Swiger Cemetery
aka: Oakdale Cemetery
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Swiger Cemetery At Find a Grave
Swiger Cemetery at Oklahoma Cemeteries

From Ringwood at the junction of HWY 60 and HWY 58, on HWY 60 go West 3 miles and then South 3 miles.

Following information furnished by: Molly Nightingale

Swiger cemetery is no longer abandoned!
It has changed ownership, and also has a new name ~ Oakdale Cemetery.

History

William and Mary Swiger began the cemetery on a corner of their land when their daughter Cora Alice died in 1894. The Swigers moved away several years later, and transferred the cemetery deed to a local church. A fire burned through the cemetery in 1985 and destroyed the wooden crosses which marked at least four graves.

New Owners

A local couple, Glen & Jewel Wedel, were saddened at the decay of the cemetery and wished it could be restored for their own family to use. When Glen spoke with the church board, no one remembered that the church even owned the cemetery, and they gladly transferred the land to Glen.  

Glen and his family have put much time and money into the restoration of this place. They removed fallen and dead trees, cleaned out the brush and debris, planted grass, and installed a white vinyl fence around the perimeter. They also installed a large sign at the gate that says "Oakdale Cemetery". (Unfortunately, it doesn't mention the previous name of the cemetery.)

Need information about those already buried here.

Please contact Molly Nightingale (Or the County Coordinator) if you have any information about any of the burials mentioned above, or especially any other burials you might know are in the cemetery.

Information compiled from all available sources and genealogy research.

CORA ALICE SWIGER 9 Oct 1880 - 14 Feb 1894
(Concrete headstone decorated with marbles and colored glass "Asleep")
Daughter of William Harrison & Mary Winifred (Princehouse) Swiger, born in Indianola, IA. She was one of nine children.
*In 1884, the family was living in still living in Indianola when her brother, Elmer, was born.
*They lived in Clearwater, KS when Elmer was born, and he died there two years later in 1892.
*In 1888, the family was living in Ulysses, KS when her brother, James, was born.

*Cora's parents are buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Rosston, OK. 

More information on the family can be found at the following website:
 http://www.kaysfamilytree.com/swiger1.html

JOHN BIRCHER 25Apr1861-17Oct1901(Marble stone.)
*John and his wife Louisa were both born in Switzerland. Both of their families immigrated to the US in 1882 and were married in 1885.
*They had seven children.
*The first six were born in KS, then sometime after 1896 they moved to OK where the last child was born in 1899.
*Headstone inscription reads:
Another link is broken
In our household band
But a chain is forming
In a better land.

S SRADER (Concrete headstone inside fence of plow tongues and metal rods.)

*This fence around this grave is partly made of plow tongues which support metal rods used for railings. Within the enclosure are two chunks of concrete, possibly from an old foundation, that appear to mark two other graves. 

I thought from looking at census records that this was Sophia Rickabough Srader (or Shrader). However, Glen now says he met a Srader descendant at the cemetery in 2010 who said the existing headstone belonged to his grandfather. He understood that his grandmother was also buried here, but didn't have a stone. Also there were as many as four sons of this couple who were buried here, and had wooden markers that were destroyed in fire later. 

*Sophia was born in Springfield, OH on Apr 28 1842 to David Henry & Nancy Rickabough. She died Oct 8 1918 in Ringwood, OK.

*She married Joseph Srader Dec 22, 1884 in Missouri.

*Joseph was born Feb 19, 1835 in West Virginia to Samuel and Hannah (Kimbel) Srader. He died July 19, 1920 in Ringwood, Ok.

*Joseph and Sophia had 13 children, 8 of whom were living in 1900.

SON OF MRS. L. A. JOHNSON Sandstone marker inscribed "Son of Mrs. L. A. Johnson")

* I have no additional information about this grave.

JOHNSON (Sandstone marker inscribed "Johnson")

*I have now additional information about this grave.

L. (Stone inscription, stone may be missing now) 1 marker

A man living near the cemetery told Glen,  "There used to be a stone in the cemetery inscribed with C. C. L. that was the grave of a LOVINGIER child."

My research shows that there was only one Lovingier family who lived in this area - Elmer & Florence (Lahman) Lovingier from Cherokee, KS. They had 8 children, two of whom died as infants.

*Ardis Lovingier was born March 29, 1906 at Seiling, OK, and died in Ringwood, OK in 1908.

*Paul Cicil Lovingier was born in 1912 at Ringwood, and died in 1912 at Ringwood, OK .

I think the stone may have read P . C. L., which would be Paul Cicil Lovingier's grave.

NO STONE

*Unknown informants have recorded that a 2 year old Lovingier child is buried in the cemetery.

I believe this is Ardis Lovingier (See above)

NO STONE

*There is an outline in the ground about 6 ft. square made of red bricks, which appear to mark a grave.