Oakland Cemetery Initiative

Welcome to the Oakland Cemetery Initiative, an organization that aims to educate and inform the community and its guests about those interred at Keokuk's Oakland Cemetery, with over 75,000 monuments sprawled across 100 acres. Our goal is to compile generations of knowledge, research, and apply for grants bringing the cemetery back to life.

The Oakland Cemetery Initiative operates under the 501c3 of the Keokuk Historic Preservation Commission.

Cemetery map with coordinates and brief bios available here!

Notable People Resting in Oakland Cemetery

John Octavius Anderson

Artist

Cemetery Marker Number

1

Date of Birth

3/21/1856

Date of Death

7/20/1898

Cemetery Location

Block F, Lot 1

Potter's Field

Unmarked Grave Section

Cemetery Marker Number

4

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Near Block 25A

Anne Britton Davis

Charitable Worker, Award Winning Golfer

Cemetery Marker Number

7

Date of Birth

1/5/1867

Date of Death

5/25/1949

Cemetery Location

Block 22, Lot 26

John Drain

Union Army Civil War Veteran, Former Slave

Cemetery Marker Number

10

Date of Birth

1/9/1844

Date of Death

2/28/1940

Cemetery Location

Block L2, Lot 41

Ray Garrison

Journalist, Local History Author

Cemetery Marker Number

13

Date of Birth

7/5/1890

Date of Death

8/18/1980

Cemetery Location

Block 38-E1/2-80, Lot 2

David Burke Hillis

Civil War Union Veteran, Doctor

Cemetery Marker Number

16

Date of Birth

7/24/1825

Date of Death

9/9/1900

Cemetery Location

Block 21, Lot 15

Husikamp

Founders of Husikamp Brothers Shoe Company

Cemetery Marker Number

19

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Block 30, Lot 6

Joy

Businessman, National Director of the YMCA, Philanthropist

Cemetery Marker Number

22

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Block 24, Lot 39

John R. Maxwell

Olympian, Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Inductee, Physician

Cemetery Marker Number

25

Date of Birth

7/16/1871

Date of Death

6/3/1906

Cemetery Location

Block 26, Lot 35

Edward P. McManus

Senator

Cemetery Marker Number

28

Date of Birth

6/26/1857

Date of Death

1/8/1918

Cemetery Location

Block HH, Lot 53

Ralph Bell

MLB Pitcher

Cemetery Marker Number

2

Date of Birth

11/16/1890

Date of Death

10/18/1959

Cemetery Location

Block D, Lot 26

John Bruce

Civil War Union Veteran, Lawyer, Alabama State Representative, Federal Judge

Cemetery Marker Number

5

Date of Birth

2/16/1832

Date of Death

10/1/1901

Cemetery Location

Block R, Lot 28

Francis Delaney

Charter Member of McNamara's Band, Bowled First Perfect Game in Keokuk

Cemetery Marker Number

8

Date of Birth

3/10/1918

Date of Death

2/24/2011

Cemetery Location

Block 40, Lot 79

Nannie Peairs Fulton

Keokuk Librarian (1896-1946)

Cemetery Marker Number

11

Date of Birth

4/20/1867

Date of Death

3/20/1948

Cemetery Location

Block 24, Lot 5

Jeremiah Peter "Jerry" Harrington

MLB Player (1890-1893)

Cemetery Marker Number

14

Date of Birth

8/12/1868

Date of Death

4/16/1913

Cemetery Location

Block CC, Lot 18

James Bruen and Lida Gordon Howell

Keokuk Postmaster (1861-1866), U.S. Senator

Cemetery Marker Number

17

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Block 14, Lot 4

Irwin Family

Businessman, Mayor of Keokuk, Territorial Governor of Idaho and Arizona

Cemetery Marker Number

20

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Block 15, Lot 16 & 17

Kilbourne

Musician, Surveyor, Mayor of Keokuk

Cemetery Marker Number

23

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Block 8, Lot 22

Johnathan McCarty

U.S. Congressman

Cemetery Marker Number

26

Date of Birth

8/3/1795

Date of Death

3/30/1852

Cemetery Location

Block 5, Lot 12

Dave McNally

Firefighter

Cemetery Marker Number

29

Date of Birth

3/16/1951

Date of Death

12/22/1999

Cemetery Location

Block 40, Lot 53

Charles Pitkin Birge

Grocer, "Benefactor to the City"

Cemetery Marker Number

3

Date of Birth

1/8/1835

Date of Death

10/23/1903

Cemetery Location

Block 6, Lot 75

Samuel Ryan Curtis

Civil War Union Veteran, Congressman, Mayor of Keokuk

Cemetery Marker Number

6

Date of Birth

2/3/1805

Date of Death

12/26/1866

Cemetery Location

Block 6, Lot 8

Greg Douglas

Basketball Player

Cemetery Marker Number

9

Date of Birth

10/29/1947

Date of Death

4/23/2005

Cemetery Location

Block 41S, Lot 233

John Gaines

First Postmaster of Keokuk

Cemetery Marker Number

12

Date of Birth

12/23/1803

Date of Death

4/21/1839

Cemetery Location

Block K, Lot 56

Rosina "Rosa" Zindle Hesse

Civil War Nurse

Cemetery Marker Number

15

Date of Birth

10/3/1838

Date of Death

10/27/1933

Cemetery Location

Block 6, Lot 74

Hubinger

Founder of Hubinger Elastic Starch, Keokuk Telephone Company, Keokuk Electric Company

Cemetery Marker Number

18

Date of Birth

Multiple

Date of Death

Multiple

Cemetery Location

Block 17, Lot 38

Virginia Wilcoxs Ivins

Author and Pioneer

Cemetery Marker Number

21

Date of Birth

3/26/1832

Date of Death

11/23/1924

Cemetery Location

Block 11, Lot 7

Bill Logan

University of Iowa Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee

Cemetery Marker Number

24

Date of Birth

12/30/1934

Date of Death

1/25/2018

Cemetery Location

Block 30, Lot 9

George Washington McCrary

U.S. Congressman, Presidential Cabinet Secretery, Lawyer, U.S. Circuit Court Judge

Cemetery Marker Number

27

Date of Birth

8/29/1835

Date of Death

6/23/1890

Cemetery Location

Block 25, Lot 16

Daniel Fry Miller

Iowa House of Representatives, Mayor of Keokuk, Businessman

Cemetery Marker Number

30

Date of Birth

10/4/1814

Date of Death

12/9/1895

Cemetery Location

Block OC, GG; Lot 1

How You Can Help:

Signs are acquired through fundraising and donations. Donations can be mailed to:

Keokuk History Center

Attn: Oakland Cemetery Initiative
P. O. Box 125
Keokuk, IA 52632

PayPal donations can be sent to KeokukHistoryCenter@gmail.com

If you are interested in supporting the Oakland Cemetery Initiative through merchandise, mugs, t-shirts, and stickers are now available via the link below!

We thank you for your contributions and your interest in Keokuk's Oakland Cemetery!

Merchandise Order Form

Oakland Cemetery Initiative

Cemetery map with coordinates and brief bios available here!

Notable People Resting in Oakland Cemetery

John Octavius Anderson

Potter's Field

Anne Britton Davis

John Drain

Ray Garrison

David Burke Hillis

Husikamp

Joy

John R. Maxwell

Edward P. McManus

Ralph Bell

John Bruce

Francis Delaney

Nannie Peairs Fulton

Jeremiah Peter "Jerry" Harrington

James Bruen and Lida Gordon Howell

Irwin Family

Kilbourne

Johnathan McCarty

Dave McNally

Charles Pitkin Birge

Samuel Ryan Curtis

Greg Douglas

John Gaines

Rosina "Rosa" Zindle Hesse

Hubinger

Virginia Wilcoxs Ivins

Bill Logan

George Washington McCrary

Daniel Fry Miller

How You Can Help:

Contact Us