The Burr cemetery, so named because it is on the former Burr Farm, is located
400 feet from West Lake Road on an abandoned course of a private drive
that runs to several camps on Cazenovia Lake (formerly Morse). The
cemetery is situated behind a barn (built about 1900) on a small knoll
that rises up from the generally level ground in the area. In 1898
this cemetery was surrounded by a wheat field, but today it is located
in a stand of second growth hard woods. The land just to the north
edge of the cemetery was cut away to build the barn but the cemetery was
not disturbed. The cemetery is of an irregular shape, following the
limits of the flat top of the knoll, and the burials are made in rows that
are from ten to fifteen feet in width, and with graves that (excepting
the Andrus graves) are a wider- than-usual five feet apart. The head
of the graves are to the west, with the headstones facing west.
No sunken areas indicating graves were seen and all but four of the 26 graves are marked with marble tombstones with names. Three field stone markers are on the west side and others may be under a large fallen tree immediately adjacent, and another may be a childs grave on the grave of Mary Taylor. Three stones from the list made by Mrs. Emory in 1898 are missing: Simeon Marshall, Lucy Dryer, and Gertrude Gillette. Marshall's grave stone was still at the cemetery about ten years ago, but ha obviously been removed. The site of his grave is still seen as it is marked by the foot stone "S.M." next to his wife Sarah's grave (she has her own "S.M." foot stone). Betty Marshall believes that other stones have also been removed.
I spoke with Charity Morse, whose family formerly owned the property and she told me that a tombstone from this cemetery forms (or at one time formed) the hearth (face down) of the camp or small house that her grandfather built. The house is currently owned by Hiram Samuels and I have not yet followed up on this.
I have done no research to find the previous owners of this property. Previous lists of this cemetery include one made in 1898 by Mrs. Thomas Emory, a terrible list made about 1940 by William Tuttle, a list made in 1951 by Clezzie Gallup, and one made in 1972 by Roberta Hendrix.
Three stones from the list made by Mrs. Emory in 1898 are missing: Simeon Marshall, Lucy Dryer, and Gertrude Gillette. Marshall's grave stone was still at the cemetery in the 1980s, but has obviously been removed and is probably the one now used as a heart in the nearby camp. The site of his grave is still seen as it is marked by the foot stone "S.M." next to his wife Sarah's grave (she has her own "S.M." foot stone). Betty Marshall believes that other stones have also been removed.
The dates of William Andrus and his wives may seem odd, but they are confirmed by church records.
Andrus, (maiden name), see Evelina Andrus Donaldson.
Andrus, Lucretia, wife (1) of William G. Andrus, died March
21, 1842, age 43 years.
Andrus, Rosetta, widow (2) of William Andrus, died October 28,
1854, age 90 years.
Andrus, William, died February 4, 1835, age 77 years 8 months.
Colgrove, Amy, Miss, died July 6, 1824, age 37 years 2 months.
Corwin, Phineas, Deacon, died July 11, 1831, age 77 years.
Corwin, Pheobe, wife of Deacon Phineas Corwin, died September
14, 1838, age 90 years.
Donaldson, Evelina Andrus, wife of Alexander Donaldson Jr.,
born August 12, 1806, died October 1, 1850, age 44 years.
Dryer, Eveline, daughter of Wheeler and Lucy Dryer, died May
14, 1828, age 15 years.
Dryer, Lucy, wife of Wheeler Dryer, died March 22, 1830, age
46 years, (stone not found in 1994).
Gillett, Gertrude, daughter of D.M. and N.M. Gillett, died March
3, 1848, age 2 years 9 months 14 days, (stone not found in 1994).
Marshall, Ahira, died September 28, 1842, age 52 years 1 month
24 days.
Marshall, Ahira Jr., died May 27, 1854, age 17 years 6 months
21 days.
Marshall, Mary F., died January 11, 1845, age 21 years 4 months
12 days.
Marshall, Sarah, wife of Simeon Marshall, died April 9, 1850,
age 83 years.
Marshall, Simeon, died December 14, 1824, age 58 years, (stone
not found in 1994).
Marshall, Susannah, died January 5, 1822, age 90 years, (stone
broken into several pieces).
Neely, John, died January 2, 1848, age 43 years 2 months 21
days.
Smith, William, died November 17, 1851, age 51 years.
Taylor, Ambros A., died January 19, 1832, age 21 years 6 months.
Taylor, Diana, wife (2) of William Taylor, died December 28,
1851, age 58 years.
Taylor, Mary, wife (1) of William Taylor, died June 19, 1815,
age 40 years.
Taylor, Russel E., son of William and Diana Taylor, died June
28, 1842, age 24 years.
Taylor, William, died February 12, 1845, age 72 years.