Mt Tabor Cemetery
Attention Funeral Homes, per section 3.4 of our Cemetery Rules, we need to be contacted for each service conducted at the cemeteries. The whole of Section 3 will explain why. For the most up to date contact information, please refer to the Township Officers link on Warren County Iowa Auditor page. You may also send an email to: Squaw Creek Township which is then forwarded to each member of the board.
History
Mt Tabor Cemetery was established in 1856 when Franklin Keller donated land for a cemetery to bury his brother, Jackson. Unfortunately, in 2023 the Township Trustees discovered the deed was never recorded in 1856. The current adjacent landowner, Steven Lawyer, was kind enough to help rectify the lack of a deed, by deeding the cemetery and some additional property to use for parking. This transaction was completed, and recorded, March 27, 2024.
Franklin Keller was born in Barbour County, West Virginia on March 21, 1831. His parents, John and Lucinda Keller were natives of 'old' Virginia. Franklin married Ellen Jane McIntosh on January 16, 1851. The Kellers and their 12 children settled in Section 19 of Squaw Creek Township October 20, 1854. Franklin Keller helped organize the township and was clerk after the first election. Franklin and Ellen Keller also helped establish the Mt. Tabor Methodist church in March 1855. The people of the neighborhood held meetings in different homes until the spring of 1857 when the Mt Tabor school house was built on the southeast corner of the Keller's farm. They worshipped there until 1874 when the church was built. The church continued to thrive and grow for many years. In the mid-1940s, the church was sold to the Methodist conference and church services discontinued. The building was later purchased by Russell Wright who used it for storage.
Franklin Keller worked in a brick yard on Squaw Creek. His twenty year old brother, Jackson, came out from West Virginia to visit and help in the brick yard. One very hot August day, Jackson jumped into the creek to swim. He chilled and became unconscious. A fever set in and Jackson died a few days later. Jackson is buried in row 4 of Mt Tabor Cemetery and Franklin and his wife are in row 5. Many of the people buried in Mt Tabor are related to Franklin Keller.
Fun Facts
The book Midnight Assassin mentions Franklin Keller as a friend and neighbor of John and Margaret Hossack. He made many visits to the Hossack residence including just days before the night of the murder. Franklin Keller heard the news and wanted to go to the Hossack residence, but not knowing if an axe murder was in the midst he waited until the light of the early morning hours to go provide comfort to John as he lay in pain.
On August 24th, 2021 Township resident Sam Lawyer earned the higest achievement possible in the Boy Scouts of America. We can now proudly display the plaques on our flagpoles that Sam installed. Go to our About Us Fun Facts page to see more information regarding Sam's Eagle Scout project.
Those resting in peace in the cemetery can be found at:
Mt. Tabor Cemetery Burial Information - as known by the Trustees of Squaw Creek Township
Iowa Genealogy Web Project - Mt Tabor Cemetery Burials.
Sentry Mapping Ground Penetrating Radar Project - Mt Tabor Cemetery Burials. This link was provided by Sentry Mapping Services who provided Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) services in May 2023. You will need to zoom in on the map. Names will appear once you zoom in close enough. If you click on a grave, you will see a picture of the grave, if there is one, and the years of birth and death, if they are available. Solid gray graves are veterans. Striped gray graves are Unknowns and will be marked as such in the spring of 2025.
Pictures of gravestones can also be found at:
Iowa Grave Stones - Mt Tabor Cemetery
Location
Mt Tabor Cemetery is located at 22791 73rd Avenue, New Virginia, Iowa. The routes below are gravel for the last .2 miles.
Directions from Indianola, Iowa or Osceola, Iowa: Follow Highway 69 to County Road G76, turn West (right if from Indianola, left if from Osceola). Follow County Road G76 for 3.7 miles. Turn right onto 73rd Avenue. Destination will be on the right after .2 miles.
Directions from New Virginia, Iowa: Follow County Road G76 East for 3.6 miles. Turn left (North) at 73rd Avenue and travel for .2 miles. Destination will be on the right side of the road.