Roscoe's in Oak Grove Cemetery in DeWitt

Setting on a hill just west of the village of DeWitt, Nebraska is the Oak Grove Cemetery. It's a good sized cemetery, with over 1900 graves. The old iron entrance sign remains in place without a fence to separate the old section from the new. The grave of my Third Great Grandparents, David and Mary Roscoe, is just inside that old entrance sign.

David died within five years of moving to Nebraska from Will County, Illinois. Mary got married again, became a widow a second time, and at her death 39 years after her first husband died was laid to rest beside him in Oak Grove. On the opposite side of David's inscription is only "Mother" and her birth and death dates, no name. I even tried using aluminum foil (I don't recommend trying that on a windy day) to see if there was an inscription that had faded, but there wasn't.  

David A. Roscoe

died

May 13, 1884

61 Yrs

Mother

Dec. 10, 1839

Mar. 15, 1923

David and Mary were blessed with 10 children. Daughter Martha Roscoe, predeceased both of her parents in 1875 at age 18 before the family moved to Nebraska. When I was in Peotone, I searched for but found no sign of her grave. 

In Oak Grove, along with the parents, lies son Ervin Ward Roscoe who died in 1886 also at 18. In the 1880 census it's noted he has rheumatism, and in 1885 he is "disabled". For some reason Ervin W has two stones beside each other there in Oak Grove. 

The grown children moved to different parts of the country, and in the end, their graves are located in six different states. 

Along with Martha in Peotone is the only other daughter, Nancy Baird's grave. Two sons resting in Nebraska are William Roscoe who is buried in Clatonia, and George Corbin Roscoe, who lies in Swan Valley Cemetery, just ten miles from DeWitt.

The remaining five sons are in four other states. Sherman Roscoe is buried in Shenandoah, Iowa, Frank A Roscoe in Salt Lake City, Utah, Burtrus Roscoe in Des Moines, Iowa, Edward Roscoe in Ridgway, Colorado and Charles Roscoe is buried in Sunnyside, Washington.

David Roscoe's mother's grave is in the Peotone Cemetery. I looked for it when I was there, but didn't find it. There is a photograph that was posted on Find A Grave in 2014 and the stone is broken in half. By 2017, it might have deteriorated more and was beyond finding. 

Visiting any more of my Fourth Great Grandparents in this branch of the family would mean air travel for me. David's father Russell Roscoe is buried in the Town of Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, New York. The graves of Mary's parents, Isaac and Philomena Fero, are unknown to me but would also be in New York. Maybe someday...