Thomas Officer Rutledge was the s/o John James Rutledge & Mary Jane Officer. He m. Sarah Smith 1796 in Wilkes Co., GA. Sarah Smith was d/o Jasper Smith & Rebecca Meridith. T O & Sarah had 10 children.
There has been some confusion as to where he was actually buried. All the history books and newspaper accounts have placed him in Oak Grove Cemetery. "Heritage of the prairie : a history of Le Roy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois" by Le Roy Historical Society; Le Roy Bi-Centennial Commission states "Thomas O. Rutledge staked out Old Oak Grove Cemetery in April, 1830. By some strange fate he was the first to be buried there as he died August 20, 1830. He also was believed to be the first white person to be buried in Empire township." The Pantagraph; Bloomington, Illinois; 13 Apr 1980, Sun; Pg 7 also states "The cemetery was founded in 1830 by Thomas O. Rutledge, who journeyed west in search of a place to start just such a business. By an ironic twist of fate, Rutledge died three months after reaching the site and ended up his own first client."
He is also listed in the Shiloh Cemetery that's located in Heyworth, McLean County, Illinois. However, after extensive research, I don't believe he was ever buried there. His son, Robert Herman, is buried in Shiloh and I believe somewhere along the way, Thomas' name was inadvertently attached to the Shiloh Cemetery.
There has been some confusion as to where he was actually buried. All the history books and newspaper accounts have placed him in Oak Grove Cemetery. "Heritage of the prairie : a history of Le Roy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois" by Le Roy Historical Society; Le Roy Bi-Centennial Commission states "Thomas O. Rutledge staked out Old Oak Grove Cemetery in April, 1830. By some strange fate he was the first to be buried there as he died August 20, 1830. He also was believed to be the first white person to be buried in Empire township." The Pantagraph; Bloomington, Illinois; 13 Apr 1980, Sun; Pg 7 also states "The cemetery was founded in 1830 by Thomas O. Rutledge, who journeyed west in search of a place to start just such a business. By an ironic twist of fate, Rutledge died three months after reaching the site and ended up his own first client."
He is also listed in the Shiloh Cemetery that's located in Heyworth, McLean County, Illinois. However, after extensive research, I don't believe he was ever buried there. His son, Robert Herman, is buried in Shiloh and I believe somewhere along the way, Thomas' name was inadvertently attached to the Shiloh Cemetery.
Thomas Officer Rutledge was the s/o John James Rutledge & Mary Jane Officer. He m. Sarah Smith 1796 in Wilkes Co., GA. Sarah Smith was d/o Jasper Smith & Rebecca Meridith. T O & Sarah had 10 children.
There has been some confusion as to where he was actually buried. All the history books and newspaper accounts have placed him in Oak Grove Cemetery. "Heritage of the prairie : a history of Le Roy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois" by Le Roy Historical Society; Le Roy Bi-Centennial Commission states "Thomas O. Rutledge staked out Old Oak Grove Cemetery in April, 1830. By some strange fate he was the first to be buried there as he died August 20, 1830. He also was believed to be the first white person to be buried in Empire township." The Pantagraph; Bloomington, Illinois; 13 Apr 1980, Sun; Pg 7 also states "The cemetery was founded in 1830 by Thomas O. Rutledge, who journeyed west in search of a place to start just such a business. By an ironic twist of fate, Rutledge died three months after reaching the site and ended up his own first client."
He is also listed in the Shiloh Cemetery that's located in Heyworth, McLean County, Illinois. However, after extensive research, I don't believe he was ever buried there. His son, Robert Herman, is buried in Shiloh and I believe somewhere along the way, Thomas' name was inadvertently attached to the Shiloh Cemetery.
There has been some confusion as to where he was actually buried. All the history books and newspaper accounts have placed him in Oak Grove Cemetery. "Heritage of the prairie : a history of Le Roy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois" by Le Roy Historical Society; Le Roy Bi-Centennial Commission states "Thomas O. Rutledge staked out Old Oak Grove Cemetery in April, 1830. By some strange fate he was the first to be buried there as he died August 20, 1830. He also was believed to be the first white person to be buried in Empire township." The Pantagraph; Bloomington, Illinois; 13 Apr 1980, Sun; Pg 7 also states "The cemetery was founded in 1830 by Thomas O. Rutledge, who journeyed west in search of a place to start just such a business. By an ironic twist of fate, Rutledge died three months after reaching the site and ended up his own first client."
He is also listed in the Shiloh Cemetery that's located in Heyworth, McLean County, Illinois. However, after extensive research, I don't believe he was ever buried there. His son, Robert Herman, is buried in Shiloh and I believe somewhere along the way, Thomas' name was inadvertently attached to the Shiloh Cemetery.
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