https://www.facebook.com/108578892260066/

Casper Church & Cemetery Association

Home
United States
Anna, IL
Casper Church & Cemetery Association

Historic Casper Church & Cemetery. Preserving a legacy of faith, family, and community.

Founded as a log church in 1830, with cemetery burials dating back over 200 years, we are dedicated to preserving this historic place for future generations.

08/20/2026

*STORIES BENEATH THE STONES* Issue 12

Caleb Casper was one of the children of Peter Houston Casper Sr.—the early Union County settler who later gave the land for Casper Church Cemetery.

Born in North Carolina in 1812, Caleb came west as a child, married Elizabeth Rich, built farms in Union and Johnson counties, and raised six children. He died in 1852 at only 39 years old, but his story continued through children who spread across southern Illinois and as far as Oklahoma.

His stone still stands at Casper Church Cemetery, marking him as a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

08/13/2026

John Lence arrived in Union County during its earliest years, built a life here, raised a large family, and left a legacy still visible in the Lence stones surrounding him at Casper Church Cemetery.

This week’s Stories Beneath the Stones follows the trail of a North Carolina pioneer whose probate record helped preserve the names of the children who carried his family forward.

08/11/2026

🌿 Help Us Keep Casper Church & Cemetery Beautiful! 🌿

Each year, our goal is to keep these historic grounds beautifully maintained and respectful for everyone who visits.So far this year, keeping up with the cemetery mowing has cost $6,500. Thanks to our wonderful community, our annual fundraising brought in $3,500! We are working hard to bridge that remaining gap so we can continue providing the care these grounds deserve. Any amount will help, our mowing is $500/mow.

If you would like to "Sponsor a Mow" or make a general donation to support our upkeep, we now have a PayPal option for quick and secure online giving!

💻 Donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ECAUE22A5HHBA
📬 Donate via Mail: 225 Casper Church Rd, Anna, IL 62906

Every bit helps us honor the history and families resting here. Thank you so much for your continued love and support! 💚

08/06/2026

While walking through Casper Church Cemetery, I noticed a small stone that was almost completely covered by grass. After clearing it away, I could make out two initials: F. W. . Then the last name BOWSER.

That simple discovery sent me down a rabbit hole of records, newspapers, and family history. What I found was surprising.

F. W. belonged to a well-known pioneer family. His father, Anthony C. Bowser, became a respected contractor in Murphysboro, and his siblings went on to leave their mark on southern Illinois. Yet this little boy, who died in 1865 at only about eight months old, was missing from all the family trees I could find.

His full name remains a mystery.

For more than 160 years, his small stone rested quietly at Casper Church Cemetery, nearly hidden from view. This week's Stories Beneath the Stones tells the story of the little boy who was almost forgotten—and how one weathered stone brought him back into the family story.

08/03/2026

❤️ When a cardinal appears… Myth Monday

For many people, seeing a cardinal is more than just spotting a beautiful bird. It has become a comforting symbol of remembrance, hope, and the belief that someone we love may still be near.

Long before cardinals became connected with loved ones who have passed, many cultures believed birds could serve as messengers between earth and heaven. Over time, the bright red cardinal became one of the most beloved signs of comfort — especially because they appear year-round, even in the quiet of winter.

Whether you see it as faith, folklore, or a sweet reminder from heaven, there is something special about a cardinal showing up at just the right moment.

Have you ever had a cardinal appear when you needed it most?

07/31/2026

Today is Part 5, the final part of our special series, The Last Journey to Casper.

When the Undertaker Arrived looks at how funeral preparation slowly changed in Union County.

The photo attached shows the Thomas Norris storefront in Jonesboro Local history traces this business back to Henry Clayburn Williford, a cabinetmaker who began making coffins by hand in 1846. Later, Thomas Norris purchased the business and continued the undertaking trade.

By then, funeral preparation was changing. Coffins became more prepared, body care became more professional, and the burden that once rested almost entirely on family and neighbors began shifting to the undertaker.

But the final journey still ended in the same place: the cemetery.

07/30/2026

Today is Part 4 of our special series, The Last Journey to Casper.

The Funeral Was for the Living looks at the faith behind early Casper funeral customs — especially the plain, serious traditions carried by German Reformed families.

In those days, a funeral was not meant to be a grand performance. It was a solemn reminder to the living: life was short, death was certain, faith mattered, and the grave was not the end.

At Casper, the church and cemetery stood together. The cemetery was not hidden away — it stood beside the church like a second sermon.

07/29/2026

Today is Part 3 of our special series, The Last Journey to Casper.

Coffins, Shrouds, and Neighborly Duty looks at the hands-on work of burial in early Casper history.

Before funeral homes, a funeral began with work. Someone had to prepare the body, build or secure the coffin, dig the grave, hitch the team, make the food, and help carry the dead to Casper Cemetery.

It was not easy work. It was not polished work. But it was sacred work.

A funeral at Casper was not simply a ceremony. It was labor, faith, and love with dirt under its fingernails.

07/28/2026

Today is Part 2 of our special series, The Last Journey to Casper.

The Families Who Carried the Old Ways looks at the German Reformed and Lutheran families connected to early Casper Church Cemetery — names like Casper, Rendleman, Miller, Dillow, Lingle, Hileman, Cruse, and Sifford.

These families brought more than wagons, tools, and household goods into Union County. They carried faith, language, customs, foodways, and a serious understanding of life, death, and eternity.

Casper was not just a country church. It was part of a much older story carried from Pennsylvania to Rowan County, North Carolina, and then into Southern Illinois.

07/27/2026

Today begins a special 5-part series: The Last Journey to Casper.

Before There Were Funeral Homes
Part 1 takes us back to the earliest days of Casper Church Cemetery, before funeral homes, embalmers, hearses, or professional staff. In those days, when death came to a family, the community stepped in.

Neighbors prepared food, men dug graves, families gathered in the home, and loved ones were carried to their final resting place by the hands of people who knew them.

Before there were funeral homes, there were people who showed up.

Address

Located: 110 Casper Church Road Mailing Address: 225 Casper Church Rd
Anna, IL
62906

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Casper Church & Cemetery Association posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to Casper Church & Cemetery Association:

Want your place of worship to be the top-listed Place Of Worship in Anna?