A Trip to Decatur City Cemetery

         Negley 

Ruth Foster          John

        1808   1895          1808  1884   

Decatur City Cemetery, in Decatur City, Iowa was the first cemetery that I visited along Highway 2 going across Iowa to Illinois in July, 2014. It was early afternoon when we got there and getting pretty hot out. There was no on-site directory and it took some time to find the grave of John and Ruth Foster Negley, parents of Josiah Foster Negley. 

Four of their seven children were living at the time of their deaths, David, John Calvin and Susannah lived near them in Iowa and Josiah was in Nebraska. It would have been a 250 mile trip for Josiah to get to their funerals, I don't know if he was able to go for either of them. Both John and Ruth died in the month of December, when the weather can sometimes make travel difficult. 

John and Ruth lost two boys when they were very young and a daughter died in her 20's. David and John Calvin, as well as many grandchildren and other relatives also lie in the Decatur City Cemetery. The other five children are resting in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nebraska and other parts of Iowa. 

Pennsylvania is a long way from where I am, but I would like to get there someday. If I do, I will visit the graves of both John and Ruth's parents. Jacob and Phebe Negley are buried in St Paul's UCC Church Cemetery in Huntingdon County. Ruth's parents, Richard and Charity Foster lie in the Duvalls Cemetery in Bedford County.