Top picture: Smith and Russell, bottom picture: Robert Haynes, sexton
Linda G. Smith, M.A. and Kay Russell, B.S. are the authors of the book, THE MOUNT MUNCIE CEMETERY: A HISTORY AND BURIAL REGISTRY. The State Historical Society of Missouri provided financial support for the project and the publication through the Richard S. Brownlee Grant. Smith and Russell were also assisted by Greta Marshall as they formed the Mount Muncie Cemetery Documentation Project in the fall of 2006.
The Mount Muncie Cemetery is located south on Shelby Road, adjacent to the Brand Cemetery, in Higginsville, MO which is located in Lafayette County.. The cemetery was organized in 1900 by African-Americans to provide a final resting place for their loved ones. The cemetery is a part of the
Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. Three union soldiers, Perry Parker, Joseph Johnson, and Charles Smith and Everett Joshua Johnson, Kansas City jazz musician named the “1945 King of Boogie Woogie,” are listed in the book.
This book is 126 pages and provides details about the history of the Mount Muncie Cemetery, a listing of veterans who are buried at the cemetery, and a cemetery registry that includes data about birth, death, race, occupations, marital status, date of burial, informants, and names of parents. People who are researching family genealogies, may be interested in utilizing this resource.
The book is dedicated to the sextons “whose commitment and care over the last century have honored the memories of those who have passed before us.” Robert Haynes is the current sexton for the cemetery.
In 2007, Linda G. Smith was awarded a grant from the Richard S. Brownlee Fund, sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri.. This grant has allowed her and the project team to conduct research on the Mount Muncie Cemetery, an African American cemetery in Higginsville, MO. Smith is the great granddaughter of John Henry Smith, who was a sexton with the cemetery in the early 1900's.
She obtained her Masters degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Smith has a Bachelors of Science degree from the Central Missouri State University (now known as the University of Central Missouri) in General Recreation with an emphasis in therapeutic recreation.
Kay Russell grew up in Buchanan County, MO. She attended Missouri Western State College for three years before moving to Warrensburg, MO where she completed her studies at Central Missouri University. In 1991 she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and History.
She was employed by Missouri State Parks at the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in 1995. There she worked as a seasonal interpreter, giving tours of the historic Anderson House. In 1997 she became the Interpretive Resource Specialist at Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, MO. Since that time, she has been sharing her knowledge of the Confederate Soldiers Home, helping patrons with family genealogy, and continuing research into the history of Lafayette County.
For further information contact Smith at 816-456-6654, beyourbest807@msn.com or Russell at 660-429-2846, 2lancer@embarqmail.com.
