Stevens Cemetery is one of the small pioneer cemeteries in Fayette County, Indiana with the first burial occurring about 1810.  It appears that the last burial in the cemetery must have been around 1869.  The cemetery has been abandoned for many years.  Fortunately, Fayette County has an active cemetery restoration specialist who ensures that pioneer cemeteries such as this one are fenced and cared for.

Location: Stevens Cemetery is located one mile south of the village of Columbia, Indiana.  It is on private property and accessibility is difficult.  Anyone wishing to visit, should get permission from landowners or the cemetery restoration office. It might be possible to drive to it, but it is more likely that you will have to hike into it.  The landmark that is easiest to identify to know that you are close to the cemetery is a white concrete silo and a barn on a hillside.   The cemetery is beyond the barn back in a wooded area. Click on this photo to see where the cemetery is located and a close up of it.

Burials:  Clarence Stevens of Escalon, California researched the cemetery in 1951 and 1952. Thirteen graves markers were read and recorded then.   Clarence visited with a Guy Thomas, an area resident in 1952, who stated that when he was a boy, there were some forty to fifty graves visible int he cemetery.

Recent work: The Cemetery Restoration specialist located the cemetery in 1996.  He found it in bad shape. Several stones were broken, but there will be attempts to repair them.  The cemetery is now fenced. On October 27, 2000, I visited the cemetery for the first time. I had tried to visit it previously, in 1998 but never found it. This time, I met an area resident who helped me hike to it. I photographed many of the stones. Many are readable, while others are broken or worn so badly to not be readable. When Clarence Stevens visited the cemetery in 1952, he recorded 13 graves. There are more than that now, so some stones that had sunk have been located etc.  Much work remains to be done in the cemetery.  Hopefully, more sunken stones will be found.

The table below lists the grave markers in Stevens Cemetery. Information for each burial is compiled from information from Clarence Stevens 1952 or from the grave markers that are visible now. Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger view. Then use your back button to come back to this page.

Edwin, son of R. & J. Brison, d. Dec 11, 1810, age 3 yrs, 7mo, 3 days. (Year is questionable).
Isaac Harrell, died 1848, age 67.
Delilah Harrell, wife of Isaac Harrell, d. 1869, age 82 yrs.
Nancy Harrel, dau of Isaac and Delilah Harrel, d. July 10, 1838, aged 19.	Stone not identified in 2000.
Barbara, wife of Oliver Stevens, b. 1830, d. 1861
Oliver Stevens, d. Oct 9, 1859, aged 29 yrs., 1 mo., 2 da.
Oliver Stevens, son of O. and B. Stevens, d. 1853, aged 13 mo.	Stone not identified in 2000.
Elijah Stevens, died 1843	Stone was broken into small pieces in 1952.
Nancy, wife of Elijah Stevens, b. Jan. 11, 1789, died May 27, 1861, aged 72.
Enoch Stevens, d. Feb. 6, 1853, aged 33 yrs. 11 mo. and 24 days.
Richard Winchel, died 1848	Stone not identified in 2000.
Richard Stevens, died 1829. No stone in 1952.	Stone not identified in 2000.
James Stevens, died 1826. Stone was not found in 1952, but a military style marker now is in the cemetery.
Amanda D. Stevens, dau. of Oliver and Barbara Stephens, Aug 16, 1855 - Jan. 26, 1864.  (Stone was not recorded in 1952, but was standing in 2000)
Asbury G., adopted son of H. & E Sparks, died October 3, 1853. aged 5 yrs, 6 mo. 17 days. (Stone was not recorded in 1952, but was standing in 2000)

James Stevens was a Revolutionary War Soldier as his military marker verifies.

Elijah Stevens died March 27, 1843. Upon his death, his son, Enoch Stevens was appointed administrator of the estate after Elijah's wife Nancy, renounced her right to act as administrix. Partial payments were made to the following: widow Nancy, Solomon, Isaac, Enoch, Edmund, Henry J. and Oliver H. Stevens, and Elizabeth the wife of Thomas J. Lewark. (Fayette County Probate Book D).

Edwin Brison was possibly the grandson of Isaac and Delilah Harrell (Edwin's mother was Julia Harrel Brison). There is a date discrepancy that must be resolved. Maybe the stone reads 1840 rather than the 1810 recorded by Clarence Stevens.

Isaac Harrell was a son of pioneer, Chester Harrell.  His wife was Delilah Doom Harrell.  Interestingly, their stones are not side by side in the cemetery.   Of course, one or both of the stones may have been moved.

Richard Winchell was a son-in-law of Isaac Harrell. He had married Isaac's daughter, Drusilla, in 1828.

Go back to the Harrell Page.