| Source Number |
Repository |
Call Number |
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Copy |
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| Indexed |
Condition |
Time Period |
| No |
Copy |
1956 |
| Research Date |
Description of Source |
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News clipping of Willow Valley Cemetery (Thomas Packer DERRICKSON) |
| Search Subject |
Tales of the Tombstones Tell
Willow Valley Cemetery
The Willow Valley Cemetery over in the town of Ithaca is an old burying ground. It was
first called the Derrickson cemetery and a part of it set aside by the Derrickson family
and by them called the Derrickson Reservation.
It is a well kept cemetery. Buried therein are the early settlers of the vicinity;
frequent burials are still made there.
The first burials were made therein back in the long ago; 107 years in fact. They
were children of Thomas P. and Rachel L. Derrickson and, according to the tombstone
upon the lot, died October 6, 1849. They were James T. and Hester A. Derrickson. Hester
was two years of age and , and James was tow months of age and one day. James, the infant,
was the first to die and was soon followed in death by his brother Hester. James was
also the first white child to be born in what is now the town of Ithaca. His birth took
place on August 5, 1849.
Mr. And Mrs. Derrickson came to Ithaca in the fall of 1848 and located on section 30
where they settled and made the place their future home. Coming with them was John
Walker, who settled on section 31. Mr. Walker was a Methodist exhorter, and for a number
of years preached in the neighborhood and worked upon his farm. No doubt but that Mr.
Walker officiated at the last rites for the Derrickson children when they were laid to
rest and he might have used as a test "Suffer little children to come unto Me For of such
is the Kingdom of Heaven." There could have been only a few folks present for at the
time there were but a small number of families for miles and miles around. It indeed
was a pioneer burial in the wilderness at the time of the hunter’s moon.
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