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The
name of this cemetery is somewhat deceptive. It implies the presence
of a village or business center that did not exist near this
spot. Nonetheless this area was settled at a very early date
in the county's history. George Stickney staked his claim in
the vicinity in late 1835 and returned in 1836 with Samuel Terwilliger
to build the first house in Nunda Township. William Holcomb settled
here with his family shortly thereafter and helped build the township
school in 1838. the aforementioned men and there families are buried
in this historic graveyard. There are very little records of the
early burial here; Nunda Township which has been in charge of the
cemetery since 1972 has tried to create records from the headstones
and any other documents that have been available. The earliest
known burial was the firstborn child of Gorge Stickney who died
in 1941. Virtually all the early internments that are here lived
in the neighborhood and most were related by blood or marriage
giving us some history of this part of the county.
The
individual who has continued to attract the most curiosity over the
years is George Stickney. He appeared in the county well before any
government survey work had been done and before whites were legally
allowed to stake their claims. His first wife Sylvia bore him
ten children of whom only three survived to become adults. Two
years after Sylvia's death he remarried at the age of 72. However,
it was his devotion to spiritualism that has provoked the most
attention. Briefly, it was based on the idea that there was comforting
to the people that had lost so many children. Spiritualists can
be recognized by the distinctive notations on their gravestones
such as “passed to spirit life” and “born into the morning land” George
Stickney's belief was so strong that he had his house built with
no corners to allow the spirits free movement. That distinct home
still stands today and is now the Bull Valley village hall. It
continues to attract visitors from throughout the area.
This information was provided by, McHenry County Illinois Cemeteries, Vol. IV: Southeast Townships. Crystal Lake, IL: Mchenry County Illinois Genealogical Society. 2000.

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