Mulkey Cemetery in rural Sedgwick County near Garden Plain contains just twenty-two known burials, and possibly more that are unmarked. The last known burial here was in 1897.
Once an abandoned burial ground trampled by cattle and only touched by the county maintenance crew twice a year, the cemetery was last restored in 1989 by Kenny Scheer. He found and restored the gravestones, placed wooden markers for those who were missing markers, and mowed on a more frequent schedule. Kenny also provided signage for the cemetery.
A weathered and wrinkled paper posted to the wooden cemetery signage has a list of the known people buried in the cemetery based on the gravestones that remained. It also says the cemetery was established on land belonging to Joseph Mulkey.
I couldn’t find Joseph Mulkey, but did find that the cemetery was established on the corner of land homesteaded by Howard Mulkey. There were other Mulkeys in Sedgwick County in the early 1870’s, but it was Howard Mulkey who received the homestead claim in 1877 for the quarter section of land that contains the cemetery.
At least twenty-one of Howard’s friends, neighbors, or relatives were buried here on the prairie he tamed, on land that is lovingly maintained by today’s friends and neighbors.
Howard and Helen Mulkey
Howard Mercer Mulkey was born in Tennessee in 1828 and by 1851, he was in Illinois where he married Helen Pyle. The couple had their first child in Illinois before coming to Missouri in 1860. Howard registered for the service in 1863 while in Missouri, but I couldn’t find a record proving he ever served in the Civil War.
We know from Howard’s land claim record that he came to Sedgwick County in July 1875 with his wife Helen and four children. He built a 16×18 house to stake his claim on 160 acres, for which he paid $1.25 an acre. By mid-1876, his farm had expanded to include a well, 300 fruit trees, 200 forest trees, a corral, a shed for stock, and a smokehouse.
Howard died in 1879 of “brain fever” at age 50 at his home near the cemetery. He was the first known person to be buried at the cemetery that bears his name, but his grave is not marked today, and may never have been. His memorial on Find a Grave has a photo of his wife’s grave marker, which was presumably made and placed by Kenny Scheer.
Helen Pyle was born in Illinois and was the third youngest of ten children. As with most women from that time, not much is known about her life; more is known about the men whom she cared for or raised. Her son Cyrus established the Jayhawker Poultry Yards in Garden Plain, and according to family lore, her older brother, Dr. Octavius Pyle, had a town named after him called Pyle (or Pylestown). The name was purportedly suggested by Helen’s husband, Howard.
Helen outlived her husband by almost a decade, raising her younger children alone. Her grave marker doesn’t have birth or death dates for her, and the months are also apparently incorrect. According to Helen’s family, she was born in July 1828 and she died at age 59 in April 1888. The Garden Plain Herald reported that she died from “a stroke of palsy” at age 61.
As previously mentioned, Helen’s wooden marker, and others found at Mulkey Cemetery, are not original. These were likely placed when the cemetery was restored by Kenny Scheer.
Other Burials at Mulkey Cemetery
William Woodruff
William Woodruff and his family were neighbors of the Mulkeys. William died from consumption one month after Howard died and was buried here on his friend’s farm.
He also has a gravestone in Andover that he shares with his wife, but he is presumed to be buried here. It’s hard to tell, but this gravestone was carved by Kimmerle & Adams of Wichita.
Roscoe Shannon
Roscoe Shannon was the seven-year-old son of Dr. Thomas H. Shannon and his wife Sarah Galliher. Dr. Shannon served the Cheney area in the late 1870’s and early 1880’s, and even though he did business in Cheney and his home was said to be in Cheney, he owned land adjacent to the Mulkeys. The Shannons buried one of their children here at their neighbor’s farm.
Like Helen’s grave marker, Roscoe’s wooden marker has been set in concrete and he has been provided a permanent space for flowers.
The Gensman Family
Conrad and Harriet “Hattie” Gensman buried at least four of their children here at Mulkey Cemetery, one right after the other.
Little Merty was just seven months old when she died and was buried here. Based on the style, her gravestone was carved by Kimmerle & Adams, even though the maker’s mark is gone.
Just six months later, they buried another child, one day old Mary. Less than a year later, seventeen day old Walter died and was buried near his sister. The two siblings share a double gravestone decorated with a lamb and a dove.
The maker’s mark on the gravestone for these little ones is still visible and confirms it was a Kimmerle & Adams job.
A fourth child, also named Mary, died in 1888, but she does not have a grave marker here. Their mother Harriet died in 1894 from puerperal fever, or childbed fever, a bacterial infection of the female reproductive organs that occurs within ten days of childbirth, so presumably a fifth child was also buried here with her in 1894.
There are several other Gensmans here, including Kansas “Kansie” Osborn, who was Harriet’s sister. Kansie also married a Gensman, a relative of Conrad’s named Nicholas Gensman. Kansie died in 1897 of “the grippe,” or influenza, at age 39 and was the last known person to be buried here. She shares this gravestone with a son, Carl, whose birth and death dates are not known.
This gravestone tells several stories, including one that proves that Kenny Scheer wasn’t the first person to take on the responsibility of restoring Mulkey Cemetery. On the reverse side of Kansie’s stone, the base reads “This monument reset and cemetery renovated, May, 1950, by her son, Lorn.” Lorraine Michael “Nick” Gensman, Kansie’s son, was a U.S. Congressman for Oklahoma.
Emma Ida Taylor
Emma was the wife of William H. Taylor, Jr. She died of diphtheria, according to the 1880 Federal mortality schedule, and left three young children behind.
Some credit Emma’s husband with naming the town of Garden Plain and building the town’s first house in 1882. William was the postmaster of Garden Plain for 20 years and ran the town’s Real Estate, Loan and Insurance Agency and later served as the Vice President of the Garden Plain State Bank.
Sarah Bingham
Sarah McClain was born in Ireland and migrated to Canada where she met her husband, Thomas Bingham. She birthed at least twelve children by the time she reach 40, and eleven of them (ages 25, 24, 23, 21, 20, 19, 17, 16, 14, 10, & 7) were all living at home with her and her husband in Sherman Township when the 1880 census was taken. Sarah died later that year at age 48. If the style didn’t give it away, Sarah’s gravestone was also carved by Kimmerle & Adams.
Delia Sullivan
Little Delia Sullivan was just 17 months old when she died, but I couldn’t find out much about her beyond what was carved onto this gravestone by (you guessed it) Kimmerle & Adams.
Golden Children
Brothers William and Clarence Golden died in 1886 and 1888 and share this marble gravestone carved by an unknown carver. Their parents, S.H. and M.A. Golden, also remain unknown to me.
Myrtella Miser
Little Myrtella Miser died in November 1886 at age 4, but like the Golden children, I wasn’t able to find out much about her beyond what’s on this gravestone.
Eliza Smith
Eliza Smith was 28 years old when she died, but like the others above, I couldn’t find out anything about her beyond what you see here.
Lydia Jones
Lydia Jones has a wooden grave marker that says she was the wife of Harvey Jones, and that she lived to be 84 years old. Prior to her death, it was reported that she could “get around nearly as well as much younger people.”
Elder William Dorman
Rev. William Dorman was born in Tennessee and came to Garden Plain around 1875. He was the pastor of Garden Plain Baptist Church, a husband, and a father to eight. He died of heart disease at age 72.
Joseph Elisha Davis
Joseph Davis came to Sedgwick County in the 1870’s with his wife and three children and died here just before reaching age 75.
Sarah Lively
Sarah Lively was the last person buried at Mulkey Cemetery who wasn’t a member of the Gensman family. Born Sarah Cook in Tennessee, she was the second wife of Richard “Dick” Lively and the mother to four of his children.
Sarah’s gravestone bears a very old style of repair, something that was state-of-the-art at the time, but would be frowned upon now in gravestone and masonry repair circles.
Rainwater running from the bolt used in the repair has created a white line beneath it, while the rest of the stone is covered in dark lichens.
Additional Resources
Pyle family history, 1594-1954, Lela Livingston
W.H. Taylor, The Weekly Eagle, Wichita, KS, Mar 7, 1878
Howard Mulkey Died, The Wichita Weekly Beacon, Wichita, KS, Feb 5, 1879
The Taylor Concert, Cheney Journal, Cheney, KS, Jun 14, 1884
Garden Plain Had A Wedding, Cheney Journal, Cheney, KS, Sep 6, 1884
Helen Mulkey Died, The Garden Plain Herald, Garden Plain, KS, Apr 26, 1888
Rev. William Dorman Died, The Wichita Eagle, Wichita, KS, Jun 22, 1888
Rev. William Dorman Died, The Cheney Weekly Blade, Cheney, KS, Jun 22, 1888
In Memorium, Garden Plain Herald, Garden Plain, KS, Jun 28, 1888
Mrs. Swaim Died, Garden Plain Herald, Garden Plain, KS, Aug 9, 1888
Mary Gensman Died, Garden Plain Herald, Garden Plain, KS, Oct 4, 1888
Mrs. Lydia Jones, The Wichita Eagle, Wichita, KS, Oct 30, 1888
Harriet Gensman Died, The Mount Hope Clarion, Mount Hope, KS, Jan 5, 1894
Mrs. Conrad Gensman Dies, The Mount Hope Clarion, Mount Hope, KS, Jan 5, 1894
Kansie Gensman Died, The Mount Hope Clarion, Mount Hope, KS, Apr 30, 1897
W.H. Taylor, The Wichita Beacon, Wichita, KS May 2, 1968
Mowed, Not Mourned, The Wichita Eagle, Wichita KS, May 25, 2000
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