cemetery , Munterville Cemetery , Myrick Cemetery , Nasby Corner Cemetery , Ormanville Cemetery , Ottumwa Cemetery , Pleasant Ridge Cemetery , Point Isabel Cemetery , Railback Cemetery , Ralston Cemetery , Round Point Cemetery , Schrom Cemetery , Sedore Cemetery , Shaul Cemetery , Sioc Cemetery , Smith Cemetery , Sterner Cemetery , Stump Cemetery , Thompson Grave , Thorpe Cemetery , Towler Cemetery , Wellman Cemetery , Westview Cemetery , Wilcox Cemetery , Wilkenson Grave , Williams Cemetery , Zion Cemetery .
Wapello County Historical Museum
Originally the Wapello County Historical Society , which was organized Oct . 14 , 1959 , and the Wapello County Historical Museum , transitioned to its new location and also went through a rebranding effort by changing its name to Iowa Heartland History Connection in 2021 , and included new signage . Its mission is to identify , collect and preserve artifacts , images and documents from Wapello County ’ s history in order to enrich public knowledge of the county ’ s history through educational programs and exhibits . Wapello County ’ s extensive railroad history , the history of John Deere and a new exhibit of John Morrell and Company ’ s contribution to Ottumwa are featured at the museum . Hours : 9 a . m . -4 p . m . Monday-Friday .
Other area museums :
Railroad Clubhouse 210 W . Main St . Ottumwa , Iowa 52501
American Gothic House Center 300 American Gothic Street Eldon , Iowa 52554 641-652-3352 americangothichouse . org theamericangothichouse @ gmail . com
Friends of the NAS Ottumwa Building # 36 14550 Terminal Ave . Ottumwa , Iowa 52501 www . nasottumwa . org NASOttumwa @ gmail . com
The Airpower Museum 22001 Bluegrass Road Ottumwa , Iowa 52501 641-938-2773 www . antiqueairfield . com antiqueairfield @ sirisonline . com
Blakesburg Community Museum 205 N . Main P . O . Box 183 Blakesburg , Iowa 52536 641-777-5092
Eddyville Historical Museum 705 Main St . PO Box 291 Eddyville , Iowa 52553 641-969-4208 www . eddyvillemuseum . com eddyvillemuseum @ gmail . com
Rock Island Train Depot 405 KD Ave . Eldon , Iowa 52554 ( 641 ) 799-1508 www . eldondepotmuseum . org
Chief Wapello Memorial Park 6899 Chief Wapello Road Agency , Iowa 52530 641-937-5749
Mars Hill Church 1011 100th Ave . Bloomfield , Iowa 52537 ( 641 ) 654-8113
Mars Hill Church
This historic church was built by settlers in the 1850s and is the oldest log church west of the Mississippi River “ still in use .” Local tradition claims the church was utilized as a hiding space on the Underground Railroad . An annual potluck dinner is held at 1 p . m . the second Sunday in June with a 2 p . m . service following to maintain this distinction . Mars Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The church was hit by an act of arson in 2007 , but many of the original logs and structures were saved and the church was rebuilt . A cemetery is located on the grounds as well .
The Source . 2022 19