Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana, contains four
cemeteries, three of which are located in or near the town of
Morocco. The oldest is the Murphey Cemetery donated by John Murphey,
the founder of the town of Morocco. It is located on the west edge of
Morocco, the first burial occurring there in 1846. The largest
cemetery is Oakland cemetery containing over 2300 burials and is
located just north of Morocco, bounded on the east by US Highway 41.
    Another cemetery located northeast of Morocco on property owned
by Terry Brown is variously called the Bell, Zoborosky or Lane
Cemetery. At one time it contained a large number of stones, but some
of the bodies were exhumed and moved to Oakland and other stones have
fallen victim to the elements and vandals, so that only a few remain.
No records exist as to the size or number of lots in the cemetery and
no record was kept of the bodies moved, although an article in the
Morocco Courier tells of Lane family graves that were moved.
    The Smith Cemetery, aka Beaver City Cemetery, is located on the
highest spot in Newton County just north of Beaver city. It was
started as a family plot and many of those buried there are related.
Some confusion exists as to the names of the cemeteries in Beaver
Township, for the Murphey Cemetery is sometimes referred to as the
Morocco, West or Old Cemetery by local residents and the Oakland
Cemetery has been called North, Oak Grove, Oak Lawn or Morocco
Cemetery. These designations may even occur in some of the old
records or in the local newspapers.
    The Murphey Cemetery (aka Morocco or West) is located in the
southwest corner of Morocco, bordered by West Street, Halleck Street,
and Eisenhower Avenue. The oldest legible stone is dated 1844.
    In 1844 two of the early settlers of the Morocco area, John
Murphey and Ephraim Bridgeman were concerned because both of their
wives were seriously ill and there was no burial ground available.
John Murphey, who was later to become the founder of Morocco by
laying out the original plat, donated the land for a cemetery from
his farm in the summer of 1844. Shortly thereafter a young Indian boy
died and was buried there, his grave being covered with stones and
sticks to protect it from the many wild animals in the wooded area at
that time. On August 14, 1844, Elizabeth Bridgeman, the wife of
Ephraim, died and was buried in the cemetery. Then on August 29,
1844, Jane Murphey, wife of John, died and was buried near Mrs.
Bridgeman. Their graves were well marked, but by the following spring
the grave of the Indian could not be found.
    It was not until 1877 that the property was deeded to the
Trustees of Morocco cemetery: "This indenture witnesseth that Anna
Hoover of Newton County in the state of Indiana, convey and warrant
to the trustees of the Cemetery of Morocco in Newton County, in the
state of Indiana, for the sum of seventy-five dollars, the following
real estate in Newton County, in the state of Indiana, to wit: Part
of the Southeast quarter of Section twenty-one, Township Twenty-nine
North of Range Nine West, and bounded as follows, commencing at point
thirty-six (36) rods north and then three hundred and ninety-two
(392) feet East of the Southwest corner of said Southeast quarter,
thence south one hundred (100) feet, thence West two hundred (200)
feet, thence North one hundred (100) feet thence East two hundred
feet to the place of beginning. Also, commencing at a point
thirty-six rods North and twenty-eight rods East of the said
Southwest corner of the Southeast quarter of Section 21, Township 29,
Range 9 West, thence North twelve rods, thence East twenty-six feet,
thence South twelve rods, thence West twenty-six feet to the place of
beginning, excepting out of said last described tract a strip of land
ten feet wide and twelve rods long lying in and along the west side
of said tract last described, said land herein before described is
hereby conveyed for the use and purpose of a public cemetery and for
no other purpose. In witness whereof, the said Anna Hoover had
hereunto set her hand and seal this 14th day of March 1877. s/Anna
Hoover. State of Indiana, DeKalb County SS. Before me, John A.
Campbell, a Justice of Peace in and for said County, this 14th day of
March 1877, personally appeared Anna Hoover and acknowledged the
execution of the annexed deed. Witness my hand and seal, John A.
Campbell, Justice of the Peace.
    Following World War I, a large marker was erected in memory of
William Chizum who was killed in France and for whom the Morocco
Legion Post No.146 is named. Each year until the marker was moved to
Morocco's Recher Park in the 1930's, Armistice Day was celebrated at
the cemetery with a parade from downtown Morocco to the cemetery and
the firing of the traditional volleys over his grave. Many of the
early settlers and their families are buried in Murphey Cemetery
including such names as: Archibald, Ash, Atkinson, Bebout, Bridgeman,
Brunton, Camblin, Doty, Goddard, Graves, Johnson, Kay, Kessler,
Murphey, Pulver, Roadruck, Smart and Triplett. The cemetery is
currently in use.

    The Oakland Cemetery (aka North, OakGrove, ,OakLawn, Morocco) is
located on the west side of US Highway 41 just north of Morocco in
Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana. Originally the cemetery was
under a trusteeship of five members, who also were overseers of the
Murphey Cemetery. Then in 1906, Oakland along witb the Murphey
Cemetery was deeded to tbe trustee of Beaver Township: "This
indenture witnesseth, that John F. Johnson and Mary Jphnson, his
wife, Lawson H. Recher and Laura N. Recher, his wife, David M.
Pulver, John D. Kessler, John W. Don, Sr., Jacob Hosier, and John F.
Johnson, (tbe last five named grantors beIng trustees of the Morocco
Cemeteries) of Newton County, in the State of Indiana, convey and
warrant to William D. Martin, Trustee of Beaver Township, Newton
County, Indiana, and his successors in office, the sale to be a
donation to said Beaver Township, to be used by said township as
public cemeteries.
    The following described real estate in Newton County, State of
Indiana to wit: The Northeast quarter of the Northeast quarter of the
Southeast quarter of Section 16, Township 29 North and Range 9 West,
containing ten acres more or less. Also a part of the Southeast
quarter of Section 21, Township 29 North of Range 9 West described as
follows to-wit: commencing at the Southwest corner of the said
Southeast quarter, and running thence North 32.72 rods, thence East
12 rods, thence South 5.72 rods, thence East 23.40 rods thence North
9 rods, thence East 6.60 rods, thence North 10.85 rods, thence in a
southwesterly direction to a point 43.42 rods North of the Southwest
corner of the said Southeast quarter of Section 21, Township 29 North
of Range 9 West, thence South 10.70 rods to the place of beginning,
containing in all seven acres more or less." In witness whereof, the
said John F. Johnson and Mary Johnson, his wife, Lawson H. Recher and
Laura M. Recher, his wife, David M. Pulver, John D. Kessler, John W.
Don Sr.,.Jacob Hosier, and John F.Johnson acknowledged the execution
of the annexed deed. Witness my band and official seal. Milton E.
Graves, Notary Public. Commission expires May 9,1907. Recorded by
William H. Boyle on March 6, 1906."

    The Bell Cemetery (aka Lane or Zoborosky) is an abandoned
cemetery located in a field about 1/2 mile north of County Road 300 S
and 1/2 mile east of County Road 100 W. The cemetery was never
dedicated and is on the farm of Terry Brown. The oldest leqible stone
is that of Francis Clark, who died on September 30, 1844, at the age
of 52 years, 4 months, and 18 days. It is probable that many more
burials exist than have been recorded. It is also known that many
bodies were moved to the Oakland Cemetery. One newspaper article
records that when one of the Lane men was moved, that the remains had
fossilized and that it took three men in addition to the cemetery
sexton, George Brown, to move the body. Other Lane graves were moved
at this time. The stones are listed in alphabetical order since most
are lying face down in no particular order .

    The Smith Celetery is located in Beaver Township, Newton County,
Indiana, two miles southeast of Morocco and one-half mile north of
Beaver city. Take State Road 114 east to County Road 125 W. Turn
south, continue to County Road 500 S and turn left (east) to 100 W
and turn right (south). The cemetery lies on the west side of the
road, and is situated on the highest point in Newton County. The
Smith Cemetery was deeded to Beaver Township by Philip Smith in 1893
by the following deed: "This indenture witnesseth, that Philip Smith
(single) of Newton County, in the state of Indiana, convey and
warrant to L.H. Recher, Trustee of Beaver Township and his
successors, of Newton County, in the State of Indiana, for the sum of
one dollar the following described real estate, situated in Newton
County, in the State of Indiana to wit: commencing at the south east
corner of the south east quarter of the northeast quarter of section
thirty five (35) and, running twelve and a half (12 1/2) rods north
thence six and one half (6 1/2) rods west, thence twelve and one half
(12 1/2) rods south, thence six and one half (6 1/2) rods east to the
place of beginning, containing one half acre more or less, and to be
used as a public cemetery, all of which is situated in Township
twenty nine (29) range nine (9). In witness whereof, the said Philip
Smith has hereunto set his hand an seal, this 11th day of July 1893."
Philip Smith appeared before John Broderick, Justice of the Peace,
and acknowledged the execution of the warranty
deed, which was recorded July 17, 1893, by John Higgins, Recorder of
Newton County. Philip Shenan Smith (1868-1937) subsequently married
in 1898 Minnie Della Potts (1868-1960) and in addition to his far,,
owned and operated a livery stable at Morocco. They had three
daughters and a son; Gladys, who married James Broad; Vane, who
married Hallie James;
Elizabeth Evalena, who married Elmer Lloyd Skinner; and Evangeline,
who married John A. Ringer. His parents, Nathan George "Jockey" Smith
and Elizabeth Ann (Stephens) Smith are buried in the cemetery, but,
ironically, he is not. Most people buried here are related to one
another.