This Brown Cemetery burial list (Hancock Township) has been furnished by Miss Mary H. Siegfried of Denver, Illinois for use in the Warren L. Van dine sponsored project for collecting lists of the dead buried in Hancock County, Illinois cemeteries.  She is to receive full credit for it.  And introduction furnished by Miss Siegfried is attached to the list.

This Cemetery is described on page 324 of the Susqui-Centennial history of Hancock County as an old family cemetery located close to the north line of section 28, on the north side of the gravel road about a block east of Brown Bridge.  The list of burials is given any historical sketch of Samuel Brown by J. C. McCubbin in the Carthage Republican of September 28, 1927 he states that it is one of the oldest burial grounds in the county.  The spot was selected by Brown himself on his land nearly 90 years of age and 50 years before his remains relate to rest.  It was across the Creek from Brown's home site which was 100 -150 yards southwest of the Mill.

Samuel Brown, a widower with two motherless children, Owen and Hattie came to Hancock County about 1832 and settled in section 28 where he built a sawmill and a grist mill.  In 1836 he married Anna Dye, daughter of James Dye Sr. of McDonough County.  They had 16 more children but only four survived infancy or early childhood.  All but two are buried in this cemetery.  No stones remain and and iron fence around the graves of Rebecca Brown Shroyer and her husband is the only evidence of the location.

(1968 Hancock County, Illinois history, page 324)

"Brown Cemetery is an old family cemetery located close to the north line of section 28 on the north side of the gravel road about a block east of Brown Bridge.  The first burial was that of a child of Samuel and Anna Brown about 1833.  Brown and 16 Memphis 18 children are buried in this cemetery: also several relatives.  In 1967 there are no markers remaining and the only evidence indicating a cemetery at this location is the old iron fence around the graves of Mrs. Rebecca Shroyer and her husband.  She was a sister of Sam Brown.

(Hancock County historic sites list drawn up either Township sites committee show Johnson and the committee made up of John Siple, Vesta Holloway, and Mildred Nelson)

9-21.  This Bridge is the best known in the Township.  The Brown Bridge is also the longest of the overhead steel bridges across the La Moin river, being 312 feet.  Sam Brown had his grist mill close by in 1835, adding a sawmill in 1867.  Sam Brown and 16 Memphis children were buried in the Brown Cemetery near the East and that the Bridge.  It is told that Mr. Brown bought stones for the graves but many he got to the creek bank could not to get across so they were left for a while in winning they were finally moved across the river they were piled against the fence and were never erected.
 

Brown, Elizabeth - b: no dates
Brown, Hattie - b:   d: about 1857
Brown, Jacob - b: no dates
Brown, Joseph - b:   d: 1880s married Kate Vincent
Brown, Mary J. - b: July 21, 1840   d: no date
Brown, Nancy - b: October 5, 1838
Brown, Owen - b: September 20, 1830   d: about 1866
Brown, Samuel - b: December 26, 1802   d: January 23, 1889
Brown, Samuel Jr. - b: August 2, 1850
Brown, Suzanne - b: no dates
4 children died and named
Leonard, Sarah (Brown) - b:   d: in 1860s married Wallace Leonard

Other Relatives
Mary Brown, daughter of Joseph Brown, granddaughter of Samuel Brown
William Brown, brother of Samuel
Judy Brown, his wife
Rebecca Shroyer, sister of Samuel Brown born Aug. 16, 1813, died May 1824?
Mr. Shroyer, her husband (the last two were buried about three miles southeast of the Brown Cemetery on land belonging to Joseph Cravens.  And later moved to Brown Cemetery)

Children not buried here
Brown, Eugene - b:   d: December 8, 1888 married Mary E. E. Mosley and is buried in Oak Grove cemetery in Hancock Township
Brown, Reuben -married Mary Donahue and moved to Young County Texas in the 1870s

Brown, Anna (Dye) - b:   d: March 7, 1897 and is also buried in the Oak Grove cemetery