Boles Cemetery (King Cemetery)
Edwardsville, Johnson County, Kansas

W 55th St and Clare Rd, Edwardsville KS

Lat: 39° 01' 16"N, Lon: 94° 42' 54"W

Contributed by Linda Lewis, Aug 21, 2005, last edited May 28, 2006 [webmaster@cottonhills.com]. Total records = 12.

From Kansas City, take I35 South to Shawnee Mission Pky. Follow Shawnee Mission Pky to K7 North. Take K7 to W 55th St. and turn left and proceed approximately 1 mile. The cemetery is located on Clare Road and W 55th St, which ends at the cemetery.

This family cemetery began with the burial of a child of the Reverend Charles Boles, land owner from 1860 – 1863. The surrounding land passed quickly in ownership to the Kings, a daughter of Boles, and the King family continued to use this rural cemetery. While the cemetery was listed at the County as “no name” Cemetery, it was locally known as King Cemetery for many years. Eventually the cemetery came under the care of the Monticello Cemetery District Association, and on May 9, 2001, the cemetery was officially named Boles Cemetery.

This 1/2 acre cemetery is set in a wooded area on a bluff, in a rural community. The cemetery is fenced and the grounds are very well kept, however little remains to remind us this is a burial ground. Spots for two long-gone pedestals exist, along with 4 stones that are completely illegible. One pedestal remains with the name Boles and at the base on one side lies the concrete Mother marker. A few of the headstones are in a pile next to a tree and it is unknown which grave they belong to. There is one granite stone, tucked away in bushes near the sign.

I have transcribed all existing markers or stone from my visit to this cemetery in on Jul 31, 2005. This transcription is supplemented by information from Monticello District Cemetery Co. and the Boles Family Bible.

- Linda Lewis

* = from stone
# = from 1960s transcription
*B = known burials from the Boles Family Bible

Boles, Elizabeth, d. 1863, first burial in cemetery
Boles, James Wesley, b. 2 Jan 1871, d. 10 Feb 1871, son of Anne & Charles Boles (stone has J.W.B.), *B
Boles, Mrs, b. 1842, d. 1928, Mother, concrete marker foot of Boles pedestal *
Downs, Pearl, b. 24 Nov 1874, d. 13 Jul 1881, daughter of Rozenia (Boles) and Rev. T.C. Downs, grand-daughter of Charles Boles, *B
King, Baby, d. 28 Sep 1897, 4m, Son of H and A King, #
King, Carrie Ann, d. 31 May ?, 6y 8m 7d, Dau of H King, s/w George T, Fannie and Charles King, #
King, Charles, d. 16 Mar 1875, 11y 2d, s/w George T, Carrie Ann and Fannie King *
King, Fannie, d. 7 Sep 1872, 5y 11m 1d, Dau of C and E King, s/w George T, Carrie Ann and Charles King, #
King, George T, d. 23 Jun 1871, 3m 2d, Son of H and C A King, s/w Fannie, Carrie Ann and Charles King, #
King, Rhoda, b. 1844, d. 1913 *
Smith, June, b. 1923, d. 1929, Dau, #
Smith, Thomas, d. 28 Jan 1897, 22y 6m 2d, son of J and M A Smith, #

Misc:
F. K., Footstone, #
??, ??, 1 Aug 1929, cement marker, #