Durkee Cemetery is one of the earliest cemeteries in Baker County. It is located about two miles northwest of Durkee near the railroad and is one-quarter mile off U. S. Highway No. 30, also known as the Old Oregon Trail.
The cemetery plot was deeded to the community by the late Mr. T. B. Moore in the late 1890’s, he owning the ranch property upon which burials had been made. Since burials were made all along the Old Oregon Trail, it is reasonalble to assume that some of the graves in this cemetery date back to the early 1850’s. There are perhaps 150 graves in the cemetery but many of them are unmarked and very difficult to find. The cemetery is situated on a high dry plain and is in fairly good condition. It is open and is partially maintained, probable by relatives. We learn of no party who keeps burial records, however, several years ago the Durkee Grange made a list of burials which they turned over to one of the Baker funeral homes.
Among burials here are the following.
Glenn, Hugh H. b. 1872; d. 1889
Glenn, Nancy b. 1822; d. 1877
Myers, Sarah P. b. 1850; d. 1893
Prescott, Justina b. 1829; d. 1892; wife of J. C.
Shaffer, Prescilla b. 1820; d. 1883
The above burials were handwritten on the page for the cemetery.
Baxter, Curtis 1892-1926C
Benoit, Augustus 1843-1931C
Bradburn, Virginia 1867-1918
Cady, Emma Caroline (Bakan) 1877-1963 Obit.
Cady, Ulysses Grant 1964-1952C
Cady, Robert 1831-1911
Carson, Ervin F.
Cartwright, Sarah E. 1853-1890
Chadwell, Alice 1863-1905
Chadwell, Myrtle M. 1898-1907C
Cobbs, John Calvin 1862-1949 or (1950)C
Cobbs, Augusta ( Meyer) 1869-1944C
Darr, Lizzie 1893-1899
Dakan, Hiram 1816-1906
Day, Gertrude (Meyer) 1888-1962 Obit.
Deardorff, Charles Lewis (Louis) 1884-1972 Obit.
Deardorff, Grace Elizabeth 1915-1990 Obit.
Deardorff, Minnie (Meyer) 1880-1961 Obit.
Deardorff, Delmar W. 1913-1958
Dial, Lillian 1943-1945
Dial, William 1857-1945C
Downs, Samuel A. 1867-1899
Ells, Ray A. 1886-1910C
Ells, Ida
Ells, May 1884-1899
Ells, Thomas E. 1850-1932C
Ells, Laura (Stevens) 1869-1952
Ells, Marie Cecilia (Carnefix) 1891-1954
Engstrom, Peter A. 1865-1930C
Engstrom, Mary (E.) (Prescott) 1877-1930C
Erdelbrock, Herbert C. 1904-1987
Erdelbrock, Marguerite J. 1905-1973
(Burt Boise’s Wife)
Gerry, William 1923-1963
Gerry, Mary E. (Nelson, Sheehan) 1887 or 1888-1947C
Glenn, Lucy Bell 1880-1923C
Glenn, John Henry 1877-1962 Obit.
Glenn, Hattie elizabeth 1887-1944C
Glenn, Charles Marion 1882-1936C
Glenn, Delbert E. (Charles) 1919-1930C
Glenn, Cecil Willard 1905-1981C
Glenn, Hazel (Morton) 1894 or 1895-1924C
Glenn, Baby Daughter 1920-1920C
Glenn, Baby
Glenn, Andrew H. 1887-1934C
Glenn, Nancy
Glenn, George Louis 1879-1954
Glenn, Francis M 1846 or1847-1924C
Glenn, Katherine (Baumann) 1848 or 1846-1942C
Goff, George allen 1902-1932 or 1933C
Grabner, Jennie Edna 1893-1913C
Grabner, Abbie Gertraude 1889-1910C
Tyler, James George 1910-1986 Obit.
Prescott, Joseph 1823-1899
Prescott, Justina (Grabner) 1820-1892
Presccott, Martin A. 1888-1889
Grabner, Frank H. 1859-1936
Grabner, Daisy C. 1865-1933C
(Prescott/Georgiane)
Hume, George Martin 1906-1968
Hume, Ruth Tyler 1909-1963
Haigh, Ruth ?-1929
Haigh, John A 1912-1981 Obit
Haigh, Ruth
Harrison, Nancy Lankford 1868-1918
Harrison, Andrew Levi 1868-1918
Harrison, Elizabeth Elmore 1805-1891
Harrison, Lorenzo, D. 1831-1901
Harrison, Maggie N. 1885-1896
Harrison, F. M. 1839-1905
Hindman, Donald Albert 1914-1938
Hindman, Ida Catherine (Gerry) 1915-1990
Hoisington, Gertrude F. 1823-1977
Hoisington, Harold Stillman 1910-1992 Obit.
Hollifild, Minnie 1871-1894
Holt, Gayle Johnson Clapp 1934-1992
Hoss, Glenn Cobbs 1903-1947
Hixson, Shelby 1918-1920
Hixson, Daisy 1920-1920
Hixson, Raymond Clifford 1926-1926
Hixson, Alonzo D. 1910-1929C
Hixson, Lorraine M.
Hixson, Robert C. 1819-1907C
Hixson, Theo. 1846-1912
Hucker, Martha 1853-1929C
Hucker, G. Albert 1889-1981
Hucker, Mable, J. 1903-1992
Hucker, Theodore Gary 1944-1944C
Hucker, Theodore A. 1911-1925C
Hucker, Henry D. 1873-1942C
Hucker, Anna Laura 1893-1943C
Hucker, Josie T. (Munn) 1886-1906C
Hucker, Henry 1838-1906
Hucker, Elizabeth B. 1852-1903
Jones, William J. 1873-1968
Kirby, Robert Neal 1935-1935C
Kniss, Michael 1821-1891
Leonard, Daniel 1826-1900
Leonard, Ellen (Lowery) 1841-1915
Leonard, Thomas 1892-1964
Leonard, Edward Lee 1870-1950C
Long, Sherman A. 1928-1991 Obit.
Lang, Grace E. (Blocker) 1913-1983 Obit.
Lang, Christopher C. 1910-?
Lang, Leola Mamie (Charles) 1907-1979 Obit.
Lang, Louis George 1896-1976
McKinney, Edward E. 1888-1955
Meyer, William 1848-1918C
Meyer, Sarah P. 1850-1893
Meyer, Little Grace 1844-1888
Mitchell, Harvey
Mitchell, Abby
(Monroe)
Near, Jack E. 1911 or 1912- 1994 Obit.
Near, Jewell M. (Boatwright) 1910-1982 Obit.
Olds, Mildred Glenn 1869-1917
Prescott, Martin I. T. 1864-1926 C
Prescott, Edward G. 1859-1927 C
Price, Benjamin 1866-1935C
Shaw, Frederick Leonard 1863-1941C
Shaw, Kate May 1870-1955
Shaffer, Priscilla W. 1820-1883
Sisley, Lew 1829-1910
Stewart, Evelyn 1910-1938
Stoner, (Tom) Thomas “Grandpa” 1912-1988 Obit.
Storie, Leonard Melvin (Melvin Leonard) 1917-1922C
Storie, Lettie Harriet (Sisley 1895-1984 Obit.
Storie, Iva May (Leonard) 1871-1963 Obit.
Storie, Thomas Leonard 1892-1964 Obit.
Thompson, Anna 1874-1911C
Thompson, Thomas G. 1868-1913C
West, Maggie E. 1889 or 1890-1892
White, Henry G. Edward 1889-1946
White, Maude M. 1896-1926
White, Andrew J. 1844-1901
Wolven, William James 1874-1944
Graves, Edwin Benson 1877-1962 Obit
Olds, Infant Son 1908-1908C
Olds, Elma Madeline 1914-1914C
Prescott, Bert D. 1851-1918C
Prescott, Harvey 1881-1909C
Konte, Rebecca Rae (Boosinger) 1946-1994 Obit.
Our thanks to the Baker Family History Center for allowing us to use their copies of these cemetery records.
Augustus Benoit, who is buried at the Durkee, Oregon Cemetery is my Great Great Uncle. My Grandfather was Frank Benoit. Augustus was Frank’s Uncle. My Grand Father had written a book about his life and Augustus was discussed in the book. I know that Augustus served in the Union Army as Lieutenant. Augustus was a conscriptor while in the Army. He recruited many Canadian young men to join the Union Army. After leaving the Army Augustus drifted into Oregon where he became a gold prospector. My Grandfather Frank Benoit indicates that Augustus died in Durkee, Oregon in 1929 with several honors. If you have any more information about Augustus Benoit , I would be so grateful if you would share it with me. I would like to know where he is buried in Durkee so I can fly out and see the grave site. Is the grave site marked with a headstone? My name is Randell Benoit, Augustus is my Great Great Uncle. My email address is Rzaben0916@yahoo.com, telephone # is (512)567-7328.
Randell Benoit