Coutant Cemetery, Barry Co., MO

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Directions: Go South on Highway 37 out of Monett until you come to Farm Road 2050. Turn left, or east on that road, and travel 1/2 a mile, until you come to the first long driveway on the left side of the road. The address is 844 Farm Road 2050. It is a private lane. Halfway up the lane, on the right side of the driveway along the barbed wire fence, there are 5 graves.

Gerald Haddock added this to the information what Jay Trace had: That description puts it about 2 miles south of Waldensian Cemetery. He said that the Waldensians were a religious sect near the France-Italy border who separated from the Catholic Church in the 12th century - nearly 300 years before Martin Luther. They were continually harassed by the Catholic powers. The Monett group went to South America about the time of our Civil War, then came to Monett in 1875. The Railroad gave them a tract on land south of Monett to "keep in perpetuity for their church," so they built their church and cemetery and the people took up land in the area. With a French name and the dates given, I would suspect the some association.

Jay Trace added this bit of information: Their doctrines and practices let them fit comfortably into the Presbyterian Association in Barry County.

The following is the census of a graveyard, which is located on private property south of Monett, MO. Jack Fly and Ted Roller found it after I had talked to an older couple in the area. They described a man named "COOTAN" who had lived in the area several years ago. They told me the old man had been buried in his yard. Ted knew where the fellow had lived, and so he and Jack went there and found five graves. This family plot had never been transcribed, to my knowledge. Oddly enough, I don't think that the stones are now in the original place they had been. I think a farmer wanted the piece of dirt they occupied and moved the stones. Anyway, I'm not sure what you want to call the cemetery. I'll just call it the Coutant Cemetery, for lack of a better name.

Name	Born	Died	Research Notes & Inscriptions	Researcher or Resource
COUTANT, Francis Lucien	1858 France	Apr. 1940 Barry Co., MO	SSW: Sodonia and Elizabeth Tessier - Research Note: 1900 Federal Census, reads that he was born Mar. 1859 and that he had been a widow for 18 years. His mother S. Tessver (Sodonia Tessier) was a widow for 16 years, both parents born in France. - 1910 Census, Kings Prairie, Barry, Missouri - Lucien Coutant, head, age 53, single, born France, farmer; Sidonia, mother, age 71, widowed, born France, mother of 2 children, 1 living. - 1920 Census, Kings Prairie, Barry, Missouri - Lucien Coutant, head, age 61, farmer; Sidonia, mother, age 79, widowed, born France. - 1930 Census, Kings Prairie, Barry, Missouri - Lucien Coutant, head, value of home $8000, age 72, born France, farmer. - Another Photo	1900 Census Deceased, Beverly Matthews Census Phyllis Long Photo Jack Fly
COUTANT, Sodonia (TESSIER)	Apr. 3, 1838 France	Nov. 13, 1926 Purdy, Barry Co., MO	SSW: Lucien and Elizabeth Tessier - Research Note: According to her death certificate, she was a widow, age 88 yrs. 4 mo., 3 days of age. Name spelled as Sidonia Coutant on death certificate. Sadonia on headstone. Buried: Nov. 14, 1926, Home Cemetery, Purdy, MO. Father: Tessier, born France, Mother: Jiard, Giard or Siard, born France. Informant: L. Coutant, Purdy, MO. Undertaker: Blankenship of Purdy, MO. Jay Trace stated Jack Fly had mentioned that both the 1910 and 1920 Federal Census listed Sodonia Coutant with a son named Lucien. Lucien never married. This family was from France. Jack Fly thought that instead of the stones being moved that the driveway might have been laid there later. - Another Photo	Death Certificate Beverly Matthews Photo Jack Fly
RAPER, Charles A.	Oct. 31, 1879	Jan. 2, 1881?	Research Note: Son of Harold and Ama Caroline Raper. - 1880 Census, Kings Prairie, Barry, Missouri - Harold Raper, age 45, farmer, born TN, father born AL; Ama Caroline, age 37, wife, born TN, parents born TN; William Stalcup, age 18 stepson, born TN, parents born TN; Mary Eva Raper, age 10, daughter, born TN, parents born TN; John, son, age 8, born MO, parents born TN; Ollie (Olive), age 6, daughter, born MO, parents born TN; Dolly, age 3, daughter, born MO, parents born TN; Charley, son, age 7 months, born MO, parents born TN. - By 1900 census, Harold and family had moved to Boliver, MO.	Census Phyllis Long Photo Jack Fly
RAPER, Eddie L.	Nov. 4, 1867	Sept. 23, 1869	Research Note: Most likely son of Harold H. Raper. Not sure about his mother. 1870 Census, Kings Prairie, Barry, Missouri gives Harold and Caroline with daughter Mary, age 2 months, and Ama Caroline's son William Stalcup, age 7.	Census Phyllis Long Photo Jack Fly
TESSIER, Elizabeth (GIARD)	1817	1899 Nr. Purdy, Barry Co., MO	SSW: Sodonia and Lucien - Research Note: Evidently, she was the mother of Sadonia Coutant. Buried at home cemetery, presently named Coutant Cemetery. However the Raper's and E. Tessier were buried there first. Source: Sidonia Coutant Death Certificate - Another Photo	Death Certificate Beverly Matthews Photo Jack Fly