Patterson Cemetery

Patterson was established by Dr. William M. Patterson, a country physician in the pioneer days, who is buried there with his wife and an infant, J.B.

Patterson's stone is inscribed:
I have fought a
good fight, I have
finished my course, I have
kept the faith

Mrs. Patterson's stone reads:
Rest My Dear Mary
We grieve and mourn
that you are not with us,
but our grief and
mourning will not comp
are in the least degree
with your kindness and
goodness as a wife and mother

The life of a country doctor was not an easy one. In 1902, Dr. Patterson wrote a letter to the Lincoln Republican, pleading that his patients not longer call him out during the night. At more than 70 years of age, he just wasn't able to make overnight calls anymore.

There are only a few stones in the cemetery besides those of the Patterson family, and those stones were all homemade. Worse, they are made of the native limestone post rock, which was excellent for fenceposts but not as desirable for retaining carving and lettering.

Luckily some records survive for the cemetery. According to those, there are two Horner children buried here, as well as the children of John Bunker, whose lot still has the limestone fence posts and wire around it (how many children are buried there and when they died is not recorded).

Also in the records are young man named Butterfield, son of Acton Butterfield. There may also be a Mr. Ritchie buried here, a woman named Werty, and children named Dickinson.

One of the Horner children's graves is referred to as having a "watermelon marker" because he died after eating at a watermelon feed.

I believe this is the marker and that the watermelon is that oblong object crudely carved into the top of the stone so many years ago.