New sign. They are taking down the huge tree right now.

Broken or fallen headstones stacked up near back fence.

A Brief Description of the Old Union Cemetery;

All the information on the Old Union Cemetery I can find indicates that it was one of the first cemeteries laid out in Macoupin County. It is located on the north edge of Palmyra and is clearly visible from Highway 111 running south from the towns of Waverly and Modesto. The information further states that there were several burials in the early 1800's before it was deeded in 1862. The oldest grave found (by whoever made the original listing which included only burial years) was for a gentleman by the name of Calburn Gooch who died on July 18, 1818 at the age of 59 years, 3 months and 2 days but this burial can not be documented. There are also 32 soldiers buried in this cemetery but not all of their grave markers have been identified. There is a large stack of broken and fallen grave markers piled against a fence row in the southwest corner of this cemetery and I assume many of those markers may be located there, perhaps even the 1818 one for Mr. Gooch?...

This old evergreen in the center of the cemetery is well over 150 years of age and has seen better days. As of the spring of 2011, it appears that it will soon have to be removed. Over the last 100 years and more, it has continued to provide shade and protection from the elements for the resting place of many members of the Ross family buried around its base...