Place:Leonard Cemetery, Newell, Vermilion, Illinois, United States

LOCATION

Located on a hillside just east of Bowman Avenue about 2 miles north of the Danville airport, the cemetery is a rather remote location accessed by a long grass-grown driveway. From Bismarck, go south on Bowman Avenue about 2 miles, and look to the east side of the highway for the cemetery sign.

HISTORY

Originally the site of the Prairie View Christian Church, which was the "family church" of much of the Leonard family's children and later generations. Valentine Leonard had brought his family to Newell Township from Kentucky in the early 1830's. The grounds were early used by the Leonard family for burials. Valentine's second wife, Mary (Fowler) Leonard was interred there in 1845, Valentine himself in 1853, but older graves are located there as well. Burials continued after the removal of the old church building and the plots continued to be used by many of the Leonard family descendants until the 1970's.

CARETAKING AND UPKEEP

The cemetery has always been a privately owned entity, with ownership continuing in the family of Valentine Leonard's descendants. Upkeep continues to be done by the current title holders, and the effort is supported by local donations, various family reunions including the Birt Claypool Family Reunion, and the dedicated service of Clarence and Sharon Drennan.