Sage Chapel Cemetery
O'Fallon Missouri
History of Sage
People of Sage Chapel Cemetery
Stories of Sage Chapel
Clyde Dierker
Simon White
Lottie Washington
William Clarence
Lucy Hughes White
Mishey Edwards
Howard Morris
Margaret Luckett
Delia Dyer
Dorothy Edwards
Arthur Edwards
Jane Clarence
George Sanders
Carl R. Sanders
Schylar Sallee
Charles Sallee
Jessie White
Mary Brady
Thomas Clarence
Mary Edwards
E.W. Abington
Mary E. Sallee
Florence Vardeman
Martha Burrell
Alvin Edwards
Winston Davis
Hilda Claiborne
Marshall Edwards
Pricella Ball
Roman V. Edwards
Leo Hart
Cora Thornton
Betty Norris
Elizabeth Hayden
Cora White
Leslie H. Luckett
Preacher Jefferson Franklin Sage
Howard Morris Ceremony
A day at Sage Chapel Cemetery
People of Sage
Featured Dorris Keeven-FrankeLeave a comment
Simon Leslie White passed away on August 13, 1966 in St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Charles. He had suffered a heart attack at his home in O'Fallon, 509 Sonderen Street. He was the son of Rufus and Millee (nee Sallee) and born on August 7, 1881. He leaves behind his wife Cora (nee Abington) White and several children and grandchildren. The family was served by the O'Fallon Mortuary (Callahans) in O'Fallon.
Funeral services Held Today For S.L. White, 85
Funeral services were held today (Wenesday for Simon Leslie White, 85, who died Saturday, August 13, at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Charles, Mr. White suffered a heart attack last
Photo of Simon and Cora White and their grandchildren from the O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society- The Mary Stephenson Collection and Jim Frain. Michael is in the shadow on the porch, Arlene, Betty and Michael are children of Pete and Mae White, son of Simon and Cora White.
Friday and was rushed to the hospital. Services were at 2 p.m. at the O'Fallon Mortuary with burial in the Sage Chapel cemetery. Mr. White was a member of the Hopewell Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Cora Avington [sic] White; eight children, Sylvester White, O'Fallon, Mrs. Margaret McCormick, Arthur White, LuLurean Thornton, Beaulah White, all of St. Louis; Thomas White, Overland; Eugene White Chicago, and Harry White, St. Charles; three step-sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces and grandchildren. O'Fallon Community News, August 17, 1966.
On August 20th, in 1881, Mahala (Keithly) and her husband Jasper Costlio had transferred to the Trustees of an African Methodist Episcopal Church for the use by the Conference, one acre of land, which became known as Sage Chapel Cemetery. This was done so that the former slaves of Samuel Keithly could continue to be buried in this cemetery. That same deed conveyed a one-half acre parcel on Sonderen Street to be used for a church known as Sage's Chapel. The members of Cravens Methodist, and Wishwell Baptist, also located on Sonderen Street, also used this cemetery to bury their families. None of these churches or their records exist anymore. Sage Chapel Cemetery is a former African American community cemetery that is maintained by the City of O'Fallon, Missouri, located at 8500 Veterans Memorial Parkway. It has 117 documented burials of which only 37 have headstones, of these we know that 17 were born enslaved. (2018) May they rest in peace "As long as a name can be spoken, that person shall not be forgotten."
O'Fallon Community News, August 17, 1966, Thanks to Justin Watkins for providing the obituary.
William Harrison Clarence was a former Pastor at Wishwell Baptist Church in O'Fallon, Missouri. He passed away on September 29, 1965 in the Lincoln County Hospital in Troy. He was born in Somerset, Kentucky on December 23, 1888, the son of Bowan and Jane (Gilmore) Clarence. Bill and his wife, the former Jane Hayden, lived on the Salt River Road, near the Chain of Rocks Road, next to her brother Tom Hayden. They had no children. He had been preceded in death by his wife Jane, and his brother Thomas, both buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery. Mr. Charles Callahan served the family on October 2, 1965.
Bill Clarence Services Held
William Harrison "Bill" Clarence, 76, died Wednesday, September 29, at the Lincoln County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services were conducted at 8 pm Friday from O'Fallon Mortuary, Inc. with the Rev. John McCaleb officiated. Burial was at 9 am Saturday in the Sage Chapel Cemetery. Mr. Clarence was a resident of the O'Fallon community for more than 50 years. He lied north of Josephville on the Cuivre River. At one time Mr. Clarence was in the trucking business and hauled cattle, feed and other materials for local farmers. He is a former pastor of the Wishwell Baptist Church on Sonderen Street. Mr. Clarence was preceded in death by his wife, Jane (nee Hayden) in 1946. Arrangements were by O'Fallon Mortuary, Inc. [O'Fallon Community News, October 6, 1965.]
O'Fallon Community News, October 6, 1965, provided by Justin Watkins
Lottie Washington passed away June 16, 1961 from a heart attack at the age of 63 years. She had been born June 11, 1898 in St. Charles County, the daughter of George and Alverna "Vernie" (Luckett) Thomas. She was preceded by her first husband Albert O'Day (February 7, 1896-Aug 28, 1940) who was also buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery. She was married at the time she passed, to Harvey Washington (March 25, 1885-February 2, 1963) of Wright City, Missouri. She and Albert had several children: Alberta, Jim (September 23, 1916-February 2, 1919 at Sage Chapel Cemetery). Walter. Ed (July 7. 1920-March 7, 1922 at Sage Chapel Cemetery), Edith (June 1, 1922-April 1, 1923 at Sage Chapel Cemetery), Leona, Bessie, and Christopher. After funeral services at Neiburg Funeral Home in Wright City, she was buried on June 19, 1961 at Sage Chapel Cemetery.
Featured Dorris Keeven-Franke3 Comments
Lucy Hughes White passed away on January 22, 1958. She had been born enslaved in O'Fallon on the 16th of February 1864. Lucy married Leonidas "Lee" Hughes as Lucy Singleton, on November 28, 1881 in St. Charles, where his family farmed. They had five children, son Reverend Fred Hughes (1885-1966) who served as Pastor at several African Methodist Episcopal Churches in St. Louis and California, daughter Viola Mae Hughes (1887-1975) who married Alexander Lewis from Howard County and moved to California, daughter Margaret "Maggie" (1889-1953) who married Spherrel Claiborne (Junior), and daughter Georgia (1891-1974) who married Wheeler Lewis and later moved to St. Louis. After Leonidas Hughes passed away, she and Thomas St. Clair (1852-1908 buried in Greenwood Cemetery-St. Louis) had two daughters, Rhoda (1902-) and Clara (1904-). After Thomas St. Clair passed away, in 1908 she married Rufus White (1852-1919) who was also born a slave, who had several children by his previous marriage to Millie Sallee, Simon, Sherman and Ethel. By 1920, Lucy was living near Lincoln Street in a log house that was near where the Krekel Civic Center is today. She worked as a laundress, by taking in wash, and taking in boarders, to support her loving family of children and grandchildren who lived with her. She lived there for many years and is still fondly remembered. She had gone to live with her daughter Georgie in Kinloch, Missouri, before she passed away and then brought home to Sage Chapel Cemetery.
Lucy White holding her granddaughter, Juanita (later Juanita Sanders), in front of her log cabin. Photo (circa 1925) from Mary Stephenson and the photo collection of the O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society.
Four generations, left to right: Mishey Edwards, Mrs. Mary Stephenson, Dorothy Edwards. Mary Stephenson is holding her oldest child, Margaret, and the little boy in front is Albert, her sister's son. Photo from the O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society – Mary Stephenson Collection.
Mrs. Mishey Edwards of O'Fallon, Mo., passed away at her home Monday evening at five o'clock following a heart attack. Mrs. Edwards who was 76 years old and a resident of O'Fallon for a number of years is survived by one son. Donald of Kansas City, Mo. Five grandchildren, Donald Jr. and Mrs Anna Jean William of Kansas City, Mrs. Mary
Mishey Edwards tending her chickens. Photo from O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society and Mary Stephenson.
Stephenson of St. Charles, Mrs. Betty Keys of St. Louis and Leo Hart of O'Fallon, Mo., seven great grand children and a number of other relatives and friends. The body will be in state at the Craven Chapel M.E. Church in O'Fallon, Mo. from Friday evening until 2 pm. Saturday afternoon when funeral services will be conducted. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Daily Cosmos Monitor October 3, 1957
Mishey passed away on September 30, 1957. She was born on November 10, 1881, the daughter of Charles "Freeman" Letcher and Frances Rafferty. She was preceded by her son Gilbert Hubbard, born July 7, 1898 who died April 10, 1919; her son by Arthur Edwards, Rolf Chester born the 5th of May and died the 12th of June, 1912; daughter Dorothy Edwards born February 22, 1904 and died February 2, 1952; and her husband of nearly fifty years, Arthur Edwards, also known as Arthur Vardeman who passed away three months before. They are all buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery.
* Daily Cosmos Monitor October 3, 1957 provided by Justin Watkins
Featured Dorris Keeven-Franke1 Comment
Howard I. Morris passed away on April 29, 1957 and was buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery on May 2, 1957. He had been born in the small town of Auburn in Lincoln County, on October 8, 1889, the son of Shadrack "Shad" and Harriet (Boone) Morris. Howard's father had served in the 64th U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. After emancipation on January 11, 1865, Shad and Harriet were married on January 3, 1866. They raised a family of 12 children, however only seven were still living in 1910. Howard's siblings were Browdy, Stella, Minnie, Levia, Golela, and Lena.
Soon came World War I, and 27 year-old Howard Morris enlisted in the 65th Pioneer Infantry of the United State Army on September 26, 1918 where he served in the Headquarters Company. He came home on December 7, 1918. After his discharge from the Army in 1918, Howard married Mary Truelove "Lovie" Luckett Vardeman (seen below), the widow of John Vardemann, who had died in January of 1918. (Lovie's sister Stella was the grandmother of Phyllis Hayden). Lovie was the daughter of George F. and Phyllis (Abington) Luckett. He was a wonderful stepfather to her two sons, John (Nov 11, 1910-June 17, 1976) and George Vardeman (July 25, 1915-November 10-1984). In their later years Howard and Mary lived with her son George, north of O'Fallon near the town of St. Paul in Cuivre Township. They were members of the Cravens Methodist Church next to the black school at the corner of Elm and Sonderen. Howard was quietly buried in Sage Chapel Cemetery when he died.
George Vardeman lived with his mother "Lovie" Morris (center) and Howard Morris
Howard Morris' stone was replaced on August 12 of 2017, and the family given full military honors at the ceremony at Sage Chapel Cemetery.
Photos of the Howard Morris Ceremony by Dorris Keeven-Franke and of the Howard Morris tombstones by Jim Frain.
Margaret "Maggie" Luckett passed away on May 3, 1953 from a heart attack, at her home at 1819 Randolph Street, in St. Charles. She was born May 8, 1889, the daughter of Leonidas and Lucy (Singleton) Hughes. Her father died when she was only ten years old, leaving her mother to raise five children alone. Her siblings were Fred, Viola, Georgie and Ethel. She grew up on the hill, in O'Fallon. Maggie married Spherrel Claiborne Junior, she had one son, Clarence Claiborne who was born March 4, 1909 and he died February 2, 1945, and was buried in Sage Chapel Cemetery. Margaret later married Les Luckett. She was buried on May 7, 1953 in Sage "hill" Cemetery, after funeral services by E. A. Keithly.
Delia Dyer passed away on April 9, 1953 from congestive heart failure, after being ill for over six months. She was born the daughter of Dan Nash on January 1, 1884 in the Chain of Rocks community. She married Alex Dyer on the 21st of November 1900 of Old Monroe, in Lincoln County She leaves behind daughters Lulu, Delphine (Floyd Blackwell) and Elvira (Fred Ricket). She was a member of Wishwell Baptist Church on Sonderen. The Funeral was at the colored cemetery in O'Fallon, three days later, and was handled by Keithly Funeral Home. Stories passed down say that "the cemetery was named for the field of Sage that grew there."
Dorothy Edwards (left) and Esther Hubbard. Photo from the O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society (Mary Stephenson Collection).
Dorothy Edwards passed away February 2, 1952, and was buried in what her family referred to as Wishwell Cemetery, but also called Sage Chapel on February 5th, from the Keithly Funeral Home in O'Fallon, Missouri. She was born the daughter of Arthur and Artie "Mishey" (nee Letcher) Edwards on February 28, 1904, in the St. Paul area, where she grew up. She worked for many years as a housekeeper for many of the area's families. In the 1940s, her family moved to O'Fallon, and lived on what the local community called "the hill". They had moved
Dorothy Edwards as an infant. Photo from the O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society and Mary Stephenson.
into O'Fallon so that the young people, like her daughter Mary, could go to High School and get an education. In St. Charles was Franklin High School, where all "colored" children of St. Charles County, Warren County and southern Lincoln Count were "allowed" to go. She was preceded in death by two of her children, Gilbert Hubbard and Rolf "Chester" Edwards, and her father Arthur Edwards. She leaves behind her mother, Mishey, a brother Donald, two daughters, Mary (Stephenson ) and Betty (Norris) and a son Leo Larue Hart.
Dorothy Edwards took care of the McMenemy children. Photo from the O'Fallon Missouri Historical Society and Dorothy Stephenson.
Arthur Edwards, also known as Arthur Vardeman, passed away June 25, 1951. Services were at the Albert Hoppe Funeral Home on Washington Avenue in St. Louis, and he was buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery on June 28th. Mr. Edwards was a member of Wishwell Baptist Church on Sonderen Street in O'Fallon. At the time of his death he was in St. Louis County Hospital because he had suffered a stroke. He was born on August 28, 1881, in O'Fallon, and had worked as a farm laborer his whole life. He married Artie "Mishey" Letcher in about 1903. Arthur helped raise one stepson, Gilbert Hubbard, born July 7, 1898 who died April 10, 1919 and who is buried in Sage Chapel Cemetery. He and Mishey lost one other son, Rolf Chester born the 5th of May and died the 12th of June, 1912, who is also buried at Sage Chapel Cemetery. Besides his wife Mishey, Arthur leaves behind a daughter Dorothy, and a son Donald Van Edwards of Kansas City, Mo.
Established in 1881 by the members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in O'Fallon Missouri. It has been used by members of the Cravens Methodist Episcopal Church (O'Fallon), Wishwell Baptist Church (O'Fallon) as well and other African-American members of the community.
Remembering Howard Morris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFmIBpTdJ3s
Recognizing the Past
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHNiCPvE7a4&t=148s
8500 Veterans Memorial Parkway, O'Fallon, MO
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