"Milton discovered that he had tuberculosis when the older children were small. He prayed that he might live long enough to raise them to be big enough to help their mother make a living. He was a farmer. Milton was helping his brother-in- law, Caleb Reynolds, to clear timber from a 40 acre field about 1 1/4 miles north of Delta, so it could be farmed. He spoke about how restful and beautiful it was there and that when he died he would like to be buried under the tree at the top of the hill. Not too long after this he died and later Caleb gave one more acre of land on the hill-top to be used as a burial ground.
"Milton was buried in the place he had chosen, and the cemetery was named `Garrett Cemetery' for him, he being the first person buried there. A rail fence was constructed to keep cattle and stock from it.
"Later it became a law that no cemetery could be named for a person, so it was changed to 'Oak Hill' and is recorded as this. It is also known as `Delta Cemetery', because it was the only one close to town. Most of the people in Keokuk County know it as `Garrett' Cemetery, and the papers write of it this way also." - Mildred Grimsley
"Milton discovered that he had tuberculosis when the older children were small. He prayed that he might live long enough to raise them to be big enough to help their mother make a living. He was a farmer. Milton was helping his brother-in- law, Caleb Reynolds, to clear timber from a 40 acre field about 1 1/4 miles north of Delta, so it could be farmed. He spoke about how restful and beautiful it was there and that when he died he would like to be buried under the tree at the top of the hill. Not too long after this he died and later Caleb gave one more acre of land on the hill-top to be used as a burial ground.
"Milton was buried in the place he had chosen, and the cemetery was named `Garrett Cemetery' for him, he being the first person buried there. A rail fence was constructed to keep cattle and stock from it.
"Later it became a law that no cemetery could be named for a person, so it was changed to 'Oak Hill' and is recorded as this. It is also known as `Delta Cemetery', because it was the only one close to town. Most of the people in Keokuk County know it as `Garrett' Cemetery, and the papers write of it this way also." - Mildred Grimsley
Family Members
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Jeremiah Vardeman Garrett Sr
1818–1902
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John H Garrett
1820–1900
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Eliza Jane Garrett Reynolds
1824–1905
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Robert Garrett
1827–1874
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Mary Ann "Polly" Garrett White
1829–1918
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James Henry Garrett
1832–1921
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Andrew Prater Garrett
1836–1918
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Laurel Garrett
1838–1899
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Elijah L. Garrett
1840–1903
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William Fletcher Garrett
1843–1913
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