This cemetery has a sign out front that says "Riverview Cemetery, Est Sept 23, 1908." However, the names "Apollo Cemetery" and "Old Apollo Cemetery" have also been applied to parts or all of this cemetery. The explanation of this is as follows.

The "old section"
"Apollo Cemetery" was apparently the original name for the original part of this cemetery. Burials commenced in the 1800s. This is where all the really old burials are located. I would estimate the number of burials at perhaps 1,000 to 1,300.

The "new section"
In 1908, the Riverview Cemetery Association opened up a new part of the cemetery. Today, this is called "the new section of Riverview Cemetery." I believe that all burials since the 1980s are located here. There must be at least 2,000 burials here. So strictly speaking, the name "Riverview Cemetery" applies only to the front part of the cemetery which extends from the bottom of the hill near the cemetery building to the top of the hill.

Today, most people call the old part "the old section of Riverview Cemetery." They call the modern cemetery "the new section of Riverview Cemetery." However, this is where the problem lies. The "old section" was never part of Riverview Cemetery. So this old section is more correctly called "Old Apollo Cemetery."

Today, the Riverview Cemetery association claims no responsibility for this old cemetery. However, burials continued in the old section from 1908 to at least 1973. Today, there is a dividing line between the new section (Riverview Cemetery) and the old section (Old Apollo Cemetery). There are two white signs about 3 feet by 4 feet in size. They are identical, and are separated by perhaps 60 yards. If you draw a line between these two signs, this is the dividing line between the two cemeteries. They both contain the same message stating that "Perpetual care in this old part of the Apollo Cemetery is being taken care of by Apollo Trust Company [a local bank] as trustee of the Apollo Lions Cemetery fund." The area behind the signs is the "old section."

Obituaries prior to 1908 state "burial will be in Apollo Cemetery." After the Riverviw Cemetery Association started the more modern part of the cemetery, obituaries stated "burial will be in Riverview Cemetery." However, many of them would also state "Burial will be in Apollo Cemetery." But who knows what the obituary really meat by "Apollo Cemetery."

So let's get back to the sign at the front of the cemetery. It says "Riverview Cemetery," but I guarantee that even the people living in Apollo don't know that this does not include the old part of the cemetery toward the rear.

Today, everyone in Apollo "knows" that Riverview Cemetery is really just "the Apollo Cemetery." But the details show a much more complicated situation which has no easy solution as far as naming this cemetery on Findagrave.

So as far as the cemetery on Findagrave what is the best solution to this problem? I think it is completely unreasonable to expect anyone to be able to look at an obituary and determine whether the person is buried in Riverview Cemetery or the Old Apollo Cemetery so having two different cemeteries on Findagrave is out of the question. So I think that it is best to simply combine both cemeteries into one. Should we call it Riverview Cemetery or Apollo Cemetery? I prefer to go with what the sign in front of the cemetery says. It says "Riverview Cemetery." The Riverview Cemetery Association has an office there and they are the organization that people will be contacting for information on burials there. Nearby Apollo Library has one book of burial records, plus an old reading of the old section, plus a 1970s reading of both the old and new sections.

Directions:
Go to the traffic light in Apollo (there is only one). Drive up the hill 50 feet to the Chambers Motel, Turn right on the side street just past the motel. Follow this street up the hill; it goes straight to the entrance of the Cemetery.

Alan Saltsman
April 4, 2009
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