History

On November 23, 1885, Peter and Frances Spoon donated approximately one and one half acres for school, church and cemetery purposes in a small Missouri community. Twenty years later at the same location George S. Harden established a post office which he named for his young son “Elijah.”

On the land that was donated by the Spoon family, a log building was soon built. The Church of Christ of Elijah met in this cabin from 1885 until the log structure burned in 1916. During these first years, the church became known as the “Elijah Church of Christ.” After fire destroyed the log church, the land was returned to the Spoon heirs. Then in 1917, the Spoon heirs of C.A. and Maude Beach and Ed and Sarah Stewart sold the land to the elders of “Elijah Church of Christ.” The elders, J.A. Thompson, I.W. Essix and J.B. Hardin, purchased the land for a sum of $10.00. The elders agreed that the land would be used for a church building and that the cemetery would, at the time of the purchase, be used as a public burial ground for all of the community. After the building of the new church, the “Spoon Cemetery” became generally known as the “Elijah Cemetery.”

More land was purchased in the year 2000 from the original Spoon and Beach heirs. The cemetery committee is as follows: Donald Joice, Joe Hardin and Jarred Lawing. Future work of the committee includes clearing the new land and extending the cemetery. The land is being paid for from donations given to the Elijah cemetery fund. If anyone wishes to donate to the fund, you may contact on the committee men for information or send donations to: Elijah Church of Christ, Cemetery Fund, West Plains, MO 65775

Committee men from left to right: Joe Hardin, Donald Joice and Jarred Lawing. They are standing behind the tombstone of Laura and Peter Spoon, descendants of Peter and Frances Spoon.	The oldest identifiable tombstone reads "Margret M. Wife of J.B. Harden." Margret died in 1848 and J.B. died in 1925.