(Last Updated 12/23/2004 )
Shickley Cemetery History
Written by Roxie Schlegel, Shickley Cemetery Association
This page is for reference only and may not be reproduced or published by any method
The cemetery was first started in 1889 by a group of private citizens. In this same year it was surveyed and lots were laid out. It was operated by the Shickley Cemetery Association. In the early days, problems of financing and maintaining the cemetery were becoming too much of a burden on the cemetery association. In 1929, an agreement was made with the Village of Shickley, to take over the ownership of the cemetery. The village had jurisdiction over the cemetery until 1996 when the ownership was again turned back over to the Shickley Cemetery Association.No records were ever found showing where the exact places in lots where graves have been interred. Records for the selling of lots between 1929 and 1964 can't be located Tombstones are the only real evidence of graves. We are quite sure there are a lot of unmarked graves. Some of these are no doubt due to hardship cases, people who couldn't afford markers. History tells us of some burials of transient people and county welfare burials.
The Village Board decided that a platted map should be made and that all known graves at the present time be recorded in such a way so that future generations will know where the graves are located, should present markers deteriorate with age or disappear. The village had the cemetery re-surveyed in 1974 and all the outside corner markers were very accurate with the original layout in 1889. The engineers who surveyed in 1974 also established several lot corner markers inside the cemetery, so unused lots could be marked out more accurately. No information could be found as to how, where and from what reference points lots were laid out prior to 1974.
All lots have now been re-measured, platted and scaled out to 1/4" to the foot on the map book that is in the Village Office of Shickley. The tombstones are all laid out on the plats as accurately as possible as to their position on the lot, and the graves are laid out to match the inscriptions on the tombstones. It is very possible that some of the tombstones were set in place, in later years, after the burials and may not be in the exact place. Some graves overlap onto other lots or into alley's. This might have been done due to inclement weather which obscured the corner lot markers when the snow was deep in the cemetery.
A lot of research has gone into the cemetery, such as measuring every lot and tombstone to the nearest inch, researching old newspapers for obituary information, talking with lot owners and older people in the community, and doing research work at the State Historical Society in Lincoln.
The cemetery map and plat book were drawn up in 1988 & 1989 by Earl Dean Frieden and Iris Wagers. We are sure many additions can be added later as more information about unmarked graves is obtained.
If you would like more information about the Shickley Cemetery please contact:
The Shickley Cemetery Association
P0 Box 25
Shickley, NE 68436
