There are 920 intements in Fairview Cemetery. Many of my family are buried here. Any of the Hornaday's, Gorden's, Petefish's and Sharpnack's are my relatives. This is my Dad Milford's grave.
When I was hiding caches for an event at Lake Wapello, I spent the weekend with my folks and Dad would not let me go hide the caches by myself. He loved the outdoors and we had a very memorable time hiding caches that day.
When I placed this cache, I told him it was here for him to watch over. I had one hidden near their house when they lived in this area and he really enjoyed talking to the geocachers that visited it. Be sure to tell him "Hi" when you find this cache.
Mom joined Dad here August 5, 2017. She really missed him, so hope they are happy together now.
I could not find a lot of information about this cemetery. The entrance is next to Fairview Church of the Brethren.
We buried my brother Steven here May 28, 2022. He passed away at his home in South Carolina on May 30, 2021. He told us he wanted to be buried with our folks. He had also done a little geocaching where he lived and went by the name of "Old Silver" I believe. I always wanted to cache with him, but we never got to go together.
The Church of the Brethren traces its history back to 1708 in Schwartzenau, Germany. A group of eight Christians joined together for Bible Study and prayer and determined to live more closely to the teachings of Christ than what they found evident in the State Churches of the day. As the church grew, so did the government persecutions. Eventually, the group scattered. In 1719, a large group of Brethren migrated to Pennsylvania. Within ten years, most of the Brethren had arrived in America.
In 1838, the first Brethren arrived in Iowa. In 1849, Brethren migrated from Indiana and Ohio to Appanoose County, Iowa where the Fairview congregation was organized in 1853. The fertile farming ground of the area attracted many Brethren farmers and their large families. The first church building was built in 1866. It served the growing congregation for nearly 78 years.
In January of 1944, the church building burned to the ground despite the valiant efforts of community members to fight the fire. Few items were saved from the burning structure. Among them was the picture of Jesus rescued from the fire by church member, Dwight Powell. By the time Powell went in for the picture, the smoke had thickened to where he could not see. The men on the outside kept talking to him to guide him out by the sound of their voices.
A new building was constructed that summer and dedicated in December of that same year. An educational wing was added in 1960 and renovated in 1997. The rescued picture is prominent when you enter the building. The picture of Jesus praying in Gethsemane for all his followers of all times is a reminder that he prayed for us. It's also a reminder that each of us needs to be rescued from our own "fires".
"Please be respectful, do not hunt at night, do not disturb mourners, and leave this peaceful and revered place in good condition. Remember to practice CITO, always. Thank you.Thank you."