Oaklawn Cemetery is located on Highway 59 about a mile north of Oakland, Iowa, in Section 6, Township 75, Range 19.
On 10 December 1886, Marion and Lizzie Palmer sold by Warranty Deed to Center Township a plot of land adjoining Center Township Cemetery being east of SW corner of SW 1/4 NW 14 Section 6, Township 75, Range 39, for $100.00 This deed is recorded in Book 178, page 449, in the Recorder’s Office of Pottawattamie County, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In 1895, 7-1/2 acres of land was bought from Alfred Same for an addition to the cemetery. The last addition was bought from James Gardner on 3 July 1975 by Warranty Deed recorded in Book 76, page 4690. The last addition made approximately sixteen acres in the cemetery.
The sextons of the cemetery from 1946 until 1955 were Ernest Palmer and son, Darrell. Ernest passed away in 1955. Harold Kulbom was the sexton for about one and one-half years. In 1957, Darrell and Wayne Palmer took over the care of the cemetery and since about 1959, Darrell and his family have been the caretakers.
Old Center Township Cemetery is the original part of the Oaklawn Cemetery. It is located about one mile north of Oakland on Highway 59. The family stories handed down through the years indicate that Dr. Minor T. Palmer, an early settler, gave the first plot of ground for the cemetery. No record could be found to prove this transaction. They lost a baby on August 17, 1857 and this probably was the first burial in the cemetery. Inan 1885 Plat Book, it shows the cemetery being on the land owned by M. T. Palmer.
From the cemetery records, it is known that “Pauper’s Field” lies in the first twelve feet from the north fence line and goes as far east as the 10th row of this record. There are no stones in this area and no official records of any burials. However, it is known a baby was buried here in the winter of 1913 and a young boy in the spring of 1927.