PRAIRIE REST CEMETERY
GUERNSEY, WY
“Most people think of cemeteries as scary, spooky places you want to avoid. But we like to think of them as places where you can go to learn more about history.”
Richard Viet
One hundred and fifty years ago Guernsey, Wy, was still a wilderness but all you have to do is check Register Cliff south of town to know people were coming through. People on the Oregon and Mormon Trail were headed west to find new homes. The Gold Rush of 1849 also brought its share of people to the Guernsey area. This was also where some people ended their trek.
The natural beauty of this area was considered a wonderful place to lay-over a couple of days and rest, bathe, wash clothes and take care of other necessities of life and death. Knowing this area was ahead it seems many people brought their loved ones here to lay them to rest in an area known as the “Emigrants washtub” because of the warm springs. A small cemetery began growing also. Later these graves were moved to the location that is known now asPrairieRestCemetery where there were also some unknown graves.
LUCINDY ROLLINS: Although Lucindy is not in Prairie Rest Cemetery hers is one of the oldest and most noted single graves in the area. It is perched above the Platte River at the base of Deep Rut Hill. Lucindy, who is believed to have started her journey in Dayton, OH, died here in June of 1849. She was probably headed for California. The existing obelisk was erected in 1934.
The oldest actually known grave in PrairieRestCemeteryis of Henry and Harry Seward who died in 1884. Many years later the remains of a man and an infant were found while digging another grave, unfortunately. The remains were sent to the state and after much testing it was documented that although the cause of death was unknown they had died in approximately 1880. At that time they were reburied in the southeast corner of the older part of Prairie Rest Cemetery.
Some other people of interest buried here are:
James Frederick Miller, who was born in 1881 in Guernsey, was one of Guernsey’s oldest residents
Thomas A. Kinch was a Civil War veteran who fought in several major battles. He was proud of the fact that he voted for Abraham Lincoln. (Born in 1842, died in 1934)
August Hanke was born in 1855 in Guernsey, Great Britain and came to Guernsey, WY, when he was 14 years old (1869).
Charles A. Guernsey moved here from New York in 1880 and bought land that was then Laramie County, WY. It is on that land that present day Guernsey sits.
Fred Burton, born 1875, deceased 1938 was a State Senator.
William Seward and his wife Etta built the first residence in the town ofGuernsey in 1899.
The original Prairie Rest Cemetery was staked out Oct 1, 1908. It was restaked and replatted in 1968 and the new section was given to the city by the National Guard in April, 1972 when it was also staked and platted.
“The founders of a new colony, whatever utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery,”
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Live for those who love me, for those who know me true, for the Heaven that smiles above me, and awaits my coming too; for the cause that lacks resistance, for the future and the distance, and the good that I can do. (Unknown)
Letter from Susan Fallone
Peg...Let me give you some info: My father is Alfredo Actura Fallone born in Sunrise, baptized March 3, 1913 in the Catholic Church there. His parent were Henry Fallone and Gertrude Anglen, they were married in Cheyenne in 1912. They had three children Al, Elma (chgd. to Alma) and Billie Jean or Jean Fallone.
Their father Henry was arrested for a Nebraska Bank robbery in 1930. From 1924-1930, Manager of Guernsey Motor Co., he is in the Wyoming State Business Directory in those years. He was the driver in a bank robbery across the border in Nebraska, the police were waiting for him when he returned from the robbery. In Federal Prison in Denver for 9 of the 17 years, he was sentenced and then pardoned. (Refer to: Nebraska State Journal Newspaper per his Pardon), it states: He unknowingly drove a car for friends to a First National Bank robbery in Morrill, Scottsbluff County, Nebraska, the police were waiting for him at his home, when he returned from the robbery. He was sentenced to 17 years but served 9 in Nebraska Prison and pardoned Feb 27 1945. He moved to Denver and then Texas with the Grandfather of Tony Lama, also in jail with him and died there.
"Joe Fallone" was Henry's step father...Matilda and he married in Newark, New Jersey in 1900 and had one son Donato who was baptized in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in January, 1901. He wasn't in the 1910 or 1920 Census of Wyoming.. "Joe" came from the same town that Matilda, her first husband and Henry came from, Casalvieri, Frosinone, Italy, they immigrated the same year from there in 1897. The story was that Colorado Fuel and Steel came to this Italian Catholic Church in New Jersey, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and offered the families to have their men come and work. The Fallone's took the train there to Sunrise.
My father Alfred, flew for the RCAF and Army Air Force over the Hump. He said he first flew a plane somewhere close to Sunrise.
We will be coming to visit this summer look forward to coming to the Archives, we came there years ago, we were able to walk around Sunrise...sorry to belabor this but it is good to tell someone...thanks for reading some of their history. It is interesting Matilda's obituary it sounds like she might have had a heart condition and my son was born with severe heart condition. Well thank you again I understand how busy you are, there are so few places where the town has done such a good job documenting such things as you have. Thank you, Susan
Susan..the information you have sent me is indeed very interesting. According to my records, Henry Fallone was the owner of the entire lot. We have no records if he was buried there or not. But it appears that someone may be buried in Plot # 3. But if Henry is buried in Texas that would clear up part of the mystery. And yes there are headstones for Matilda and Guiseppa. Actually, there are 13 graves open in Lot # 99, Old section of the Guernsey Cemetery. I also have both Matilda and Guiseppa's obituaries such as they are. That is about all that I can tell you. I might add that I also find genealogy very interesting and there are some really good stories left untold out there. I will mail the Obituaries to you and if there is anything else I can do please let me know. I will be looking forward to meeting you this summer. Peg
Peg..thank you so much again...who might be there is Serafino Iacabelli, he might have been related to Pietro Iacobelli, my great grandfather and her first husband, he was living with Matilda and Guiesppe Fallone in 1900 Newark Census and 1910 Wyoming Census. Matilda in both 1900 and 1910 says she had a total of seven children of which three were alive. One, Henry, Two, Maria..the third would have been Donato Fallone born in Newark, N.J. but as I said I could not find him after 1900..there is a Matt Falone, living outside of Evanston, Wy. but I called and they say he is not related to us. Peg, actually the grave might be actually Henry now that I think of it, I will have to confirm his burial though he did die in Texas for sure.. I emailed by daughters and granddaughter...they are interested.
Girls, isn't this great? So how interesting that Henry, my grandfather paid for all these plots in 1918 probably...in 1918 he was working for the Colorado, Steel and Iron Mine in Sunrise. So let me see 13 people, some would have been Matilda, my great grandmother, Alfred, my father, Alma,my aunt, Jean, my aunt, Gertrude, my grandmother, Guiesppe, stepgrandfather..I expect Henry would have thought of husbands, wives of his children that would be 12....how interesting, huh? Thanks again, Peg...Susan
Susan..our information tells us that the other 13 graves are empty. However, that certainly could be what Henry had planned for. And how thoughtful is that. Our records also do not show an Iacabelli family.
Do you have copies of both Obituaries? If not I will be happy to send them to you, however, I will need your address. So let me know if you would like to have them. Again, hope to meet you this summer. Peg
Hi Peg..I would love to give you my address for that info. I don't have "Joe's" that would be great. Yes, I will look forward to meeting you also, I will let you know our approximate travel plans when we're closer to a trip. Thanks for all, Susan
Peg..I also wanted to thank you for looking through the records of the other cemeteries for our names. When we went to Sunrise last, I remember going by the Hartville Cemetery thinking possibly family was there so thank you for that research. This will be an exciting journey as I look over the Wyoming Archive records available there, what a great job you all have done.
Thank you again, Take Care....Susan
FOLLOW UP, JANUARY 12, 2012 (2 YEARS LATER)
On December 27, 2011 we received a phone call from Susan Fallone's younger brother, John. He had looked at the Guernsey web site on the internet because he remembered his family used to live here. He had been looking for some news of his family since he had last been in contact with them 30 years ago. He wanted to know if we had any information as to Susan's where abouts. The following is the result and why keeping cemetery records is so important. Peg
Hi Susan, This is so exciting to me. This morning I received a message from John Fallon who says he is your younger brother. I went to the files because I didn't know how much of your information I had kept and there it was. Your name, address and e-mail. When we talked he said you had lost touch about 30 years ago and he had been looking for you but of course your name had changed. I told him I would send you his telephone # and he was agreeable to that. So now it is up to you if you want to contact him. I can't believe you wouldn't want to, but wanted to stay on the safe side and he was agreeable to this also. His # is xxxxxxxxxx and he lives in CA. Please let me know how this all turns out....Peg
Peg, How amazing...this was the e-mail of a lifetime to see those words, "Your younger brother John"....thank you so much for keeping my info. We have spent hours on the phone catching up, a great gift for us all. Well have a wonderful day our family is truly appreciative. You have reunited six children with our family. Maybe now we all will come back to Guernsey and see you....God bless you and take care always, Susan.