(aka Miller Cemetery)

#54 on RichmondTownship Map

estimated to be in T54R34S34

Minnie O. Knickerbocker was the daughter of Wesley Winslow Knickerbocker and Maria Barnes.

The headstone has the date of death as October 22, 1883, and has her age as eleven months and 28 days. (per J.B.)

The article in the "Reflections" indicates she was born on October 25, 1882 and died on October 22, 1883 (less than a year old).

Minnie Knickerbocker's Death Record indicates she died of typhoid fever on November 19, 1883 at age 1 year, 1 (7?) months, and 17 days. According to the death certificate, whe was buried in Miller Cemetery on November 21, 1883.

The story states that the grave of this baby girl was located in the middle of a soybean field between Rayville and Dockery, on land next to Marvin Parker's land (T53R28S34 or S28).

The Ballad of Minnie O. Knickerbocker was written by Norma Delene Pierce and Rita Jenine Bacon (daughters of Marvin Parker) to commemorate this little girl. Jenine sings the ballad at the 76 Music Hall Theater during the Bacon Family country music show "Ozark Mountain Jubilee" in Branson, Missouri.

For more information about Minnie Knickerbocker see:
Ray County Reflections, Vol. III, No. 3, September 1994, Page 81
and
Ray County Reflections, Summer 2006

Directions to stone: Go north out of Richmond on Highway 13 to Dockery. Turn west on FF Highway. After about a mile or so, the road makes a turn north for a half mile and then turns back west. The farm on the southwest corner of that turn is the old Clyde Holman place and it's on this farm where the grave is located. Continue west on FF until the road starts down a big hill. The grave would be located almost straight south of this point, a couple fields over.