Vawn Cemetery was also known as the County Poor Farm Cemetery.
The cemetery was destroyed and some of the graves may have been moved, but about 250 feet into the field across the road to the west, you can see where the cemetery once stood.
William and Jemima Polly deeded to Osceola township trustees 1 acre in NE corner of NE quarter of sec 5, “for cemetery purposes”. The deed was dated November 22, 1894. The cemetery was across from the County Poor Farm & it is believed that the poor from there were buried here.
Previous to 1874 Clarke County's indigent poor were kept by individuals, at the expense of the county. In that year a tract of 200 acres of land was purchased on section 4, Osceola Township, adjoining the Fremont line. The year following a large house was erected, capable of accommodating twenty to twenty-five persons. The whole cost was not far from $7,000. The farm was located three miles north of Osceola. The average number of inmates did not exceed eight, a remarkably good showing. It should be said, however, that the county still pursued, to some extent, the policy of having paupers kept by individuals--relatives, when possible.
When an inmate of the poor farm died, the body was quickly removed from the dormitory so as to not distress the others and taken to a private room where it was washed, clothed in a shroud, and laid out for burial. Residents helped dig the grave in a nearby cemetery. A horse-drawn wagon carried the wooden casket, usually covered by gray cloth, to the cemetery, accompanied by a preacher who gave the final blessing before lowering the body into an unmarked grave. In particularly hard times, the shroud as well as the coffin was saved for later use.
Though it’s been 50 years since most poor farms closed their doors, and the buildings crumbled into non-existence long ago, their cemeteries remain ignored by historians and citizens alike, some hidden beneath farm fields, parking lots, suburb construction sites, and even college campuses.
While placing caches in Clarke County we encountered many dead end roads and lots of them that are level B roads – this means there is NO gravel on them – they are mud after it rains. If you get stuck, the farmers will not pull you out – you will have to call a tow truck. Please be aware of this and use caution when hunting these caches.