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Cornwall Cemetery / Haight Cemetery Members View
(Pleasant Twp, Union County)
2747 Trout Avenue
Thayer, Iowa 50254 USA
     First known as the "Silver Street Cemetery", it is one of the oldest cemeteries in Union County, Iowa. It was officially deeded 26 January 1867 by two families, the south half by the Cornwall family and the north half by the Mathew Bonar family.  It is comprised of approximately 1/2 acre in Pleasant Twp.section 31, about a half mile north of the Union-Ringgold County line. The land was first purchased from the United States government on 15 May 1855 by Joseph Stark and on 12 December 1855 by Mathew Bonar. On 26 January 1867 a warranty deed was signed by Mathew Bonar conveying it to the trustees of "Silver Street Cemetery", and recorded 24 March 1868 in Book I Page 289. It is surmised the Cornwall portion was deeded about the same time.
     The Bonar land was purchased by Erastus F. Haight 14 October 1882, transferred to Charles Haight in 1894 and again to Truman Haight in 1942 who is the present owner (as of this writing).
     In 1899 a church was built 3/4 of a mile south of the cemetery and was named "The Cornwall Chapel" and affiliated with the Methodist Religion. Service was disbanded in 1922 and the church has since been taken down. During this tenure the cemetery began to be referred to as the "Cornwall Cemetery". Later, after the Cornwalls were gone and the Haights owned the adjoining land, it took on the name of "The Haight Cemetery".
     An interesting note is that the cemetery was not deeded until 1867, but the earliest grave recorded was for 8 year old Delphine Castor on 13 September1860.  Earlier graves can also be found mostly in the southern half.