Forrest City Cemetery

Forrest City Cemetery (a-k-a Garten or Martin Cemetery) is located eight miles west of Medicine Lodge, NW1/4 27-31-13. As of 1980, Charles W. Smith was the land owner. There are eight visible graves. (Information from pages 28-29 of Chosen Land - A History of Barber County, Kansas ©1980)

Forrest City Cemetery Burials

Provided by Sybil A. L. Viehweg

NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
SPOUSE
MISC DATA
Nancy Ellen Garten
Aug 8, 1834
Sept 15, 1915
Charles Garten
Children: George, James, Albert, Anna
Albert Garten
Aug 18, 1856
Feb 18, 1874
-
Father: Charles Garten
Mother: Nancy Ellen Nurse
George B. Garten
Mar 12, 1862
Nov 29, 1901
-
Father: Charles Garten
Mother: Nancy Ellen Nurse
James Crawford Garten
-
-
-
Father: Charles Garten
Mother: Nancy Ellen Nurse
Children: Nellie, Ruby, Myrtle, Frank
Sarah Elizabeth Nurse
-
Feb. 25, 1902, age 39 yrs, 5 days
-
-
Walter W. Garten
Aug 1892
Sept 28, 1893
-
Father: J.G. Garten
Mother: S.E.
Lena May Garten
1899
1915
-
Father: James C. Garten
Alice Wiley
Mar 17, 1869
Oct 27, 1874
-
Father: B.P. Wiley
Mother: S.R.
Carrie Garten
1843
Feb 20, 1902
-
-
Anna Garten
1869
Oct 17, 1891
J. D. Montgomery
-


Forrest City Cemetery

Also known as Garten Cemetery and Martin Cemetery

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
View looking northeast.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

What things you will find when you get off the beaten path. I was tired of waiting at the bridge construction lights on Hwy 160, so I took the Forest City shortcut back to the River Road on my way home. I had not been down this road in a LONG time. Rediscovered the cemetery that I had remembered was north of the tracks. It is south of tracks. Robert Frost said "Two roads diverged in a wood... and I took the once less travelled by..." And I am glad I did.

Deer leg in the fence of the Forrest/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006. The light was from the west and perfect. Note the deer leg in the picture of the entrance. They frequently jump over fences and hook their hind legs in the fence or twist/break the top wires. This one was probably not so lucky. I thought of removing it for the picture, but reflected that this was indeed a pioneer and prairie cemetery. It is fitting in a strange way to leave it alone. Some of the old graves (I believe one was from 1874) surely had a few buffalo and prairie fires wander slowly or plow viciously through this burial ground.

Stay tuned for a transcribing of the stones. The pictures don't reveal the lettering very well. This shows marked 8 graves.

-- Nathan Lee, 5 December 2006 e-mail to Jerry Ferrin.


The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
View looking east.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Garten Family Stone

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
Garten Family Marker
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for Nancy Ellen Garten

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
Gravestone for Nancy Ellen Garten, Aug. 8, 1834 - Sept. 5, 1915, "Forever with the Lord"
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for George Garten

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
Gravestone for George Garten, Mar 12, 1862 - Nov 29, 1901
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for Walter Garten

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
Gravestone for Walter Garten, "Walter, Infant, Son of J.C. & S.E. Garten, Died Sept 28, 1893, Age 1 Y, 1 M"
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for Albert Garten

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
"Albert, Son of Charles & Nancy Garten, Aug 18, 1856 - Feb 18, 1874, Gone but not forgotten"
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for Lena May Garten

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
Gravestone for Lena May Garten, 1899 - 1915
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for Anna E. Montgomery

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
"Anna E., wife of J.D. Montgomery, Died Oct 17, 1891, Aged 20 Ys, 22 Ds, Gone but not forgotten"
(According to family historian Sybil A. L. Viehweg, Anna's maiden name was Garten.)
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.

Gravestone for Alice Wiley

The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.

Photo by Nathan Lee.
"Alice, Dau. of B.P. & S.R. Wiley, Born Mar. 17, 1869, Died Oct. 27, 1874.
The Forrest City/Garten Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Nathan Lee, December 2006.


FORREST CITY CEMETERY (aka Garten or Martin Cemetery) is eight miles west of


Barber County Kansas Tombstone Photos
Barber County Kansas Cemeteries genealogy
© 2002 Ed Rucker for KSGen Web Project