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Oreo Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Oreo, Wabash County, Illinois
Contributed by Paul M. Kankula [kankula@bellsouth.net].
OREO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CEMETERY
Wabash County, ILRev. David Choate Procter, an ordained home missionary of 1821 stopped in Mt. Carmel and learned of two Presbyterian families and visited them on Friday. On the Sabbath, March 3, 1822 a large congregation convened at the school house to hear Rev. Procter preach.
Writing east for minister the Wabash congregation was informed the ideal man to be their pastor was one of their own members. Mr. Bliss was trained in his native New England, and was ordained by Salem Presbytery.
In 1820, he ventured back to New Hampshire, where he married the daughter of Rev. Dr. Noah Worchester, the couple then moved to Oreo Wabash County to make their new home.
On July 6, 1833 Adam Shephard of New Hampshire settled on land joining the Bliss farm. A few years later Shephard and his wife gave two acres, one road, 39 rod and three years of land to be used for building sight and cemetery.
On May 21, 1837 Mrs. Bliss wife of Rev. Bliss died and was buried on the ground given by Adam Shephard. This then determined the site for the future church and cemetery.
Adam Corrie from Scotland offered $125.00 toward the building and so a neat plain building was erected among the trees in fall of 1838. Rev Bliss was pastor from 1822 till his death on December6, 1847. He was buried by his wife in Oreo Cemetery. This cemetery also became the burial place for Adam Shepard and his wife Eliza Shepard.
The Wabash Cemetery Association was founded in 1920 by a group of ladies in community who saw a need for an organization to provide funds, where by the cemetery could be maintained. After much discussion, they decided to hold a chowder each year. The proceeds from the Community Oreo Chowder have constantly been used for the beautification of the cemetery. The Oreo Church and Cemetery is one of the oldest in the county and is one of the beautiful sights in the community.
