1. PRESERVING THE HISTORIES OF FAIRVIEW CEMETERY
BEYOND THE GRAVEBEYOND THE GRAVE

3. Fairview Cemetery
•10 acres donated to City of
Van Buren by John Drennen in
the mid-1800s
•2800 occupants resting
•2000 of the burials predate
1960
•90 African-American slaves
•Over 400 Confederate
soldiers

4. • The Confederate section was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in the mid-
1990s.
• Fairview Cemetery as a whole was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

5. Although the cemetery is listed
on the National Register of
Historic Places and the lives of
some of its more famous
occupants are well documented,
there are many individuals
whose legacies have slipped
away.
Their stories were passed on
among their families, but as time
continues and generations fade
away, so do the stories of so
many of those buried in
Fairview.
Histories Slipping Away

6. The Van Buren Public
Library genealogy
collection houses
records that paint a
faint picture of the lives
of those buried at
Fairview.
Crawford County
Friends of Genealogy
(CCFoG) works closely
with the library to
create records of the
Fairview occupants’
lives.
Randy Smith hears and
teaches many stories
told by family members
of those buried in
Fairview but they don’t
always get recorded for
posterity.
Valiant Current Efforts

7. History programs, such as the
annual Tales of the Crypt presented
with the assistance of Tom Wing and
the University of Arkansas-Fort
Smith Historic Interpretation
program bring to life the stories of
Fairview occupants.
These performances help illustrate
some of the backgrounds of those
buried in Fairview, particularly
those who were buried long ago.
Tales of the Crypt

8. www.findagrave.comwww.findagrave.com
www.Ancestry.com
These tools are only as good as the information that gets submitted to
them.
Online Resources

9. More concentrated efforts to capture the stories of
Fairview’s occupants must be implemented in order to
ensure the histories for future generations.

10. Beyond the Grave
Preserving the Histories
Gathering Stories in the Future
Capturing Stories from the Future
Information is the Key!

11. Name (Include Nickname, if any)__________________________________ Age _____________
City of Residence ______________________________________________________________________
Date of Death _____________________ City of Death_________________________________
Date of Birth ______________________ City of Birth __________________________________
Cause or Circumstances of Death (Optional)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Names of Surviving Family Members
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Names of Predeceased Family Members
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Education-Where Attended School and Level of Education
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Employment__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Military Service_______________________________________________________________________________
Offices Held in Government, Professional Organizations and/or Community
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Memberships In Fraternal, Religious Community or Civic Organizations
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Outstanding Achievements, Publications and/or Awards
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interests and Hobbies _______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Passions and How They Would Want to Be Remembered
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anecdotes, Recollections and Favorite Stories You and Their Friends Would Share
About Them
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What Three to Five Words Best Describe Them?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What made them Special to Those Around Them?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Feel Free to Share the Story of Your Loved One’s Life. You may provide it on a
separate sheet of paper.
Name (Include Nickname, if any)__________________________________ Age _____________
City of Residence ______________________________________________________________________
Date of Death _____________________ City of Death_________________________________
Date of Birth ______________________ City of Birth __________________________________
Cause or Circumstances of Death (Optional)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Names of Surviving Family Members
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Names of Predeceased Family Members
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Education-Where Attended School and Level of Education
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Employment__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Military Service_______________________________________________________________________________
Offices Held in Government, Professional Organizations and/or Community
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Memberships In Fraternal, Religious Community or Civic Organizations
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Outstanding Achievements, Publications and/or Awards
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interests and Hobbies _______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Passions and How They Would Want to Be Remembered
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anecdotes, Recollections and Favorite Stories You and Their Friends Would Share
About Them
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What Three to Five Words Best Describe Them?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What made them Special to Those Around Them?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Feel Free to Share the Story of Your Loved One’s Life. You may provide it on a
separate sheet of paper.
For Future Occupants
•Questionnaire will be provided as
part of funeral home paperwork when
Fairview Cemetery has been selected
for a person’s burial.
•Completed forms will be delivered to
the funeral director or Crawford
County Library for distribution to
Crawford County Friends of
Genealogy.
•The Genealogical Society will input
information into:
www.findagrave.com

12. For Current Occupants
Without Recorded Information
Randy Smith and Tom Wing
offered to record the information
they have already received.
Randy Smith is willing to provide
any contact information for families
who have predecessors in Fairview
so questionnaires can be provided
and that information uploaded into
www.findagrave.com

13. Public requests for information will be sought:
•Press Argus Courier
•Friends of Fairview Cemetery Facebook Page
•Grassroots Social Media Campaigns
•Van Buren Public Library
•Announcements at Tales of the Crypt
•Local News Coverage of the Effort

20. With help from the community,
we can preserve as many stories as possible.
We can ensure that no further histories are lost to time.

21. The difference between a
headstone and a legacy
is the stories that are
preserved.
Once those stories are lost,
they are lost forever.