Mikeman Cemetery
AKA Cooper Cemetery

Near Shell Knob, Barry Co., MO
Shell Knob Twp.
Land Office Location - NW Sec. 10, T22N, R25W
GPS: 363750N 0933754W








Directions: Off 39 turn on to FR1240 and pass through Shell Knob. At the Y with FR2200 stop. The cemetery is on the south side of this intersection in the northeast corner of the former Mikeman home place.

Photos submitted by Jack Fly and Jay Trace.

Visit Mikeman Cemetery Files Here
B. L. Winegar's Great Grandfather Harmon Mikeman deeded the cemetery plot over to the Baptist church for their use on the condition that the church maintain the grounds and graves. There are family and non-family members buried there, the oldest headstone belonging to W. H. and Betsy Cooper (not related to Perry Cooper, husband of Flora Mikeman); this may account for it sometimes being referred to as the Cooper cemetery.

Barry County, MoGenWeb Researcher, Penny Bailey passes on this information for us all to enjoy.

"My info on the cemetery name came from talking with my Mother (Ida Cooper) and other Shell Knob natives."

My Mother has lived in the area all of her 83+ years. She is still the clerk of the Painter Cemetery. My Dad (Arl Cooper) mowed both the Painter and the Mikeman (Cooper) for years. The cemetery in question was taken over by the Baptist Church 60 to 70 years ago because of a feud between my branch of the Coopers (not the ones buried their) and the Mikemans. (a feud had been going on for years then a Cooper married a Mikeman ended up dieing and was buried in the Cemetery. Trouble started up again so the Church took over (or so the story goes). After Shell Knob started growing so fast the little cemetery was almost forgotten (it is a long way from the old Baptist Church and even more from the new one ) But the natives noticed a new gate was donated this year by the Mikeman family and it was brought to the attention of the Baptist Church that the cemetery was their responsibility.

July 24, 1997 January 2002 note from Penny: "I have been reading the old minutes from the Baptist Church here in Shell Knob. I found a entry on April 16, 1922. It reads: It was made public that a deed had been secured to the cemetery on Mr. Mikeman's farm.