Schacht Cemetery
This cemetery is located 1/2 mile to the north of the intersection of 36th and 'R' roads, and it is situated 1/4 mile west in a field, surrounded by trees.
"In the early pioneer days when the settlers were beginning to develop the area in Osage Precinct, they began to build their homes, schools and churches. But, they needed a place to bury their dead, so William and Caroline Schacht set aside one acre of their farm to be used as a cemetery. It is located two miles north, two miles east, one-half mile north and one-fourth west of Cook on the northeast corner of the Neri Holscher farm. After some inquiry, there is no cemetery plat or any record of burials to be found.
William and Caroline Schacht had two children buried there - Henry and Johannah. His brother, Hermann was buried there in 1890 and Caroline in 1915. A daughter of the Schachts provided funds for a concrete wall or fence to be built around the cemetery for its preservation. Whenever this daughter came to Nebraska for a visit and a visit to the cemetery, she often found the road to be impassable for the lack of maintenance. So, the remains of the relatives named above were exhumed and reinterred in a Lincoln cemetery. There has been no upkeep for a great many years, so the cemetery is in a sad state of neglect." (1)
"It was during the early years of 1860-1861 that Mr. William Schacht plotted his farm in the Territory of Nebraska, Otoe County, Osage Precinct. The original farm was located 2 1/2 miles north and 1 1/2 east of the present town of Cook, Nebraska. At that time the land was virgin prairie, with Nebraska City the nearest trading post. A log cabin was erected and here he established a home for his family. Their lives filled with joys, hopes, and expectations of this new land with faith in the future.
There were few pioneer families in that period, in Osage Precinct, but these were not to be spared sickness, sorrow, or death. For all too soon Mr. Schacht dedicated a portion of his land for a burial ground. He donated one acre, called 'God's Acre', and this hollowed acre was named 'The Schacht Cemetery'. It was dedicated to all creeds and faiths in the early Osage Community.
One half-acre was used for the final resting places for the dead; the remaining one half-acre to be reserved for future use. Among the earliest laid to rest were an infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Damme of McWilliams Precinct; a young wife and mother, wife of Mr. Frederick Damme of Osage, and a teenage daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Schacht. Many more families' names are found on the weather-beaten tombstones.
During the years, a rock and stucco fence was erected to enclose 'God's Acre', and relatives gave of their time to beautify the secluded spot each year. Since the mid thirties, the half-mile road leading to the cemetery was no longer used, so accessibility to the cemetery has prevented the usage of the place. Thus, with the passing years, it is difficult to locate, and the 'acre' is returning to natural habitat. But - 'In the Sounds of Time' - the heritage of memory of those beloved pioneers live on. As quoted from Abraham Lincoln, 'They now belong to the Ages.'" (2)
Burials Listings: A complete listing of burials was submitted on 27 Nov 1998 by C.L. Morrissey, and verified on 17 May 2008 by the Otoe County Genealogical Society. This information can be found at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ne/johnson/cemeteries/schacht.txt
Gravestone Photographs: http://nebraskagravestones.org/
The remains of Wilhelm Frederich Schacht, his wife, Caroline Johanna, their two children, Johanna Catherine & Henry Wilhelm, along with Wilhelm's brother, H. Hermann Schacht, are buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photos of their gravestones in Wyuka Cemetery are included in the photo gallery below.
Point of Contact: Curtis Wolbert at cwolbert@neb.rr.com
Cemetery Photographs:
Works Cited:
(1) Marvin Schacht (1983). 'Otoe County History', Syracuse, Otoe County, Nebraska. Pg. 48.
(2) Passage provided by Neri Holscher, owner of the land surrounding the Schacht Cemetery. The passage was found in the basement of his residence, the author unknown.
