The Mountain Home Cemetery stands as more than just a resting place for the community’s deceased — it serves as a vital connection to the area’s rich history, preserving the legacy of its earliest families and the town’s cultural heritage. Located at Baker St. and 11th St. with headstones dating back to the late 19th century, its rows of tombstones tell the stories of the families who founded and built Mountain Home. Buried in these grounds are pioneers, families, lawmen, business owners, and local leaders, each with their own piece of the story that built area.
On a recent episode of Retracing Our Roots on KTLO-FM, Marshella Norell and Vincent Anderson highlighted the cemetery’s role in telling the story of Mountain Home and its development since the late 1800s. Anderson explained that burial customs in the cemetery reflect the era’s traditions, such as footstones placed at the base of graves alongside headstones. Some plots were even marked with cornerstones, which provided a visual connection to family histories that spanned generations.
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The Paul family played a pivotal role in the cemetery’s creation, donating the first acre of land in 1888. This donation set the stage for what would become a central historical site for Mountain Home. Marshella Norell shared on the how one of the Paul’s came to rest in the cemetery within a year of donating the land.
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One of the most historically significant burials is that of Sheriff Abraham Byler, Baxter County’s first sheriff, who was killed in the line of duty while attempting to capture an outlaw.
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Stories like Byler’s, along with those of prominent families such as the Caseys, Pauls, and Bakers, demonstrate how the cemetery serves as a repository of the town’s collective memory.
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Norell highlighted that it takes the community to continue to preserve the legacy of the cemetery. An endowment from The Twin Lakes Community Foundation currently supports ongoing care for the sight. Volunteers and donations are always welcome to ensure this piece of Mountain Home history remains a part of our collective memory for years to come.
To hear the latest episode of KTLO’s Retracting Our Roots, visit ktlo.com/retracing-our-roots where all episodes of the local history show are available to stream. Retracing Our Roots can be heard Saturdays on KILO FM 97.9 starting at 11.
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