Plat book for Bethany Cemetery is FOUND!

Pike County News – May 30, 2025 – By Stan Schwartz

To say Tracy Brookshier, secretary for the Bethany Cemetery Board, was ecstatic about the finding of the cemetery’s plat book, would be understating her emotional state by a factor of 10.

When she first found out that she had relatives on her father’s side buried in this cemetery, (Burnett) she immediately became involved with the group that oversees the upkeep of the place. The first Bethany Cemetery board was formed in August of 1894. $200 had been paid for the land that would be the final resting place for many of those who lived in the area. The small cemetery is located off of UU just a few hundred yards from Bus. Hwy. 54 outside of Louisiana.

The years had taken its toll on the old grave markers and headstones when Brookshier first visited the graves. So, she and the cemetery board were determined to set things right and get Bethany back to its former glory. But there was one thing lacking, however—the cemetery’s plat book.

The plat book was vital for the board. It showed who was buried where, and where there were spaces for more graves. No one wanted to take the chance of attempting to dig a grave only to find someone already buried in that plot.

Brookshier knew there had been plat book, but no one knew where it was.

The cemetery board put out the call, asking if anyone knew where it was to contact them. There was no response. They put up a $500 reward for the book’s safe return. Still nothing. Years later they upped the reward to $2,000. It was like shouting into the vast dark of night.

Then recently, a Pike County resident had been cleaning out some old boxes that were stored away and came across the book. Realizing its importance, this person contacted Brookshier to offer the book’s return.

She was beside herself with excitement. Not only did this person not want credit for finding and returning the plat book, they did not want the reward either.

Trying to determine where graves were in the cemetery was problematic, said Cheryl Jennings, who is on the Bethany Cemetery board. Some of the families of those interred there had moved away, so there was no one to contact. Others, she noted, had bought plots but had not used them.

With the plat book they could determine how many burial sites were still available, and the board could offer them for sale.

Jennings said she was in contact with some cousins who own a plot for their father in the cemetery.

“If they don’t want it,” she added, “I’m going to see about planting a tree there.”

She said she found a grave as recent as 2011.

Jennings said she was impressed with Brookshier’s energy when she started with the board.

After getting the book, Brookshier said she immediately took it to be scanned. With the digital version safely stored in a few places, she was eager to go through the plat book and see what historical marvels it held.

At the front of the book, there were minutes from the first Bethany Cemetery Committee’s meeting. All the names of the committee members are now buried in the cemetery. The book said the plots were sold for $5.

“We don’t charge much more than that now,” Brookshier added. She believes the current price is $40, but the board is considering raising the price now that they know which plots are still available.

They recently put in a gravel road to open the cemetery back up, so visitors don’t have to park out by the road.

“Magruder Limestone donated the rock for the road. And Ed Kerns donated his time and equipment to spread it out,” Brookshier said.

At some point, she will make the digital version of the plat book available online.