SMYRNA CEMETERY

Established 1891

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J. Paul Burkert, Jr.
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12/8/1936 - 7/28/2021

On July 28, 2021, we lost our friend Paul Burkert.  He grew up in our church community.  In his retirement years he was care-taker for Smyrna Cemetery.  He came many times a week to mow, water, trim and make this special place beautiful.  Click here to read his obituary.

2018 - 2019 Eagle Scout Project

Smyrna Church was the beneficiary of an Eagle Scout project proposed and executed by church member Donald Hammock. The goal was for him to conceive of and manage a substantial undertaking.  


Donald proposal led to the installation of a sign at the entrance to the cemetery which shows a mapping the grave sites.  The grave plots were remapped using precise measurements.  Grave stones were cleaned.  Donald worked with an electrician to install lighting for our church sign.  


We are so pleased with how it all turned out.  On May 11, 2019, Smyrna hosted the Court of Honor ceremony where Donald was conferred the rank of Eagle Scout.

Donald Hammock, left

Lighted Smyrna UCC Sign

125 years in 2016

2016 marks the 125th year of Smyrna United Church of Christ. In January of 1891, ground was broken to build a church midway between the settlements of Needy and Yoder in the heavily timbered rural land in the Willamette Valley. The first service in the roughed-in building was held in April. A month before, the first burial in the cemetery was Catherine Yoder Lantz, a charter member, who with her husband Gideon and family was the first Yoder settler in the community. When her brother and nephews were casting about for new homes, she was the one writing to them in Missouri & Illinois to come west to the fertile lands of Oregon. By 1893, there were at least 65 Yoders within a 1 mile radius. Others buried at our historic cemetery before 1895 include Elizabeth Owen, two of Iddo & Hattie (Yoder) Hein’s babies, Lucy Smith, and John P. Yoder.

Caretakers:

  • Tracy - Our caretaker, is on the job and does the mowing. We appreciate her good work.
  • Isidro  maintains the cremation garden

Cemetery Use Policy





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media

 

For pricing,  stone markers and regulations regarding plots for burial in our cemetery or cremation garden, please contact Rick Gano at  503-651-2044. 

Our Cemetery Newsletter is published annually in the Spring.

We maintain a list of Smyrna Cemetery Burials in PDF form.

 

   

Donations to Smyrna Cemetery


We rely on your generous donations to keep all this going. Our tax-exempt ID is #93-0798541. Send your donations to:

Joel Daniels, Treasurer
31060 S Kauffman Rd
Canby, OR 97013-9520


Donations can also be made through your credit/debit card.  
Please note:  If you are making a donation as a memorial,
please fill out "In Memory Of" box on the donation form.

 

Cemetery Committee members are

 

  • Joel Daniels, treasurer,
  • Paul Yoder,
  • Rick Gano, maps and reserving space
  • Carl Menkel
  • Barbara Menkel
  • Carly Itami
  • Murlene Liechty

 

Please feel free to contact members of the committee for more information by calling the church office at 503-651-2131 .  Leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Joel, Rick, Paul, Paul, Linda and Virgil

 

 

Cremation Garden

 

Dedication of the Bob Kyrk Memorial Bench was part of the 125th Anniversary of Smyrna UCC