History of the Roberts-IOOF Cemetery

A group of people met in a little schoolhouse on South Main Street in Blackwell to organize the Blackwell Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Lodge. Twenty-six acres of land were purchased from George Carson for an Odd Fellows cemetery south of town. The ground was plotted and lots were sold in 1894.

On July 1, 1894, Lot 8, Block 290 was sold to Walter Butterfield, whose wife was buried on that date. According to lodge records, it was the first burial in the cemetery.

Green Lawn Abbey mausoleum was constructed in 1926 by private individuals, now deceased, and the line of ownership is in question. The IOOF lodge had no connection with the mausoleum but maintained the grounds and voluntarily assumed responsibility of helping with interments within the structure and paid insurance premiums from a trust fund established by the original builders.

On May 1, 1939, the lodge donated by deed 117 feet by 114 feet of cemetery land in the northwest corner to American Legion Post 7 for a memorial. The Legion has purchased burial plots for veterans on an as-needed basis since according to its rules.

On June 6, 1950, an additional 13 acres to the south were purchased to expand the cemetery, according to Rodebaugh and the records.

On January 1, 1996, after 102 years of ownership by the Blackwell IOOF Lodge, the local cemetery south of the city changed ownership to the Blackwell Cemetery Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation formed by James W. and Betty Roberts and family. The cemetery is now known as Roberts-IOOF Cemetery.

Along with traditional monuments, the cemetery contains a Memorial Park, with graves designated by flat stones, and three Baby Land areas.

Source of information: Blackwell Journal Tribune, from article published Jan. 14, 1996