Ross Cemetery
This page was last modified:
1886 ? - 1895
Ross Cemetery Historical Documents
Marcus Ross homesteaded the property on which the 'Ross Cemetery' was located in May 1882. The original homestead patent, which includes the Pre-Emption Proof, can be found here. On 27 January 1888, Marcus Ross obtained a Federal Patent for the property which comprised of 160 acres. [East 1/2 of SW Quarter, Section 22 and E 1/2 of NW 1/4, Section 27, Ute Principle Meridian.]
Marcus' neighbors on Section 22 and 27 included: Thomas Lowery, William Sullivan, William Kelly, Charles Lowery, Edwin Slocomb, Lewis Bradley, and Charles Bickford.
BLM map of Marcus Ross 1888 land purchase
"Ross Cemetery" History - Kathy Jordan
Ross Cemetery Location **Image taken from Google Maps - 26 July 2022. Note: Click link for image of the area.
Gate Location: This cemetery no longer exists.
Photograph of Sarah Carline McCracken Duckett tombstone, found in Duckett family bible. Marie Tipping 2022
Some descriptions indicate that it was adjacent to the Ross School which may have been located at the intersection of 20 Rd and I Rd ['Grand Valley Fruit Land Company map of 1892' There is a school indicated on this map at the intersection of 20 Road and I Road (County Road)]. Other articles give the cemetery location as "north of the railroad tracks on 19 1/2 Rd with the school just south of the railroad tracks."
The GJ News, 29 Sept 1888, page 2;column 4: In relation to the Sarah Dukkett burial: "Burying ground" at Ross School house.
On 25 February 1895 a lease agreement was signed between Joseph M. Warman and John C. Davis for the use of a portion of the property for planting of alfalfa. The legal description on this deed includes a reference to the "grave yard." Posted here are a copy of the lease deed, and a mapping of the legal description.
It is interesting to note that of the families who originally patented BLM land in the area (Kelly, Lowry, Sullivan, Slocomb, and Brickford), only infant Lowery (1888) and Mrs Slocomb were possibly buried in this cemetery.
Kathy Jordan's article on this cemetery notes: "In fall (sic) 1896 (sic) [Was this actually the Fall of 1895?], a storm dumped 3.33 inches of rain in 36 hours in the valley...The water that came down from the Bookcliffs, combined with the ditch water, apparently washed away the cemetery...There is no record today of many people who were buried at Ross."
Obituaries
Note: This list of Ross Cemetery burials is different than the list on Find A Grave. This list has been compiled using obituaries and interviews with Marie Tipping (2022) at the Museum of the West - Loyd Files Research Library. Her relatives, The Duckett's, were buried in the Ross Cemetery.
- Mr. J.H. Berry: GJ News 19 Aug 1893
- Mary Chipman: GJ News 30 Oct 1886
- Charles Duckett - 8 months - 18 Aug 1885 [The obituary does not indicate exact place of burial]
- Sarah Carline McCracken Duckett - 24 Sep 1888.
- William Duckett - 32 years - 02 Sep 1886
- Sarah Gianboni - 19 Mar 1895. Find-A-Grave does not include any death date. She was moved from the abandoned Ross Cemetery (date unknown).
- Mary B Haynes (Mary Matilda?)- 06 Nov 1888
- Infant daughter Hynes - burial Sat. 18 Oct 1884 [The obituary does not indicate exact place of burial]
- Infant Lowery - 07 Feb 1888 [The obituary does not indicate exact place of burial]. [MCPL obituary index states obituary is in the GJ Sentinel, it is actually in the GJ News.]
- S.S. McDole: 1 Dec 1889
- Brother of Geo. Papa - 17 Oct 1887
- Mrs. Dorothy Rich: GJ News 22 Nov 1890
- Noble Reiser: 12 August 1893. Son of Mr. & Mrs. William Reiser.
- Miss Carrie B. Skeels - 15 Mar 1894 [Carrie Skeels is now buried in the Elmwood Cemetery]
- Mrs. E. M. Slocomb - 16 Aug 1893. [Is this Ida Augusta Lucy Camp Slocomb who is now buried in the Orchard Mesa Cemetery?]
- Slocomb Boy - August 17, 1893 [See Mrs. E. M. Slocomb obituary.
- W. P. Slocomb: 03 April 1894 [obituary does not note where burial took place. Ross Cemetery is assumed.]
- Infant Turner: 23 Jan 1895, child of Mr. & Mrs. James Turner.
- Infant Turner; additional death notice. [This is, most likely, Denny Turner whose grave is now located in the Elmwood Cemetery.
- Infant Woodring: GJ News 21 Jan 1888
- Although the Find A Grave entry for Phildellia Franklin "Badger" Haynes, who died in Sept 1894, notes that he was buried in Ross Cemetery and later moved to Orchard Mesa, his obituary in the Grand Valley Star-Times stated that he was originally buried in Orchard Mesa Cemetery. (See the Orchard Mesa Cemtery page for a copy of his burial notice.
*Note: Interview with Marie Tipping - All 'Duckett' burial locations in the Ross Cemetery have been lost. After the severe storms and flooding in 1895 the family was unable to locate the cemetery. Later some headstones were found a nearby wash. Given the probable location of the cemetery 'the wash' was probably Adobe Creek. The bodies were never located.
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