Boca Raton Cemetery & Boca Raton Mausoleum
Boca Raton Cemetery & Boca Raton Mausoleum
451 SW 4th Ave, Boca Raton, FL. (561) 393-7841.
Frank H. Chesebro, one of the early residents of Boca Raton, donated the land for the cemetery in 1916. The original cemetery was a one acre lot located near the Boca Raton Hotel. In 1928 Clarence H. Geist wanted to purchase the land the cemetery was located on, and traded 10 acres of land located at what is now Glades Road and Northwest Second Avenue. The 25 burials¹ that had been made in the original one acre cemetery were exhumed and moved to the new cemetery in May of 1928.
Also in 1928, the Boca Raton Cemetery Associated was chartered by the State and took over management of the cemetery. Frank Chesebro was the associations President until his death in 1936 at which time his son, Harry M. Chesebro, succeeded him.
During World War II the Mayor of Boca Raton (J.C. Mitchell) invited the military to build a training base in Boca Raton. Much to everyone's surprise, Boca was selected as the site for a top-secret Air Force base. Almost overnight the population of Boca jumped from 1,500 to 23,000. The Boca Raton Air Base covered all of what is now Florida Atlantic University and Bibletown. It also covered the Cemetery.
The heavily guarded, top-secret radar training installation, presented a problem for mourners, funeral homes, and others that wished to visit. To solve this problem the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was ordered to find a suitable site for a cemetery and to disinter the remains from the area just south of Glades Road.
Lt. Col. Arnold MacSpadden, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected the highest point in town for the new cemetery. It seems almost poetic that the name of this high point was called Sunset Hill. In the fall of 1942 to the spring of 1943, all the remains were transferred to the present site. In 1948, the operation of the Cemetery was turned over to the City and the Fire Chief was the first cemetery sexton. He sold, marked, and measured the graves.
Partial listing which includes additonal research information
- Names in parens are maiden names
- Tombstone engravings are in italics
- Names marked with ¹ are the 25 original burials that were moved in 1928.
- Names marked with ² are the 41 burials reinterred to the Sunset Hill area of the cemetery.
- ** denotes burial date vs. date of death
- Birth year may be an estimate based on age at time of death.
| Name | Born - Died | Birth State | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akers, Homer | 30 Dec 1916 - 24 Jan 2002 | Kentucky | S/O Joshua & Ivory (Laxton). He was an Engineer, a Broadcaster and Co-Founder of WTHL & WWOG Christian Radio. |
| Akins, George S.² | Unk - 17 Aug 1938 | ||
| Akins, Alice Adeline² | 1888 - 24 Dec 1941 | ||
| Amor, Adelbert Fordham | 1890 - Sep 1960 | Ohio | H/O Jesse |
| Amor, Jessie Rose (Wheelock) | 1890 - Aug 1966 | Ohio | W/O Adelbert |
| Arnold, Orson R.² | 1899 - 3 Nov 1934 | Died in West Palm Beach | |
| Andelfinger, Marie Kristine² | 1907 - 2 Sep 1947 | Mrs. | |
| Anderson, Loretta² | 3 Dec 1849 - 11 Oct 1934 | Birth year may be 1851 | |
| Apsley, Melville Archibald | 24 Oct 1911 - 4 Jul 1961 | Delaware | H/O Isabel. S/O Melville & Emma (Harris) |
| Apsley, Isabel (Vinings) | 6 Sep 1918 - 11 Jul 1988 | Delaware | W/O Melville |
| Arnau, William Cleveland² | Unk - 22 Apr 1928 | Florida | Infant S/O Julian K. Arnau. Moved to Deerfield 16 Jun 1942 |
| Arnolds, Infant² | Unk - 3 Sep 1932** | Florida | |
| Ashe, Haven Malloy | 9 Jun 1899 - 28 Nov 1963 | Georgia | H/O Maud. S/O George & Sarah (Williamson) |
| Ashe, Maud Ritchie | 10 May 1903 - 17 Sep 1962 | W/O Haven | |
| Atkins, Frederick¹ | 1917 - 20 Dec 1920 | Florida | Died in Boca Raton |
| Ball, Reba Perry² | 1873 - 15 Aug 1948 | Mrs. | |
| Baron, Frank¹ | 1855 - 12 Nov 1917 | Died in Deerfield. Remains moved to Ft. Lauderdale | |
| Baron, Elizabeth (Routledge)¹ | 1864 - 14 Nov 1917 | Died in Deerfield. Remains moved to Ft Lauderdale. Born in Liverpool, England | |
| Bee, Harry Hughes² | 1943 - 23 Oct 1943 | Florida | Age 4 mos. Child of Geraldine Cox Bee. Died at Ft. Lauderdale |
| Beiter, Alfred Florian | 7 Jul 1894 - 11 Mar 1974 | New York | H/O Carloline. US Congressman. Elected to represent New York's 41st District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1933 to 1939, and 1941 to 1943. |
| Bologna, Francesco | 6 Sep 1929 - 26 Mar 2004 | Italy | Born in Palermo, Sicily. H/O Giuseppina |
| Bologna, Giuseppina Giresi | 24 Aug 1934 - 5 Jun 2005 | Italy | Born in Polizzigenerosa. W/O Francesco |
| Bologna, Francesco Antonio | 15 Oct 1996 - 15 Oct 1996 | Florida | Well little nephew the lord must have needed you more then us to take you back before you were even born. Love, your uncle Sal |
| Boyce, Clarence² | 1887 - 11 Feb 1938 | ||
| Boyce, James² | 1931 - 20 Sep 1943 | Died in Ft. Lauderdale. Age 12 | |
| Brenk, Arthur¹ | 1905 - 24 Nov 1917 | S/O J.A. Brenk | |
| Brenk, Arthur Allen¹ | 10 Jul 1926 - 17 Jul 1926 | Florida | S/O William & Louise Brenk |
| Brenk, Nancy Ellen¹ | 14 Jul 1927 - 16 Jul 1927 | Florida | D/O William & Louise Brenk |
| Brenk, Billy² | 3 Sep 1928 - 8 Sep 1928 | Florida | S/O William & Louise Brenk |
| Brenk, Baby Girl² | Unk - 4 May 1942 | Florida | |
| Brown, Charles W.² | 1875 - 4 Feb 1944 | ||
| Buckstaff, Noel Harold | 7 Jan 1888 - Jan 1960 | Wisconsin | H/O Martha |
| Buckstaff, Martha S. | 1885 - 1963 | Wisconsin | W/O Noel |
| Burside, Barbara Umstead | 30 Aug 1922 - 16 Dec 2002 | Delray Beach Resident. | |
| Campbell, James Ward² | 24 Dec 1862 - 28 Nov 1933 | Province of Quebec, Canada | Died in Lake Harbor, FL. |
| Carr, Sophie M. | 19 Dec 1906 - 12 Oct 2002 | New York | W/O Edward |
| Carroll, Charles | Abt. 1841 - 31 Aug 1919 | Georgia | Moved to FL btwn 1870-1880. H/O May A. Died in Yamato |
| Carroll, Martha Ann | 1850 - 11 Jul 1920 | Died in Yamato | |
| Carroll, James M.¹ | Abt. 1874 - 12 Aug 1927 | Georgia | S/O Charles. H/O Martha |
| Carroll, Martha F. "Mattie" ¹ | Abt. 1880 - 13 Dec 1917 | Florida | W/O James |
| Cochran, Infant¹ | 1915 - 24 Nov 1916 | Florida | |
| Cox, Marion² | 1928 - 30 Aug 1938 | ||
| Cox, William Copeland² | 1891 - 23 Oct 1948 | ||
| Champia, Nicholas² | 1910 - 16 Mar 1929 | Buried 18 March. | |
| Chesebro, Frank Howard² | 10 Dec 1850 - 19 Jan1936 | New York | S/O Allen D. & Rhoda. Moved to FL from MI btwn 1900-1910. One of the early settlers of Boca Raton. Instrumental in the growth and development of Boca. Donated the land for the original Boca Raton cemetery. |
| Chesebro, Jeannette² | 3 Dec 1854 - 27 Apr 1928 | Michigan | W/O Frank |
| Colebank, Henry Ward | 24 Nov 1889 - 1 May 1958 | Illinois | Died in Dade County. Long time Michigan resident. WW I Vet. |
| Colebank, Ruth W. (Jones) | 6 Nov 1892 - 1970 | Massachusetts | Died in Michigan. W/O Henry |
| Colvin, Henry Nelson² | Mar 1940 - 20 Jul 1940 | Age 5 months | |
| Combs, Bert Allistison² | 1871 - 13 Jul 1936 | Died in Deerfield. Moved to Ft. Lauderdale. | |
| Combs, Elvira² | 1867 - 22 Aug 1948 | Mrs. | |
| Cramer, Lorraine² | 1923 - 20 Mar 1928** | D/O J.F. Cramer | |
| Davis, Ira Henry² | 1864 - 20 Oct 1941 | ||
| Davis, Vertie² | 1888 - 3 Aug 1947 | Mrs. | |
| Davis, Infant² | 29 Oct 1942 - 30 Oct 1942 | Florida | Child of Lt. Reginald S. Davis. Age 21 hours |
| Dickey, Karl N., Sr. | 23 May 1911 - 23 Apr 1990 | Ohio | Died at Fort Lauderdale |
| Douglas, Clara Lee¹ | 1917 - 17 May 1918 | D/O Lucas Douglas | |
| Douglas, Elizabeth¹ | 1892 - 15 Sep 1923 | W/O Lucas Douglas. Died in Boca Raton. | |
| Estridge, Philip Don | 23 Jun 1937 - 2 Aug 1985 | Florida | Born Philip Donald "Don" Estridge, he is known as the "father of the IBM PC". Don led the team that developed the IBM Personal Computer. He was one of IBM's great heroes," according to the President of IBM President in 1985. Another computer industry writer called Don the "Cary Grant of micros". Don left a legacy behind him. He was a shining star at IBM. The "Don Estridge High Tech Middle School" was named in memory of his legacy. Don is also listed in the University of Florida "Famous Alumni". Don and his wife, Mary Anne (Hellier), were two of the 137 victims on board Delta Air Lines Flight 191, that crashed as it attempted to land during a storm in Dallas, Texas on August 2, 1985. |
| Estridge, Mary Ann (Hellier) | 10 Sep 1939 - 2 Aug 1985 | Florida | W/O Don. Mary Ann was a piano teacher and known for her love of music. |
| Evarts, Francis Elmon² | 27 Jul 1852 - 18 Mar 1941 | Michigan | Died in West Palm Beach |
| Feldmann, Erskine Forgy | 1929 - Dec 1960 | Mrs. | |
| Field, Lella Shirley | 8 Nov 1925 - 25 Apr 2002 | Mrs. Lived in Illinois prior to FL | |
| Fiske, Amy M.² | 1880 - 2 May 1940 | ||
| Fiske, James² | 1882 - 11 Oct 1942 | ||
| Forand, Aime Joseph | 23 May 1895 - 18 Jan 1972 | US Congressman. Served in the United States Army during World War I. Elected to represent Rhode Island's 1st District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1937 to 1939 and 1941 to 1961. Also served as a Member of the Rhode Island State House of representatives from 1923 to 1927. | |
| Fournier, Joseph Wilfred | 14 Aug 1897 - 7 Jul 1965 | H/O Lillian. Lived in MA prior to FL | |
| Gaskin, Rosa¹ | Unk - 20 May 1918 | W/O W.S. Gaskin. Died in Deerfield | |
| Gaskin, Infant¹ | Unk - 22 Nov 1927 | Florida | Child of Orvis and Nellie Gaskin |
| Gaskin, Ida Ruth² | 1928 - 22 Feb 1929 | Florida | D/O Bruce Gaskin. Aged 10 mos. and 23 days |
| Gismondi, Arturo | 1 Aug 1920 - 22 Apr 2005 | Italy | H/O Angela |
| Gore, Richard S. | 1960 - 1986 | ||
| Gunter, Richard Eugene "Gene" | 5 Oct 1931 - 23 Jan 2006 | H/O Jean. US Navy - Korean War. President of the Boy's Club of Miami and the Miami Shores Optimist Club. Gene was the Regional District Sales Manager for Nabisco Company. | |
| Hague, A.L.² | 1879 - 25 Jan 1930 | Died in Deerfield | |
| Haley, James Andrew | 4 Jan 1899 - 6 Aug 1981 | Alabama | H/O Aubrey (Black). US Congressman. Served in the United States Army during World War I. Elected to represent Florida's 7th and 8th Districts in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1953 to 1977. Also served as a Member of the Florida State House of Representatives from 1949 to 1952, and Delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Florida in 1952 and 1960. He was also President and director of the Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus. |
| Harrell, Infant² | Unk - 19 Jul 1938 | Florida | |
| Hayden, Ralph Parker | 10 Aug 1948 - 6 May 1968 | Florida | PFC US Army, Vietnam. Heavy Vehicle Driver. KIA |
| Herbold, Kevin | 7 May 1951 - 27 Mar 2006 | Florida | H/O Linda. |
| Herst, Herman "Pat" Jr. | 17 Mar 1909 - 31 Jan 1999 | New York | S/O Herman & Lillian (Myers) Herst. H/O Ingebold (Adam) & Ida Busch. A world-class stamp collector, dealer and auctioneer and during his life, Florida's leading philatelist. He donated his collection to Florida Atlantic university, which established the Herst Philatelic Library. |
| Hickman, Paul William | 6 MAr 1895 - 19 May 1971 | New York | Lived in Pennsylvania prior to FL. |
| Hill, Lillard Henry | 30 Jul 1909 - 26 Feb 1977 | H/O Marie | |
| Hill, Marie B. (Engstrom) | 22 Apr 1913 - 11 Feb 2004 | W/O Lillard | |
| Hill, Lydia Helen | 17 Dec 1903 - 20 Jun 1998 | New York | Moved from Boca to Kissimmee. |
| Houghton, John | 1920 - 1961 | H/O Ila. Mason. | |
| Houghton, Ila Marie | 1924 - 1961 | W/O John | |
| Hurley, Rachel Karin | 17 Oct 1975 - 17 Mar 1900 | Florida | Rachel, 13, was last seen alive on March 17, 1990 at 2:45 p.m., when she left her friends at the Jupiter Beach Inlet Park in Jupiter, Florida. She was supposed to meet her mother at Carlin Park half a mile away, but never arrived. Her mother was searching for her when, at 8:30 that evening, her body was found on the edge of Carlin Park. Rachel had been raped and strangled just 300 yards from where she was supposed to meet her mother. As of Apr. 1, 2006 her murder remains unsolved. |
| Journigan, Charles Oscar² | 1916 - 11 Nov 1939 | ||
| Kemp, Dorothy W. | 1913 - 1977 | MOTHER "She walks in beauty" | |
| Kramer, Clarence J. | 9 Dec 1912 - 18 Mar 2002 | Died in Ohio. | |
| Kruger, Jack James | 4 Mar 1924 - 5 Apr 1976 | Michigan | S/O John C. & Bernice. WW II, US Navy |
| LaCorte, Anthony Joseph | 11 Aug 1928 - 14 Sep 1993 | New York | S/O Francesco and Rosaria (Colombo) LaCorte. H/O Margaret Sciacca. |
| LaMont, Baby Boy² | Unk - 29 Mar 1929 | Florida | S/O John L. LaMont |
| Lanier, Howard | 20 Dec 1920 - 23 Oct 2004 | Illinois | Long time resident of Utah. S/O Howard & Mabel (LaBrash). H/O Olive May (Oakeson) |
| Lawrence, Ila Mae Rauch Dunkle | 23 Jan 1917 - 13 Nov 2004 | Michigan | W/O Paul Edward Dunkle (died WW II) and Victor J. Lawrence. |
| Lawson, Frances | 15 Feb 1885 - 29 Jun 1973 | ||
| Long, George Ashley² | 19 Jul 1854 - 24 Feb 1929 | Massachusetts | S/O George W. & Mary E. (Nash). H/O Catherine. |
| Long, Catherine Mary (O'Hare) | 28 Aug 1864 - 16 May 1953 | Maryland | W/O George. |
| Long, George A.² | 1893 - 6 Nov 1939 | ||
| Lynch, James Captain | Unk - 20 Jun 1918 | Died in Deerfield | |
| MacWilliams, Jewell Purdom² | 1901 - 10 May 1942 | ||
| Magrabi, Contant Elias | 21 Jan 1887 - 6 Nov 1965 | Egypt | Long time resident of NY. H/O Maude. US Army, WW I |
| Manuel, Elizabeth Hempton | 28 May 1918 - 20 Feb 2005 | ||
| McSherry, Delores J. | Abt. 1939 - 12 Apr 2005 | ||
| Mendell, Harry Leon | Abt. 1924 - 26 Mar 2006 | H/O Orlanda Mendell | |
| Miller, Isidore | 1912 - 27 Apr 2005 | ||
| Mindel, Gerald Joseph | 21 Feb 1949 - 23 Oct 1989 | Tobago | |
| Miner, Alan Joseph | 1 Jul 1929 - 7 Dec 1978 | New York | S/O William & Anita. |
| Mitchell, Jones Cleveland | 28 Jul 1890 - 2 Apr 1955 | Alabama | H/O Floy C. J.C. Mitchell moved to Boca Raton, Florida in 1922. He founded the Boca Raton community Church, was a founder of the First Bank of Boca Raton, the local chapters of the American Legion and the lions Club. He was mayor of Boca Raton for 11 years and a city commissioner for three terms. The second elementary school in town was named for him in 1958 and he was inducted into the Walk of Recognition (plaques to Boca Raton residents who have made special contributions to the city) in 2001. |
| Montgomery, Robert E. | 3 Jan 1895 - 7 Apr 1965 | New York | US Navy, WW I |
| Moseley, Bedford Forest² | 1866 - 7 Jul 1937 | Died in Brevard, NC | |
| Moseley, Nancy² | 1870 - 1 Dec 1942 | Died in Boynton | |
| Moore, Earle² | 1886 - 14 Jul 1938 | ||
| Murphy, James T. | 9 Dec 1906 - 25 Mar 1967 | New York | US Army, WW II |
| Nichols, Baby Boy¹ | 1923 - 11 Nov 1923 | Florida | S/O William G. Nichols. Died in Deerfield |
| Nichols, Infant¹ | 1924 - 2 Nov 1924 | Florida | Child of William and R.V. Nichols |
| O'Brien, Bridget "Agnes" | Unk - 26 Dec 1999 | Ireland | Owner of O'Brien Italian Restaurant, Coldenham, NY. D/O Michael & Winifred (Coleman) Donegan. |
| Oglesby, William W.² | 1871 - 22 Nov 1931 | Died in Deerfield. Buried in Boca Raton 26 Nov 1931. Moved to Deerfield in 1942 | |
| Oehl, Roberta Lynn (Drummond) | 18 Apr 1954 - 30 Mar 2000 | Michigan | |
| Parker, Yvonne B. | Abt. 1912 - 11 Jun 2005 | W/O Huntley Parker, Jr. | |
| Perini, Vincent J. Jr. | 1987 - 7 Aug 2005 | Florida | S/O Vincent Sr. & Annette. |
| Pope, Abbie L.² | 1866 - 6 Aug 1932 | ||
| Purdom, William Perry | 1868 - Feb 1956 | Florida | H/O Florence. S/O James & Elizabeth. |
| Purdom, Florence | 6 Dec 1876 - 15 Mar 1966 | Florida | W/O William |
| Purdom, Infant | 29 Nov 1918 - 5 Dec 1918 | Florida | |
| Quinn, Thomas J. | 26 Jan 1913 - 14 Feb 2002 | S/O Thomas J. and Mary (Hoffmann) Quinn | |
| Rawlerson, C.J.² | 1918 - 8 Sep 1930 | Died in Arcadia. Ages 12 yrs, 4 mos, 15 days | |
| Raulerson, Charles | 20 Apr 1886 - 20 Oct 1963 | Florida | S/O William T. & Elizabeth (Motes). H/O Eula. |
| Raulerson, Eula (Purdom) | 24 Feb 1898 - 14 Oct 1996 | Florida | D/O Perry & Florence (Atkins) Purdom. W/O Charles. |
| Raulerson, Junior | Unk - 24 Apr 1918 | Florida | S/O Charles & Eula |
| Regan, Martin Michael | 6 Jan 1901 - Oct 1967 | New Jersey | H/O Genevieve |
| Regan, Genevieve | 1901 - Mar 1961 | New Jersey | W/O Martin |
| Riddell, Dorothy (Postler) | Abt. 1930 - 3 Jan 2003 | New York | D/O William & Margaret (Bauman) Postler. W/O George. Died in KY. |
| Rittenhouse, Louis D. | Unk - Abt. 1969 | New York | World War I Vet. H/O Mabel |
| Rittenhouse, Mabel | Unk - Unk | H/O Louis D. | |
| Rogers, John Edward¹ | 1908 - 4 Jul 1918 | Died in Deerfield | |
| Rogers, Harold¹ | 1910 - 5 Jul 1918 | Died in Deerfield | |
| Sarnowski, Joseph Barnard | 30 Aug 1893 - 16 May 1966 | Poland | Lived in NY prior to FL. WW I - SFC 1107 ARPO SQ |
| Savage, Eliza A.² | 26 Jan 1859 - 17 Mar 1937 | Texas | |
| Sellers, Phillip Hardy² | 1875 - 30 Apr 1946 | South Carolina | H/O Ethel. |
| Sellers, Infant² | Unk - 18 Feb 1944 | Florida | (Paul Sellers) |
| Sempell, Stephanie | 1962 - 1976 | Florida | Stephanie ran away from her home in Boca Rotan in March 1976. Her body was found in Grassy Key, FL in Dec.1976 and was not identified till Sept. 2004. She was 15 years old at the time. As of Apr. 20, 2006 Stephanie's case is still unsolved. |
| Sistrunk, Martha E.¹ | 1866 - 21 Mary 1917 | WO William H. Sistrunk | |
| Smiley, Infant² | Unk - 12 Jul 1929 | Florida | Child of T.B. Smiley |
| Smith, Sarah Ann | Abt. 1848 - 28 Jan 1920 | Sarah is buried with the Carroll family. Perhaps she is the mother of Martha F. Carroll. Died in Yamato | |
| Smith, Infant² | Unk - 3 May 1933* | ||
| Sprague, Francis Mulhern | 7 Apr 1923 - 24 Jul 1997 | ||
| Speranza, Joseph T. | 30 Sep 1911 - 6 Jul 2005 | Italy | Died in Margate |
| Stokes, Charles William² | 13 Dec 1855 - 4 Jan 1940 | New Hampshire | |
| Stenander, Swan E.² | 1892 - 8 Jun 1938 | ||
| Stenander, Hester² | 1890 - 31 Jul 1939 | ||
| Stokes, Charles William | 1855 - 1940 | New Hampshire | H/O Ella. S/O John & Charlotte Stokes. |
| Stokes, Ella Captolia² | 23 Dec 1858 - 3 Nov 1944 | Wisconsin | W/O Charles. |
| Strauss, Charles James Jr. | 11 Mar 1903 - 9 Dec 1963 | West Virginia | S/O Karl & Margaurete. H/O Maire (Slatterick). Moved to Boca Raton in 1954. |
| Townsend, William S. | 1844 - 22 Jan 1923 | Died in Boca Raton | |
| Strauss, Maire (Slatterick) | 11 Feb 1902 - 13 Mar 1994 | Austria | W/O Charles |
| Tate, Eva Grace² | 1873 - 19 Dec 1939 | ||
| Townsend, Eliza A.² | 24 Mar 1871 - 7 Feb 1936 | Florida | W/O William. Died in Miami |
| Wehrstein-Gardner, Charles K. | 27 Aug 1925 - 4 May 1992 | US Navy, WW II. Lived in Illinois. | |
| Wetherington, Ernest² | Feb 1938 - 27 Mar 1938 | Age 2 mths. Nephew of Welton Smith | |
| Whitener, Henry E. | 4 Aug 1895 - 11 Oct 1968 | North Carolina | H/O Mildred. WW I - SGT, Air Service. |
| Whitener, Mildred L. | 15 Oct 1905 - 22 Jan 1975 | W/O Henry. | |
| Wittschen, John George² | 1887 - 8 Apr 1948 | ||
| Woodard, E. Mrs.¹ | 1865 - 17 Nov 1917 | ||
| Yeakle, Thomas John "Jake" | Abt. 1926 - 1 Oct 2003 | H/O Kathleen |