After nine trustees, purchased one acre of land from William Potes, in 1871, they would establish Douglass School for their children, Smith Chapel A.M.E. for the church, and a graveyard for their loved ones. Several that are buried in the cemetery are veterans that served either in the Civil War or World War I, but none are marked with military markers at this time (2025). The beautiful cemetery is an island of quiet near Interstate 70 in Foristell. In 2023, the historic cemetery was listed on the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom because of the burial location of Smith Ball, Martin Boyd and Benjamin Oglesby, all freedom seekers that would flee their enslavers. They would return home after serving in the Union Army during the Civil War and purchase the small parcel of land for $40.
Today, the cemetery is still lovingly cared for by members of the Wesley Smith Church in Wright City, many of whom are descendants of the Smith Chapel A.M.E. There is no longer a church building and the Douglass schoolhouse has been relocated to the St. Charles County Ogelsby Park, which is located on the former farm of Benjamin Oglesby. The Cemetery would receive a grant from the Network to Freedom for 2025, to restore the broken stones in the cemetery, and to place four informational signs at the cemetery to tell the story of Smith Chapel. Historian Dorris Keeven-Franke is working with Professor Grace Moser of St. Charles Community College and her students to help with the physical restoration, research and help write the history for the signs, and to collect Oral Histories from the descendants. They also hope to place signs for all of the Veterans buried there.
We have compiled a working list of those we believed are buried in Smith Chapel, and the students have also located more. If you know of anyone or have loved ones buried at Smith Chapel we would love to hear from you by using the contact form found at the bottom of this blog.
- SURNAME – FIRST – MAIDEN – BIRTH – DEATH
- Abbington Benjamin B. 1862 1938
- Abbington Katy Smith 8/9/1895 11/29/23
- Abington Chauncey B. 1892 1954
- Abington Katy M. Smith 1894 11/29/23
- Abington Nathaniel 1830 1899
- Ball Asulia A 1867 1882
- Ball Baby 1930
- Ball Edgar Clinton 1904 1992
- Ball Emmer Lee 1868 1893
- Ball Gertrude M 1876 1893
- Ball John H. 1863 1893
- Ball Julia S. 1871 1892
- Ball Lucy P. Jackson 1908 1981
- Ball Minerva Pringle 1847 1899
- Ball Minney C. 1873 1889
- Ball Smith 1833 1912
- Ball William Everett 1861 1886
- Bird Cornilea 1841 1887
- Boyd Lawrence 1899 1958
- Boyd Martin 1826 3-Dec-12
- Brown Georgie Anna 1877 1932
- Brown L. B. 1916
- Carter Cuffy 1873
- Carter P. D. 1890 1918
- Clark Eva T. Smith 1892 1930
- France Vera M. Sanders 1923 1959
- Francis Mary
- Gibson Edward 1879 1927
- Gibson Edward 1-Jun-14 15-Mar-63
- Gibson Eva M 6-May-11 26-Dec-14
- Gibson Infant Boy
- Gibson Mary E 1915 1915
- Gibson Ruth Atkins 1926 1926
- Grady Carrie 1876 1936
- Hall E. J.
- Hedrick Helen
- Hill George H 1894 1967
- Hubbard Harat 1857 1874
- Hubbard Wesley 1844 1918
- Hunter Leora H. 1888 1971
- Jackson James 1910 1927
- Jackson James Henry 1873 1939
- Jackson Mattie L. Carter 1873 1945
- Jackson Wesley S. 1898 1947
- Keithley Qweenie Brown 1869 1932
- Keithley Warren 1844 1932
- Kenner Ellie 1855 1889
- Lanier John W. 1852 1882
- Lanier Louisa 1882
- Lockett Dora Oglesby 1849 1946
- Luckett August Griffin 1897 1955
- Luckett Berta Hubbard 1847 1936
- Luckett Cecil M. 1913 1971
- Luckett Eddie 1882 1884
- Luckett George 1860 1934
- Luckett Kathleen Barbara 1943 1962
- Luckett Lauretta A. Salllee 1920 2013
- Luckett Leon Wesley 1920 1953
- Luckett Maggie 1888
- Luckett Margaret 1867 1927
- Luckett Mary Lee 1903 1962
- Luckett Phyllis A Abington 1865 1954
- Luckett Robert 1899 1920
- Luckett T.W. 1852 1881
- Martin Collette May 1919 1991
- Mathews Maymie May Luckett 1890 1946
- Mathews Nancy 1826 1904
- Matthews Charles 1888 1973
- Matthews Robert C 1952 1967
- Moore Jennie Collins/Carter 1860 1923
- Oglesby Addie Carrie Sanders 1906 1990
- Oglesby Albert 1860 1911
- Oglesby Allie 1874 1913
- Oglesby Arzelia S. 1886 1887
- Oglesby Benjamin 1825 1901
- Oglesby Charles 1868 1942
- Oglesby Charles 1926 1974
- Oglesby Charles H. Jr. 1926 1974
- Oglesby Cora Belle Edwards 1874 1911
- Oglesby Cornelia M. Abington 1866 1890
- Oglesby Edmund “Mount” 1877 1950
- Oglesby Infant Son 1889 1889
- Oglesby Lenard S 1887 1929
- Oglesby Lula 1890 1902
- Oglesby Martha Byrd 1835 1888
- Oglesby Naomi Cora 1910 1911
- Oglesby Samuel 1854 1876
- Oglesby Walter 1871 1947
- Pratt Reuben 1808 1877
- Pratt Susan 1818 1884
- Sanders Alfred 1910 1964
- Sanders Charlotte 1921 1984
- Sanders David Garfield 1881 1951
- Sanders John 1874 1929
- Sanders Lena Ora Simms 1881 1955
- Smith F. E. 1910 1910
- Smith H 1895 1918
- Smith Helen Mozetta Hill 1929 1964
- Smith Joel G. 1913 1913
- Smith M. G. 1904 1906
- Smith Mary Frances 1848 1880
- Smith Rachael D. 1825 1911
- Smith Robert S. 1844 1911
- Smith Sarah Abington 1855 1935
- Smith W. R. 1907 1908
- Sullivan Ella May 1904 1937
- Trout George A. 1880 1883
- Washington, George
- Washington Jullia 1845 1932
- Welch Lavinia (Larrian?) Peyton 1865 1885
- Welch Susan L. 1861 1885
- Whitehead Enis (Elis?) 1811 1873
- Whitehead Hattie 1895 1913
- Wyatt Anna Stacy 1911 1932
- Wyatt Katherine 1864 1883
If you know of someone who is buried in this cemetery, we would like to hear from you. Please use the form below.
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ST. CHARLES COUNTY HISTORY 
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