FAIRVIEW CEMETERY
The Fairview Methodist Church was built in 1869. The next year a cemetery was established adjoining the church property on the east. The deed read in part: "J. [John] F. Swain... in consideration of One Dollars, in hand paid, do hereby grant unto W.W. Chapman, Wm. H. Burt, John H. Miller, Alois Gramlich and Pembroke Ayer (Trustees of Fairview Cemetery Association) the following described Real Estate: Commencing at the Corner Stone in Highway at the N.W. Corner of N.E. 1/4 of Section Fifteen (15) Townsip Thirtten (13) Range twelve (12) running south twenty rods thence East twenty four rods, thence north twenty rods to center of highway thence west to place of beginning containing three (3) acres more or less." The deed was signed on 17 Mar 1870 and recorded on 7 Jan 1871 in book "H", page 223.
The following report is from a Louisville (NE) newspaper dated 3 Mar 1894:
"Several years ago a little girl died near Springfield, Sarpy County and her
parents erected a large monument over her grave; the like of which, perhaps, was never
before seen in a cemetery. It is the statue of a large dog. During life the child had a
a companion a large Shepherd dog, and the two were almost always together, but death came one day to claim the little
maid. The faithful dog followed the bier to the cemetery, but when the mourners returned to their homes the dog
remained at the grave and could not be induced to leave it; he refused to eat and in a few days died on the grave
of his little mistress. This is why the singular monument was erected. -- Eagle [NE] Eaglet". This statue is located
in the Vradenburg lot (Lot 74).
Another first for the Fairview Cemetery was reported in the 19 June 1913 edition of the Papillion Times:
"The first automobile funeral ever held in Sarpy County was conducted by George Brewer, of South Omaha, Tuesday
afternoon when the hearse and every conveyance in the funeral procession of Bert Grinnell (Lot 90), of La Platte, was
an automobile. The auto hearse has come to stay and is in much demand in cities where the roads are always good, while the touring
car as a conveyance for the friends and mourners is so much more comfortable than the horses and carriage
that in the near future, whenever the roads will permit, funerals will be conducted along those lines.
The cemetery is owned by the Fairview Cemetery Association and is located at 90th and Fairview Road, about 3- 1/2 miles southwest of Papillion. The cemetery is no longer connected with the Methodist Church. The Fairview Methodist Church was replaced by a Methodist Church in Richfield and the original building was moved to a nearby farm and used as a shed.
Gary Iske, Sarpy County Genealogical Society, 1995.
Contact person:
Gene Stoltenberg
669-8323
592-7213
