Godfrey Cemetery

Godfrey Cemetery. . The Godfrey Cemetery, originally known as Monticello Cemetery, was part of the property owned by Benjamin Godfrey that was donated to the Monticello Seminary in February 1840. Four acres of the property were to be used for interments for the Seminary. Records indicate the first burial on the property was Abigail Turner in 1817. The first Godfrey family burial was Benjamin Godfrey's young daughter Caroline, who died on April 4, 1837, at the age of four. Another early interment was that of Revolutionary War veteran Jabez Turner, buried in 1846 at the age of 90. Benjamin Godfrey died in 1862, and his grave (lot 50) is marked by an obelisk. Also buried in the cemetery are veterans of the War of Mexico, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and both World Wars. In 1887, the Godfrey Cemetery Association took ownership of the property. , In 1897, Godfrey Cemetery Association board member Dr. William H.C. Smith founded Beverly Farm, a home in Godfrey for people with developmental disabilities. He purchased numerous grave plots designated for residents of Beverly Farm. , More recent notable burials include Jesse L. Cannon and his wife Charlene (Walker) Cannon. The Cannons were both trustees of Elijah P. Lovejoy's grave.