The OAK HILL CEMETERY is located two blocks north of Main Street at the intersection of Elm Street and Oakview Avenue. The cemetery is located to the east of the St Joseph's Cemetery. There is a north/south row of trees forming a visual separation between these two burial sites.

The original cemetery survey was conducted by J E White, County Survery and dated 9-Dec-1895. A note is found which states: "All lots are 15 x 15 feet square unless otherwise noted on plat". The plat map shows 387 lots and is on file at the Chisago County courthouse. It was signed and registered on 13-Feb-1897 by Henry Smith, E M Dahlby, and Martin F Naughaw.

A survey and plat map held in the county assessor's office recorded the name as the Oakhill Cemetery, North Branch, Chisago County. Obituaries from the past 150+ years have identified this cemetery using at least three different names; Old English Cemetery, Methodist Cemetery, and the Union Cemetery.

An audit report conducted by the WPA in 1936, signed by A. W. Fagertrino is on file at the Minnesota Historical Society which states, in part, "Surveyed and platted in 1870 by the Western Land Association, L. Mendelhall, agent. The cemetery is owned by the village, but no records have been kept and the care of the cemetery has been left to a self appointed cemetery board. This board was organized about 1896, but no authentic records are available prior to 1915, except a copy of plat showing numbers and locations of lots."

"According to the old birth and death records found of the town of North Branch, the first use of the cemetery and the first burial was during the year 1873."

A listing follows of burials that were understood to have taken place in the late 1800's. These names have been added to this cemetery.

Today [2013] the cemetery contains 347 lots with 4 graves available in each lot. Lot sales and record-keeping had previously been done by Ivy May Havens. That responsibility is now held by Mavis Nelson and Bob VandeKamp.

Cemetery established: 1882
Cemetery status: Active
Cemetery type: Nondenominational
Location: North Branch
Township: T35N
Range: R21W
Section: 20

Contact:
Mavis Nelson 651-462-4447
Bob VandeKamp 651-485-9044

NOTE: When source documents are listed on memorials, the information has been directly transferred from a database to the memorial. No alteration has been made to that information. In other words, discrepancies are often found in source records and no attempt has been made to "correct" it. It is presented as recorded in the original documents.

Cemetery bio: [email protected]