DRAGOO CEMETERY RECORDS PROJECT
DRAGOO CEMETERY RECORDS PROJECT
Near Barrackville, Marion Co., WV
I visited this cemetery in 1996 on the DFA reunion tour. My Great Great Grandmother Rebecca (MATHENY) DRAGOO – PRICE is buried there. She was the wife of the legendary William “Indian Billy” Dragoo.
Our family group has tried for years to get access rights to that cemetery. It changes ownership with the sale of the adjoining property. A Dragoo descendant tried to get into the cemetery last summer and found that it is overgrown and inaccessible. I tried to convince local people to take this cemetery as a historical project, but have not had any positive responses.
I am creating a Dragoo Cemetery book or binder to preserve the records of this cemetery. It will be available at the September 2006 Dragoo Family Association reunion in Colorado Springs. It will include any available photos of the grave markers, family group sheets and other information of those buried there.
We have a transcribed list of the graves recorded by the WPA (1937-1941) and notes and photos from our Dragoo family group and descendants. There were some transcription errors on the WPA list. I have resolved most of them through research.
In 1941 there were 24 marked graves and at least four unmarked graves. In 1986 a Dragoo descendant made a video of his trip to the cemetery. Twenty of those graves are mentioned. By the Dragoo reunion in July 1996, some of the markers were not visible. Nearly all the graves appear to have a DRAGOO, STRAIGHT or ICE family connection.
I have begun posting the information and photos on Find A Grave. You may copy the details from that site, or wait a few weeks while I compile this binder. If enough people were interested in this project, I would publish this is book form. I plan to provide this information to the Marion County Historical Society and to the webmaster of the Marion County USGENWEB site.
If you have photos or information for the graves in this cemetery, please contact me.
You may e-mail me directly with the subject line Dragoo Cemetery WV.
Vi Parsons [email protected]