Kearney Missouri, a town of only 10,000 boasts three nice, old cemeteries.

The notorious outlaw Jessie James is buried (reburied and DNA verified) in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. If you’re into that kind of tombstone tourism, definitely check it out. Kearney’s not shy about claiming its fallen son.  Visit his family farm nearby. There’s a Jesse James festival every summer and a gorgeous park in town named after him.

Mount Olivet, Kearney, Missouri

A few blocks from Mt. Olivet is, Fairview Cemetery.

Nobody famous or infamous buried here as far as I could tell. It’s still in town, but off the main drag. Mature trees and pastures border three sides. Nice spot. 

Before you head out of town, stop for a great cuppa here at Mojo’s.

This cemetery is one of my favorites and close to home in Kearney, Missouri.

Muddy Forks Cemetery my favorite discovery near Kearney, is just 1.7 miles north of town on Hwy 33.

I just love the name! There aren’t any forks in the road here, muddy or otherwise, so I can’t tell you how it came to be called that.

It’s up on a hill, bordered on all sides by wire fences and pasture land, a great, quiet place to sit under a shady tree and watch the world go by. There are over 400 people buried here, one famous resident, Clellend Miller, was a member of the James gang. Otherwise it’s just regular folks.

I often wonder when I find these little cemeteries out in the middle of nowhere, who gets buried there nowadays. It’s a tiny place. They’d have to be kind of selective about newcomers or they’d over-run the pasture in no time.

Maybe there’s not much demand for spots here, but I can’t imagine why not. I think it’d be a great place to rest in peace.