Klaus Family Cemetery
This cemetery is located on private property SW of the town of Palmyra, 0.25 mile east of the intersection of 2nd and 'I' roads, on the north side of the road. The cemetery is situated on a grassy knoll. Please gain permission from the property owner prior to visiting this cemetery.
There were only two burials at this gravesite, but no gravestones remain though. Burial records for this cemetery were obtained from the DAR Genealogical Records Committee. There is no recorded history for the cemetery, only what has been compiled through researching historical documents of that time period. The following passage is an assumption based off of these documents by the Otoe County Genealogical Society.
"Anton Klaus, born in April of 1832, immigrated to the United States on 23 April 1875, departing Bremen Germany on the ship, Hohenzollern, with his sister, Johanna Klaus, and arriving in New York City on 23 April 1875. Anton Klaus married his wife, Mary E. Fields, in 1876. Mary was born in August of 1853 in Indiana. Anton and Mary had three children. Their first two children were twins, Mary and Martha, born on 01 January 1878.
Martha died on 27 March 1878, and was buried on the Klaus homestead next to Anton’s sister, Johanna, who passed away on 01 November 1876 at the age of 24 years, 2 months, and 25 days. Their last child, Mary, was born in November of 1880. Anton, his wife, Mary, and their two children are listed as living on their homestead in Palmyra in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census. Anton’s father in-law, Henderson Fields, is listed as living with the couple as well." (1)
"Anton Klaus probably came to Hendricks Precinct probably in 1868. He was a native of Germany, 28 years of age, and had no family. He owned 80 acres of land valued at $1,000.00, of which 45 acres were under cultivation and 10 acres in woodland. His farm implements were worth $60.00. His livestock valued at $250,000 included two horses, one mulch cow and three hogs. In 1869 he had raised 550 bushels of wheat.
Anton Klaus was assessed for personal taxes in Hendricks Precinct from 1869 to 1872. He was listed with his family in Palmyra Precinct in the 1880 census. His age was given as 39 years. Mary, his wife, was 26, and was born in Indiana of Tennessee born parents. They had two daughters both born in Nebraska, Lizzie, four years of age and Martha two." (2)
Burial Listing: The following are the only burials listed at this cemetery:
1. Johanna Klaus, d Nov. 1 1876, 24 yr, 2 mo, 25 da.
2. Mary, dau A & E Klaus, d Mar. 27, 1878, age 2 mo 27 da.
Point of Contact: This cemetery is considered abandoned. If you desire more information about this cemetery, please contact the Otoe County Genealogical Society at ocgs.ne@gmail.com and we will try and provide you with as much information about the cemetery as possible.
Cemetery Photographs:
(1) Wolbert, Curtis (2008). "Anton Klaus Biography", Otoe County Genealogical Society, Syracuse, Otoe County, Nebraska.
(2) Dale, Raymond, “Otoe Co. Pioneers A Biographical Dictionary”, He-K, Page 1440.
