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Above: Section of blanket woven by Berry women in the 19th or early 20th century
The Berry Cemetery, also known as Holy Resurrection Cemetery, is a historic African American Cemetery in Ash Grove, Missouri. William and Caroline Berry established the cemetery ca. 1880 for the burial of Black, Indigenous, and poor individuals, all of whom were excluded from the Ash Grove town cemetery until the 1960s.
At least 75 people have been interred in the Berry Cemetery. While the graveyard remains in active use, the majority of interments took place between 1880 and 1950. Most individuals interred in this period had lived in enslavement prior to emancipation in the 1860s, or were the children of formerly enslaved individuals. The Berry family continues to care for the Berry Cemetery, remembering and celebrating past and present Black communities of the Ozarks.
At least 75 people have been interred in the Berry Cemetery. While the graveyard remains in active use, the majority of interments took place between 1880 and 1950. Most individuals interred in this period had lived in enslavement prior to emancipation in the 1860s, or were the children of formerly enslaved individuals. The Berry family continues to care for the Berry Cemetery, remembering and celebrating past and present Black communities of the Ozarks.
Fr. Moses Berry, long-time steward of the Berry Cemetery, passed away on January 12, 2024.
The Berry Cemetery is culturally and historically significant in several ways. It is one of the few cemeteries in the Ozarks that was established by a black family in the 19th century and has since been owned and maintained by the founding family. The Berry cemetery is also significant as a visible reminder of the sizeable Black community that lived in the Ash Grove area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, due in part to employment opportunities at the Ash Grove Lime and Portland Cement Company. In addition, this cemetery is important as the burial place of marginalized people who, excluded from most other burial grounds, came together and created their own burial space. Recognizing this significance, the Berry Cemetery became part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2004 and the Black Cemetery Network in 2023.
This website tells the story of the Berry Cemetery, the people buried there, and the family and community that created and maintain this burial ground.
This website tells the story of the Berry Cemetery, the people buried there, and the family and community that created and maintain this burial ground.