HERE
THEY
SLEEP Narrative
STODDARD BURIAL PLOT
Catalogued November 27, 1974 by H. A. Dieter. Located on the present
Walter Rippchen farm in Section 31, Town of Willow. It is situated on a
hillside pasture area, east of Junction County Trunk NN with an east
and west town road. A cheese factory, long a landmark, is no longer
standing at the old four corner intersection. It has a 28' x 28' wire
fence with a small iron gate in the northwest corner. A lone pine tree
graces the center of the enclosure. The plot is free of brush but has
uncut grass from year to year. One gravestone is presently standing,
one missing, two broken and piled along the fence. The above mentioned
farm was purchased in 1854 by Valentine & Joanna Stoddard. The
intersection was long known as Stoddard Corners. Family burial sites
were very common, appearing on many homesteads throughout the county.
Neighbors were often laid to rest in the same plot. Joanna Stoddard was
the first known to be buried here. Mr. Stoddard remarried but was
brought back to rest beside Joanna in 1898. Two Civil War veterans were
buried here, also one child. Three of five graves have no visible
location but are described instead in county records. New stone erected
summer of 1991 by the following descendants: Wayne Stoddard Martin, Eva
Martin Roberts, Dora Martin Krueger, Freda Martin Nee, James Martin
(via wife, Helen), Raymond Stoddard, Charles Stoddard, Irene Stoddard
Straight and Winifred Stoddard Devine. All great grandchildren of
Valentine and Joanna Davison Stoddard.