Laurel Hill Cemetery

Laurel Hill Cemetery. . , Confederate Soldiers , In this area, along the front fence line, five Confederates are buried. They died of wounds shortly after a skirmish near Weston. Union troops were encamped in the northern part of the cemetery, the confederates were buried under cover of night and their identities have never been discovered. Missouri was a hotbed of dissension over slavery during the Civil War. There were numerous skirmishes involving the Paw-Paw Militia, Bushwhackers, Redlegs, Union and Confederate troops in the area., The Houser Family , Born in Ohio, the Houser family patriarch, Nimrod “Nim” Houser, came to Weston in about 1850. Here, he married Mary Blanton and they raised a family of four sons: Thomas, Warren, Allen and Neal. Nim owned and operated a livery stable on Thomas Street in Weston until his death in 1913. His sons grew to be good businessmen, husbands and fathers, and were known to be outgoing, helpful, kind and personable, just as their father was. The last of the Houser family died in Weston in 1965., The Murdock Family , Originally from Ireland, the Murdocks raised a large family in the Fancy Bottom area, just northwest of Weston. Unfortunately, many members of the Murdock family died quite young. Ten died before reaching the age of 12 and another four died before reaching the age of 30., James William Murdock married Mary Manley and they had six children. James was involved in real estate, served Weston as a town Marshall [sic] for several years and was twice elected Mayor. He was president of the Laurel Hill Cemetery Association in 1921, serving until his death in March of 1926., Robert Wesley Murdock farmed in the Fancy Bottom area of Weston. At one time, he donated a 56 lb. pumpkin to the Weston Red Cross chapter to raise money for the world war one effort. A raffle was held at $0.05 per guess on the number of seeds within the pumpkin. He and his wife, Carrie Rogers, had four children., Charles A. Murdock, Jr. attended Wentworth Military Academy, and later became a bookkeeper for Lorillard Tobacco Co. and traveled around the country. In 1940, he returned to the area, purchasing and running a farm in the Farley area., [Inset photo captions, from top right to bottom right, read] , 1. Unknown Confederate soldier , 2. Telitha and Alexander Murdock , 3. Wreath and Palm symbolizing “victory in death” , 4. Angel Flying represents “rebirth” and the laying Tulip on top symbolizes “love evergrowing” , 5. A Poppy represents a “passageway to eternity” , 6. A Fern symbolizes “humility and sincerity”