Star Cemetery is located on the southeast corner of Wheatstate Road and S. W. 96th Street. To find the cemetery go 4 miles north of the town of Mt. Hope on Burmac Road (279th St. West, also known as Road 785), then travel 1 mile west on S. W. 96th Street. In 2000, I (Larry E. Barnes) purchased and placed these 2 Star Cemetery signs on the north and west fences because there wasn't anything showing what this cemetery was called. Burials still occur here mainly to be laid to rest near family members. These people led interesting lives and some of their stories are known or have been uncovered. Contact me if you know of any.

The land for Star Cemetery was donated by the McMurry family. James McMurry (1817-1887), buried here at Star Cemetery, was head of one of three original families of white settlers in Lake Township. The year was 1871. The other two original families were headed by John Gorgas and James Patterson. According to Parker and Wimp family history, Ann (Foster) Parker was the first person buried at Star Cemetery in late October 1872. Another early burial here would be that of Rachel (Welch) Wimp who made the trip from Meade County, Kentucky with her son James Wimp and his wife and children, arriving in Lake Twp. in the spring of 1873. Rachel was born in Maryland in 1801. She does not appear in the 1875 Kansas State Census so her date of death falls in that time period.

Strangely, the origin of the name for Star Cemetery remains a mystery. Note that there was once a Star School located one mile north, on the southwest corner of Wheatstate Road and S. W. 84th Street.

Those buried without the benefit a headstone can remain "lost" for a long time, or in this case, about 100 years. In 2007, a reprint of a newspaper obit by the Halstead, Kansas newspaper revealed that Elias Kile died in November 1907 and was buried here at Star Cemetery. In 2018, a 1920 newspaper obit was discovered, revealing the same regarding his wife Martha. Their burial location became "lost" over the years despite the fact that Elias had a total of 17 children.

There are a number of military veterans buried here. This is not a complete list, so please contact me if you have more names and information. (Larry E. Barnes, email: [email protected])

Union Civil War veterans (9); Abijah S. Chears, George W. Fry, Charles W. Greenfield, Thomas J. Matlock, Patrick K. McCart, James M. Parker, Henry Sultzbach, Fieldon Taylor and John P. West.

Confederate Civil War veterans (2); Armstead L. Barnes and Blant D. Shacklett.

Civil War Widows (4) Laura M. Allison, Ann R. Shacklett (1st husband) and Martha J. Snyder buried here lost husbands to the Civil War. In addition, Ann Parker's husband did not return from that war and was presumed dead.

Woman's Relief Corps. (1); Susan R. Stiles. This was a patriotic organization started after the war to perpetuate the memory of The Grand Army of the Republic, and those loyal to the North in the American Civil War.

World War 1 veterans (2); Fred W. Cooper, George William Crouch.

World War 2 veterans (6); Boyce Hayden Arnett, Fred W. Cooper, John A. Goodman (U.S. Navy & U.S. Army), Leslie Mark Goodman, Harlan R. McCart and Elmer Ellis Parker.

Korean War veterans; Elmer Ellis Parker.

Olin Ted Foraker, Jr., U. S. Army 1952-1954.

Those buried here of foreign birth include the countries of England, Germany, Ireland and Scotland.