County of cemetery: Gasconade County:
Location of cemetery: CR-503 (Piezuch Rd), 3 miles W of US-50, NW of Rosebud, S. of Drake
Phone: (573) 437-5455
Pastor: Paul Kurrelmeyer
"This is the NEW Salem Cemetery that is immediately behind and up a small incline from the church. This cemetery is fully enclosed by a fence with barbed wire all around it. There is easy access to it by driving into the church lot and back to the cemetery. It appears chained and locked, but the d-shaped clasp easily opens for access and is probably used more to keep both gates from swinging open in a storm. This cemetery is well-maintained by the active church body at New Salem Church. It is a lovely cemetery that possibly has records inside the church building, but the church is not occupied except during worship services. I wrote to the church with a cemetery question and had no response, so I suggest to go there if you can. Most of the stones are upright and legible. Some are upright, weathered and simply cannot be read. It is a peaceful place with very little shade & surrounded on one side with lovely flowers. There is a full listing of ALL that are buried here in the Gasconade County Cemetery Survey Book published in 1985 and sold by the Gasconade County Historical Society." ~ Susan Ing, on Find-A-Grave
One grave here deserves special mention:
Token Tombstone:
UNKNOWN MALE
NATIVE AMERICAN
"The story below was given to me by Pastor Paul and the local rancher whose property borders the churches.
The story goes like this. In the 1940s, a local man and his sons found a site where they found and dug up native artifacts. Arrow heads, and other tools. The old man was very protective of this site and kept it a secret even from his family.
Once while digging the found a skull and a couple of other bones. The man kept them as part of his treasure. When the old man died, the family found these bones in his closet. They felt they belonged with the Indian tribes somewhere, and began trying to find a proper home for them. They sent the bones to Oklahoma, South Dakota, Arizona and New Mexico Indian Affairs and museums over the years.
All Indian and Native American historical organizations rejected them for the same reason. They were not properly documented, they were not properly located for site acquired, and cannot therefore be positive they were Indian.
The family were members of the New Salem Baptist Church in Gasconade County, and brought their problem there. They, the family, still wished a proper treatment of the remains.
The men of the church took it upon them selves to have a proper funeral service, and full religious honors, and complete with procession and pallbearers, to the grave site, and buried the remains with religious dignity. "