Big Creek Cemetery
There is a sparsely settled farming community near the northern line of
Baker County approximately 20 miles northeast of Baker City. An early pioneer cemetery is located in this area about one-quarter mile off State Highway 203 and about 2 or 3 miles south of Medical Springs. It is on the right-hand side of the highway going toward Union. Other names of cemetery: Medical Springs Cemetery, Pondosa Cemetery & Duncan Cemetery. Strange it may be, the cemetery is located just south of the county line (brown line) while the community of Medical Springs is just north of the line. There are two other cemeteries north of the community - "The Park" and "Dunham Wright Family" It is located on a sloping sagebrush hill and is hardly visible from the highway. Amanda C. Bowman (wife of James) sold the land to the Big Creek Cemetery Association. James Sams who owned adjoining property- granted a right of way across his property to the cemetery- This was a notarized document from Hulda Bowman. Then another one from Florence Harsin - stating that the sale from Amanda Bowman took place shortly before July 16, 1894. Also that James Sams gave a right of way.
Another statement from Elsie Emele - who is the daughter of James Sams - stating that Amanda Bowman bought a piece of property adjacent to her father's and that Amanda then sold it to the Big Creek Cemetery Association. Also that James Sams granted a right of way. (Source: Scharri Brennan) There are at least three unmarked graves in this cemetery. The inscriptions were recorded in 1959 with original list filed in the Baker County Library. FO = Funeral Home Records
DC = Death Certificates
FA = Family Records, contributed by families
FDB = now in Baker, Grant, Harney, Malheur & Union Counties Database
OB = Obituaries MC = Memorial Cards Abandoned Cemetery. Photographs of all markers and view of cemetery wanted Oregon Gravestone Photo Project Row 1 (from north end) DUNCAN, George W. .. ... 1890 .. ... 1962 (FDB) DUNCAN, Julia Ann (GOBLE) 25 Dec 1859 18 Aug 1945 (FO)(FA)(FDB) wife of Richard M. DUNCAN, Richard M. .. ... 1859 26 Dec 1914 (FO)(DC)(FDB) 57 yrs, born Missouri HARSIN, Lorenzo 12 Oct 1888 17 Feb 1889 (FDB) son of Garret Q. & Martha S. HARSIN, Garret Q. .. ... 1838 24 Mar 1905 (FO)(FDB) father HARSIN, Martha S. (LOGAN) 22 Sep 1844 27 Jan 1937 (FO)(FDB) wife of Garret Q. HARSIN, Russell P. 28 Sep 1924 22 Dec 1933 EVANS, Margaret Rosetta 15 Jul 1928 26 Aug 1930 (FO) dau of Earl & Edith (TURNER) TURNER, Vernon Eugene 14 Apr 1912 19 Aug 1912 (FO)(DC)(FA)(FDB) son of James Cyrus & May Louene (DUNCAN) TURNER, May Louene (DUNCAN) 14 Apr 1885 30 Jul 1914 (FO)(DC)(FA)(FDB) wife of James Cyrus dau of Richard M. & Julia (GOBLE) Row 1 1/2 FULLER, James 12 Oct 1902 15 Dec 1932 Back to Row 1 TURNER, James Cyrus 20 Aug 1875 20 Jun 1944 (FO)(FDB) TURNER, Gerald Oliver 19 Aug 1913 18 Jul 1931 (FO)(FDB) son of James Cyrus & May Louene (DUNCAN) HARSIN, Ada Elizabeth (WEST) 24 Feb 1877 10 Apr 1913 (FDB) "Lizzie" wife of James Burbadge HARSIN, James Burbadge 20 May 1867 01 Apr 1940 (FO)(FDB) Row 2 SPEARS, Sarah 08 Jul 1813 06 Jun 1905 (FO) wife of Isaac SPEARS, Isaac 15 Dec 1818 01 Jul 1882 WILSON, Philip W. A. 30 Sep 1877 16 Sep 1878 son of D. B. & Mary E. WILSON, Percy E. 29 Apr 1881 28 Jul 1893 dau of D. B. & Mary E. WILSON, Mary E. .. ... 1853 .. ... 1937 wife of D. B. DUNCAN, Jesse 13 Sep 1880 11 Jul 1910 (FO)(DC)(FDB) son of Richard M. & Julia Ann (GOBLE) GOBLE, Sarah Lavinia 19 Oct 1861 04 Mar 1880 (FDB) dau of David & Lydia (PENCE) GOBLE, David 08 Jul 1811 30 Jan 1905 (FO)(FDB) GOBLE, Lydia (PENCE) 04 Feb 1821 07 Nov 1908 (FO)(FA)(FDB) wife of David GOBLE GOBLE, William C. 09 May 1856 24 Sep 1934 (FO)(DC)(FA)(FDB) son of David & Lydia (PENCE) ARENS, Lukke 21 Feb 1826 22 May 1900 LEE, Daniel H. 06 Jan 1823 08 Jun 1890 unreadable marker KENNEDY, May 26 Dec 1907 28 Dec 1907 big gap in marked graves BESS, A. J. 07 May 1852 09 Jan 1916 Row 3 DUNCAN, Fae Louene 18 Jul 1915 16 Apr 1918 (FO)(DC)(FDB) dau of Win H. & Emma (HOLT) DUNCAN, Dorothy Maxine 22 Mar 1912 27 Apr 1930 (FO)(FDB) dau of Win H. & Emma (HOLT) DUNCAN, Geraldine Lynnette 18 Dec 1931 09 Feb 1932 (FO)(FDB) dau of Win H. & Emma (HOLT) DUNCAN, Win H. 22 Aug 1888 14 Aug 1945 (FO)(FDB) DUNCAN, Roscoe .. Sep 1913 .. Jan 1986 (FDB) DUNCAN, Ruth Henrietta (HERMSEN) 11 Jun 1917 11 Apr 1998 (FA)(FDB) wife of Roscoe Ashes interred in Roscoe's grave WILSON, Elizabeth J. 09 Jul 1856 29 Jul 1887 wife of Joseph L. DUNCAN, Chester L. 09 Nov 1903 14 Dec 1903 (FA) DUNCAN, Frederick Patton 28 Dec 1861 26 Jan 1936 (FO) father GRAHAM, Joseph M. 05 Apr 1816 25 Mar 1892 POWELL, Arthur B. .. ... 1871 .. ... 1888 ELLIOTT, Kenneth Gilbert 15 May 1940 11 Jun 1940 (FO) son of Gilbert & Daisy (LONG) HARRIS, Mary (WARREN) .. ... 1852 .. ... 1888 wife of David Henry HARRIS, David Henry 20 Aug 1850 08 Jun 1936 (FO) father PETERS, Gustav Hugo 22 Aug 1862 03 Jun 1946 German stone mason from Russia WIRTH, Phebe A. .. ... 1840 .. ... 1917 WIRTH, Philip David 18 Apr 1917 10 Sep 1918 (FO) son of Alonzo S. & Hattie L. (DUNNELLS) marker shared with Phebe A. WIRTH (grandmother?) WIRTH, Baby .. ... .... .. ... .... son of J. C. & Nora HULICK, Clara J. (BURFORD) .. ... 1865 10 Mar 1933 (FO)(FDB) 68 yrs wife of James N. HULICK, James N. 23 Mar 1851 20 Apr 1932 (FDB) age 81 yrs 27 days BURFORD, Preston W. 24 Oct 1835 01 Feb 1911 (FDB) BURFORD, Elizabeth A. 09 Nov 1836 01 Jan 1904 (FDB) wife of Preston W. REES, George H. 06 Jun 1818 15 Sep 1876 REES, Margaret 26 Aug 1832 10 Jan 1907 wife of George H. by the road STRICKLAND, Vina M. .. Dec 186. 31 Mar 1893 stone damaged by road Following are the ones reported by funeral homes to be buried at this place. They may be the ones that fill the gaps in the rows. DOLBY, infant 30 Oct 1922 30 Oct 1922 (FO) son of Stewart & Stella A. (FULLER) FAIRBANKS, Arthur C. 30 Jul 1905 18 Nov 1907 (DC) FAVORITE, ? .. ... .... .. May 1899 (FO) (died and buried between 1 & 16 May, no age) HAMEL, ? .. ... .... 07 Jun 1901 (FO) 14 yrs HARDING, Fred L. 23 Aug 1872 19 Mar 1898 son of N. F. & Mary S. HARDING, Mary S. 09 Sep 1852 12 Jul 1908 (FO) wife of N. F. HARDING, N. F. 07 May 1849 08 Nov 1898 HOLT, Jennie .. ... .... 13 Oct 1902 (FO)(FA) 33 yrs, wife of Milton
removed to Mount Hope Cemetery, Baker City HOWE, Nora E. 18 Dec 1909 27 Aug 1913 (FO)(DC) dau of Robert E. & Arvada (VONIER) KLINE, Maxine Merle 28 Dec 1928 02 Jan 1929 (FO) dau of H. L. & Glena M. (WILLIAMS) LEEP, Edna (Mrs.) .. ... .... 16 May 1902 (FO) 28 yrs OLBRIDGE, John .. ... .... 30 Dec 1901 (FO) 22 yrs RUCKER, Silas .. ... .... 17 Oct 1902 (FO) RUTLEDGE, Rebecca Pow (MOORE) .. ... .... .. ... .... SAMMS, Mrs. Jim P. .. ... .... 22 Jun 1903 (FO)(FDB) SHARPEN, infant .. ... .... 31 Aug 1904 (FO) son of George VANDEVANTER, Nora J. (HUTTON) 26 Nov 1890 22 May 1917 (FO)(DC) wife of Albert J. VANORDER, Mary .. ... .... 29 Apr 1908 (FO) 35 yrs Back to Top Return to Cemetery List