The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 4-21-1939:

The Klum Cemetery is situated upon the summit of a high wooded knoll in Section 32, Township 12 South of range 1 West in Linn County.  The location is about two miles directly east of Sodaville and one mile southwest of Waterloo.  The land is a portion of the William Klum Donation Land Claim; present owner not known….

No very definite history of this cemetery could be obtained.  The first burial of record is that of William Klum who died May 24, 1865 at the age of 70 years 2 months and 14 days.  This brings his birth date back to the year 1795 – the earliest here recorded.  This William Klum is the man who took up the original claim here and for whom the cemetery is named.  The second burial here is that of Mary E., Wife of W. Joslin, who died July 11, 1876.  the second oldest birth date of record is that of John B. Miller, 1822.

(Note—The extreme alteration in physical features about old cemeteries is illustrated by the following—

The field worker was accompanied on his trip to the cemetery by A. H. Parrish, a pioneer resident of the region.  He related how in the 1890’s, he helped to dig a grave in this cemetery.  At that time, he stated, “The summit of the hill was entirely bare and by simply stepping out to the rest of the slope it was possible to see for miles, and mark the approach of the funereal procession long before it reached the slopes.”

In contrast to this, the field worker himself attended a funeral here in the year 1913.  (Martha Hoke, 1848-1913).  At that time young firs were springing up in a thick, hedge –like ranks all about but none were taller than fifteen or twenty feet in height.

At the time this survey was made (April, 1939), the whole hill is covered with a considerable forest—many trees a foot to a foot and a half in diameter and reaching a height of from sixty to eighty feet.)

Historical & Biographical Notes:

John B. Miller.  1822-1906.  The second oldest birth date recorded here.

William Klum.  1795-1865.  The first burial here.  Also the oldest birth date recorded.  This man was the owner of the original Donation Land Claim of which the cemetery is a portion.

Mary E. Joslin.  1848-1876.  The second burial of record here.

[end of Haskin survey]

On-line Transcriptions:

None available at this time.  The Haskin WPA cemetery survey included transcriptions of approximately 30 burials through 1939.  Contact Lisa L. Jones for a lookup request.

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References used to prepare these cemetery pages are provided.
Lisa L. Jones prepared and is solely responsible for the content of these pages. 
Copyright 2001.