BELLVIEW CEMETERY
SE 1/4 09-17-25
Wilcox Twp
BY Nina “BULLARD” KROBER and Sylvia “BULLARD” MOAD
Bellview is located in the extreme North of Roger Mills County in the first bend of the South Canadian River as it enters Oklahoma from Texas. This cemetery was first called the “Churchill” then was later named Bellviewdue to the proximity of the Bellview School which was on the land due south. The land was donated by the KENNEDY family and was marked off by guess. Hester “MCQUIGG” HUTCHINSON (mother of Bess BULLARD) was the first grave. This was in July 1903 and later that year the grave of a Mrs. CRAWFORD, who had passed away a year or so earlier, was moved to the new cemetery. She had been buried on what is now known as the Walter MERRICK Ranch. R.N. HIGGINS, a surveyor, attested that on July 19, 1909, at 3:00 P.M. a certified plat was entered on the Roger Mills County Records in Vol.1 page 4 in the Record of Deeds. The dimensions were 208′ 8″ by 208′ 8″‘ marked at each corner by an iron pipe.
The cemetery served the north end of the countynot only for burials but also as a gathering place for all on Memorial Day. This was a great day for those still living on lands settled by ancestors and a reason for those who had moved away to get together to renew old friendships and eat a great picnic dinner. This was after much hard work was done to “clean up” the graves and place lovely garden of crepepaper flowers on all graves.
Basically all funerals were graveside with a local “speaker”, usually Guy GABBART, saying a few good words over the deceased. This was done with much dignityeven to the group singing, usually led by Bess BULLARD, of “Shall we Gather at the River” and “In the Sweet By and By”. Sometime the dignity was forgotten when an angry bee or wasp joined the group.
As far as can be remembered just one funeral service was ever held in the Bellview School House and that was for Mrs. Ben “Rhoda” BULLARD (mother of Heck BULLARD). It was such a blustery windblown day that the decision was made to hold services in the school house.
Much history lies buried in this little hill top plat. Alex HUTCHINSON, was one of the original Texas Rangers, is one story. A lady known only as Tuck was buried after she was found dead in her “dugout” on her claim. Tuck was the only woman around that wore overalls and she always wore them backward. No family, No history and always a mystery. Another settler was found dead and since foulplay was suspected the men of the community performed an autopsy The long bladed pocket knife used to remove the liver was always an object of curiosity the liver was sent to a doctor who declared the man was not poisoned. What stories to keep the younguns entertained. The land is now surrounded by land owned by the EAKINS family.
In the 1970’s Bess BULLARD had permanent markers of granite made for each unmarked grave and also helped construct a brick monument bearing the name of the cemetery. This was a great improvement and made the beautiful spot a place to remember.
At this time, March of 1989, Bess BULLARD was the last one buried in Bellview some 85 years after the burial of her mother Hester “MCQUIGG” HUTCHINSON in 1903.
First bornRausamond A. BULL1814
First BuriedHester HUTCHINSON 1903
No of graves–100
This information came from the book “Cemeteries and More” by Glenna Belle CRANE.
Updates and corrections have been provided by Wanda PURCELL.
BARTON, Baby 08OCT1904 – No date Dau of R.E. & Ella
BARTON, Ella 23OCT1882 – 06JAN1960 Wife of Robert E.
BARTON, Lillie Eakins Hatley 23AUG1902 – 07OCT1980 Dau of Jess Eakins
BARTON, Melvine 11AUG1920 – 05AUG1937 Son of Robert & Ella, Killed in a car wreck
BARTON, Robert E. 06JAN1880 – 06APR1924 Throat cut by Great Kennedy
BLUNDELL, Elizabeth ARNOLD 26JUL1850 – 09NOV1918
BOWDEN, Amanda E. 1850 – 1907 Mother of Annie Creach
BRANHAM, Baby 22MAY1909 – 19JUN1909 Dau of S & S.E.
BRINDLEE, No name No date – No date
BRINDLES, No date – No date Relative of KEAHEYS
BROWN, Baby 18MAR1901 – 07JAN1905
BROWN, Baby No date – No date Dau of Mike Audeen (EGGLESTON)
BULL, Elisha R. 07AUG1829 – 02JUL1904
BULL, Ella A. (BARTON) 18SEP1884 – 29APR1906 Married Luther BULL
BULL, Francis A. 11NOV1838 – 25MAR1906
BULL, Harley V. 19DEC1918 – 05JAN1926
BULL, John A. 24NOV1829 – 22MAR1906
BULL, Rausamond A. 05AUG1814 – 20FEB1905
BULLARD, Baby 17OCT1924 – No date Son of Roy & Olice
BULLARD, Baby 20NOV1920 – No date Son of Roy & Olive
BULLARD, Ben F. 1866 – 1927 Father of Heck
BULLARD, Bess (HUTCHINSON) 25AUG1902 – 22JUN1988 Married Hester, Mother of Alvis-Nina_Sylvia
BULLARD, Grandma Sallie 1826 – 1922 Mother of Ben F.
BULLARD, Hester “Heck” 18MAR1903 – 05APR1969 County Sheriff
BULLARD, Rhoda A. (ROBINSON) 1868 – 1940 Wife of Ben
BULLARD, Tannie 1856 – 1918 Sister of Ben
BULLARD, Twin Girls 15MAY1922 – No date Daus of Roy &Olive
BULLARD, Willie Dee 02DEC1900 – 07MAY1963 Son of Ben & Rhoda
BUTLER, Mrs. No date – No date Mother of Emma DAVIS
COCHRAN, No date – No date
CRAWFORD, Pamelia A. 03FEB1836 – 10MAR1916 Wife of W. H.
CRAWFORD, W. H. 17SEP1833 – 14JAN1904 Father of Alex
CREECH, Annie C. (BOWDEN) 1888 – 1957 Wife of J. W.
CREECH, Baby 01JUL1902 – 30SEP1903 Son of J.W. & Annie
CREECH, Harold H. 08FEB1920 – 01AUG1937 Son of J.W. & Annie, Killed in car wreck
CREECH, Jasper No date – 02MAR1910 Father of J. W.
CREECH, John William 1877 – 1935 Hus of Annie (BOWDEN)
CREECH, Lillie 19MAR1909 – 19MAR1909 Dau of J.W. & Annie
CREECH, Little Sister 08JAN1910 – 08JAN1910 Dau of J.W. & Annie
CREECH, Sarah Elizabeth (SEYMORE) 1853 – 08FEB1938 Wife ofJasper, Wife of James POWELL
DAVIS, Bessie No date – No date Dau of Hiram & Emma D.
DAVIS, Charlie No date – No date Son of Hiram * Edda D.
DAVIS, Emma D. (CRAWFORD) 31MAR1864 – 08DEC1924 Dau of W.H. & Pamelia CRAWFORD
DAVIS, Hiram B. 08JUN1853 – 30MAR1912 Married Emma D. CRAWFORD
DERRY, Peggy Lois 24JAN1924 – 07MAY1994
EAKINS, Bernard Lee 04MAY1904 – 05MAR1981 Son of Jess & Sarah Ann, Married Lonnie CREECH
EAKINS, J. B. 20OCT1922 – 21JUN1994
EAKINS, James Olicer “Sam” 24MAR1906 – 20APR1952 Son of Jess & Sarah Ann
EAKINS, Jess O. 1878 – 1944 Hus of Sarah Ann
EAKINS, Lonnie (CREECH) 16FEB1904 – 09AUG1998 Mother of J.B., Wife of B.L.
EAKINS, Reginald Eugene “Gene”, Born 26APR1943 Died 24OCT2010, hus of Jeani Allen
EAKINS, Sarah Ann (Lilley) 06JUN1882 – 25FEB1959
ELLIS, Anzley 12NOV1877 – 02JAN1967 Sheriff of Day County, Married Mary MCQUIGG
ELLIS, Baby Ruth 1942 – 1942 Dau of Rusty & Ellen (JONES)
ELLIS, John Ray 10MAR1912 – 24JUN1966 Son of Anzley & Mary, Married Anna Belle WORLEY
ELLIS, Mary (MCQUIGG) 17NOV1877 – 23JUL1973 Wife of Anzley
ELLIS, Russell Ran “Rusty” 13APR1916 – 25OCT2000 Hus of Ellon Marie Jones
ELLIS, Twin boys No date – No date Sons of John Ray & Anna Belle (WORLEY)
FOCHT, Glen R. 08MAR1894 – 13OCT1958 Pvt. Co. C 143 Inf WW I, Hus of Johnnie
FOCHT, Johnnie Jewel McQuigg 28FEB1902 – 13JUN1993 Wife of Glen R.
FOCHT, Louis Beecher 10JAN1890 – 31DEC1959 Pvt. WWI
FOCHT, Mary E. (REEVES) 14MAY1855 – 29JUL1924 Wife of William
FOCHT, Pete J. 1881 – 1947
FOCHT, William 14MAR1849 – 29JUN1918
FOREMEN, Baby 1909 – 1909 Dau of Delbert
GOINS, Frank 1839 – 1914
HALL, Irene Dorothy Haydu 13JAN1918 – 19FEB2002
HARRIS, Bertha (BULLARD) 19JUN1897 – 08NOV1872 Dau of Ben & Rhoda, Married Jack HARRIS
HARTLEY, James Stokes “Jim” 30MAR1833 – 15JUN1942 Hus Lillie EAKINS, Killed in a tractor accident
HARTLEY, Wanda Lee 25MAY1942 – 25MAY1942 Dau of Jim & Lillie (EAKINS)
HEYDU, J. T. 1866 – 1943
HINDMAN, ? No date – No date
HUNLEY, Baby No date – No date Inf of Charley
HUTCHINSON, Hester MCQUIGG 22SEP1889 – 13JUL1903 Mother of Bess BULLARD
HUTCHINSON, Robert A. 1854 – 1930 Texas Ranger, Uncle of Bess BULLARD
JONES, ? No date – No date
KEAHEY, Ethel D. 1910 – 1918 Dau of Joe & Gerogie J., Burned to death in house fire
KEAHEY, Georgia J. 1890 – 1915 Wife of Joe
KEAHEY, Lava 1908 – 1925 Dau of Henry
KEAHEY, Leone 1904 – 1905
KEAHEY, Myrtle 1915 – 1915 Dau of Joe & Georgia
KEAHEY, William 1900 – 1914
KEAHEY, William Henry 13OCT1877 – 15SEP1955 Married Mary BULL
KENNEDY, Laura Ann 17JAN1857 – 26JAN1945 Wife of Oscar C.
KENNEDY, Oscar C. 27AUG1857 – 14OCT1923
KENNEDY, Oscar Martin 28AUG1899 – 06APR1936 Grandson of Oscar C.
KENNEDY, W.F. “Bill” 14MAR1899 – 06APR1936 Grandson of J.B. & L.A.
LONG, Elizabeth 03NOV1838 – 20DEC1920 Nother of Mrs. L. A. LORING
LORING, Alice A. 05AUG1902 – 24NOV1922 Dau of J.B. & L.A.
LORING, Willie Ethel 12MAR1906 – 13OCT1915 Dau of J.B. & L.A.
MCQUIGG, John R. 1862 – 1934
MCQUIGG, Olive L. 1872 – 1917 Wife of John R.
MCQUIGG, Sarah L. 23SEP1842 – 17JAN1920 Wife of Henry K.
MOAD, Cynthia Ann 20SEP1952 – 20SEP1952 Dau of Joe Frank & Sylvia (BULLARD)
NEWELL, Alta (REYES) 03AUG1904 – 02MAY1968 Wife of Claude
NEWELL, Baby No date – No date Inf of Wayne & Carrie WALLACE
NEWELL, Claude Forest 19OCT1894 – 25SEP1966 Married Alta REYES
NEWELL, Claude Wallace 17OCT1917 – 02JUL1918 Son of Claude & Alta
NEWELL, Florence 22SEP1859 – 02JUN1923 Wife of Ben
NEWELL, Roy 31JAN1908 – 14JUN1921 Son of Ben & Florence
PINKSTON, Baby No date – No date Inf of Joe & Molly
POWELL, James 1873 – 1977 Married widow Sarah CREECH
POWELL, Sarah Creach 1853 – 1938
PRICE, Baby No date – No date Inf of John
RIDGEWAY, Thelma Faye BARTON) 19JUL1922 – 17DEC1959 Dau of Robert & Ella BARTON, Married Tom
SAMUEL, Mart 12DEC1918 – 12DEC1918 Son of Bertha BULLARD HARRIS
SAXTON, Pauline 06JAN1837 – 06APR1906 G Grandmother of Oscar KENNEDY
STANFILL, Connie (O’CONNER) 1837 – 1982 Friend of Lillie BARTON who wanted to be buried near Lillie, Wife of Melvin Gene STANFILL
WILCOX, Fannie TOBIAS 1880 – 29JAN1913 Wife of George S.
WILCOX, George S. 1874 – ??OCT1944
WILCOX, Walter Stephen No date – 1905
WILMATH, Baby No date – No date Inf of Dutch & Ona M. MCQUIGG
YOUNGBLOOD, Ella No date – No date Dau of Hiram & Ella (DAVIS)
THE BELLVIEW PAUPERS FIELD
DUTCHMAN: This man was found dead in a shack. His liver was cut out and sent off to see if he had been poisoned by some of the food that was on his table. Glen FOCHT used the knife that cut the man’s liver out, to stick turkeys at, “turkeypickin’ time.”
ROSENDYE: A man who came here from Indiana or Ohio looking for his former sweetheartwhen she refused to marry him he rigged up a shot gun, by tying a piece of string from the trigger to his toe, and blew his head off.
TUCK, MISS: She owned 160 acres of land but died without any money. When everything was settled, the mortgage company got the farm and the neighbors paid for her burial.