Mount Hope Cemetery-Mt. Hope Cemetery is the closest cemetery to Sargent (2 1/2 miles north) and also believed to be the oldest with graves dating 1880. In 1885, the cemetery grew by two additions: The Damon addition and the Cole addition named for those who donated the land. The Goodrich addition was added in 1922 and in 1924 the Sargent Township took over the entire cemetery.
St. Mary's Cemetery - St. Mary's is lcoated just one mile west of Mt. Hope. Its large cross is visible from a distance. This cross was donated in 1974 by Vencial & Helen Huss in honor of Helen's grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Frances Frost. The earliest grave of St. Mary's is a Roth child that passed in 1910. Nebraska Senator James P. Murray was laid to rest at St. Mary's in 1959.
West Union Cemetery - Seven miles northwest of Sargent is West Union Cemetery. This cemetary served West Union and surrounding areas in early settlement. Its earliest graves date 1885 but its founding date is June 25th, 1886.
Round Valley Cemetery - Round Valley Cemetery was planned with a Lutheran Church in the center. The church was built elsewhere but the cemetery remained. Its earliest grave is that of a child in 1880 the same year the cemetery was believed to be founded.
Douglas Grove Cemetery - This cemetery was founded in 1882 yet it’s oldest grave is dated 1887. This is most likely because of lack of records for previous burials. About 20 graves were moved to Douglas Grove from a site 1 ½ miles south of the cemetery. In 1964, the cemeteries formed an association. The association included Douglas Grove, Longwood, and Dry Valley.
Somerford Cemetery - The Somerford Cemetery is located on a hill side southwest of Sargent in the Somerford community. The Somerford Cemetery was originally called the Sandcreek Cememtery. The first recorded meeting was held December 26th, 1890. The first members of the cemetery association are listed as W.H. Andrews, O. Story, H.D. Daugherty, Wm. S. Breeding, George D. Barger, and H. Story.
H. Story donated one and one half acres of land to become Sandcreek Cemetery. At that time a lot cost $3.00. In 1910, the association changed the cost of a lot to $10.00 for lots south of the north road and 7 lots west from the east side of cemetery and all others were $5.00. The cost did not change again until 1999 and the association decided to up the price to $50.00 a lot.
In April 1948, the name of the cemetery was changed to the Somerford Cemetery. The name change was voted on again in 1949 due to the lack of some articles. The name finally was changed in 1949.
Irene Clark relays a story that she remembers Houston Story and neighbors staked out the cemetery by lantern light because of a death in the neighborhood. Also, as the story goes there were 4 children buried across the road and after the cemetery was established they were moved. In the record book it states that the graves were moved in 1907. Don’t know if that was when the deaths occurred or when the graves were moved.
In July 2007 the board was approached about starting an Endowment Fund. In January 2008 the Endowment Fund was set up and ready for donations. This fund was established to help with the upkeep of the cemetery for many years to come.
