Jasper County History Finds with Annie Golden

08/07/2026

Can You Help Save Waco Cemetery?

Jasper County is home to approximately 140 cemeteries, and sadly, around 30 are now considered abandoned.

As society has changed, many of the dedicated volunteers who have cared for these cemeteries for decades are getting older. Their children often live elsewhere, families are busier than ever, and fewer people are stepping in to continue this important work. As a result, more and more cemeteries are at risk of becoming abandoned.

Unfortunately, Waco Cemetery has now reached that point.

For the past several years, one incredible volunteer has managed the cemetery. She currently oversees four cemeteries while balancing a full-time job and family life. As much as she'd love to be "Super Cemetery Woman," the reality is that no one can do it all forever. At the end of this year, she'll be passing the cemetery records on to my office so they will be preserved for the future.

My hope is that, through the wonderful network of friends and fellow preservationists I've been blessed to meet over the years, we can find the next caretaker for Waco Cemetery.

The good news is that this isn't starting from scratch.

The cemetery is still active, averaging about one burial each year.
There is a small mowing fund already established.
The current mowing arrangement can continue if desired, or you could choose to mow it yourself.
There are experienced volunteers who are happy to mentor someone new and answer questions along the way.

What would a volunteer do?

• Coordinate or oversee mowing.
• Serve as the contact person for funeral homes when a burial occurs.
• Maintain the cemetery records.
• If you're interested, continue researching the history of the cemetery and the families buried there—but that's completely optional, and there are people willing to help you learn.

One long-term goal would be establishing a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for the cemetery. That would allow donations to become tax-deductible, make fundraising easier, and—most importantly—create a board of people sharing the responsibility. Many hands truly do make light work, and having several dedicated volunteers helps ensure the cemetery will never again be at risk of being abandoned.

This is about more than mowing grass.

It's about honoring the people who built our communities, preserving local history, and ensuring that future generations will always have a place to visit their loved ones.

If you have ever thought about becoming involved in cemetery preservation, or if you know someone who has a heart for history and community service, I would love to visit with you.

Together, we can make sure Waco Cemetery remains a place of dignity, remembrance, and history for generations to come.

06/21/2026

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about my work at the Jasper County Records Center is finding ways to bring state and federal dollars back home to Jasper County.

If we’re paying taxes, I’d much rather see those dollars invested right here in our community than spent somewhere else.

Over the past five years, I’ve written grants totaling $23,193 that have helped fund projects at the Records Center. Those projects include a new microfilm machine, map cabinets that allow us to properly store more than 500 historic maps, and microfilm cabinets that make these important records more accessible to the public.

I work closely with the Missouri Secretary of State Archives Department. Together, we’re using grants and interns to digitize Jasper County court records created before 1900, helping preserve these irreplaceable records while making them more accessible for researchers and future generations.

Some of the work we do is easy to see. Some of it happens quietly behind the scenes.

But whether it’s preserving a century-old court record, protecting a historic map, or bringing resources back to Jasper County, it’s work I’m proud to be a part of.

06/12/2026

Along the way I meet some of the most wonderful people from our community. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Bob and Susie O’Dell.

This is them dating in 1951. Life took these two in different directions, however many years later life brought them back together and in 2016 they were married. The stories these two can tell, oh my. What an enjoyable hour I had.

I encourage everyone to take some time to get to know the people in our community. Not only do we need to make sure that the stories are preserved but I think that we have gone in a direction where we as a community we do not know each other and that leads to some of the nastiness we see on social media

05/26/2026

Children, buried and forgotten for more than a century, are given their identity this Memorial Day.

05/24/2026

From the Heart: Memorial Day ♥️🇺🇸

As we head into Memorial Day weekend with plans for burgers on the grill, time at the lake, and gatherings with family and friends, I think it’s important to pause for a moment and remember why this day exists in the first place.

Memorial Day wasn’t originally created as the unofficial start of summer. Following the Civil War, communities across the country began gathering to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers in remembrance of those who gave their lives in service to our nation. At the time, it was often called “Decoration Day.”

Over the years, the traditions changed, but the purpose behind the day never should.

Memorial Day is about remembering the men and women who never made it home. The ones who sacrificed birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, and futures so the rest of us could enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted every single day.

As someone who works with historical records, military records, newspapers, and local history, I’m reminded often that behind every name carved into a stone or written on a document was a real person with a family, a story, and people who loved them.

So this weekend, enjoy the sunshine (if it ever comes out) the food, the laughter, and the time together. But somewhere in the middle of all of it, take a moment to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day and those who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today.

♥️💛Annie

05/09/2026

🏡 HOUSE & HOME

I’ve always thought there’s a difference between a house and a home.

A house is the building itself.
The people are what make it a home.

One of the things I help people with most often is researching property history — helping someone discover where their grandparents once lived, or learning more about the house they call home today.

Deeds allow us to track the ownership and history of the land, and newspapers help us learn about the people who lived there. But it’s rare that we find records that tell us much about the actual houses themselves.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across something fascinating tucked away in a box at the Records Center.

These books were created in 1932, right in the middle of the Great Depression. Mortgage companies were documenting and valuing homes and buildings that had gone into foreclosure.

The books contain detailed information on around 150 homes in Carthage — everything from the roads and sidewalks outside to the utilities inside, wall coverings, flooring, and countless other details.

It’s an incredible glimpse into everyday homes in our community during one of the most difficult periods in American history.

And while the books document the houses… I can’t help but think about the families who made them homes.

👉 If you could see one historical detail about your home from 100 years ago, what would you want to know?

05/05/2026

I love partenering with the Sheriffs office through the Jasper County Records Center to work in these abandoned cemeteries. This cemetery has come a long way from when we started four years ago. I will post pictures in the comments from that first cleanup 4 years ago.

Jasper County Drug Treatment Program Participants Assist with Alexander Cemetery Clean-Up

Inmates that are in the Jasper County Jail 120-day Treatment Program periodically do work projects in the County. Last week, treatment participants worked at cleaning up overgrown vegetation, removing debris and filling low spots at Alexander Cemetery. This cemetery is one of more than 80 abandoned cemeteries in Jasper County. At this cemetery there are headstones for some of the earlier founders of our community as well as veterans of World War I and World War II.

05/02/2026

Spent the morning learning new techniques on headstone preservation and ground penetrating radar. It was so interesting and I can’t wait to use the ingot to further preservation efforts in Jasper county.

04/12/2026

This isn’t a headline from World War II—it’s a letter home.

This letter was written from Anzio Beach, Italy during World War II.

Not from a general.
Not from a headline.

From a soldier.

Sgt. Bill Bacon wrote this letter home after 14 months overseas, describing life on the front lines. He spoke of constant artillery fire, sleeping in holes in the ground, and going without simple comforts like a warm meal.

At one point, he wrote:

“The boys back home don’t know what ‘tough’ means… and I know what I’m talking about.”

It’s not dramatic. It’s not polished.

It’s real.

Bill Bacon enlisted in the Army on July 2, 1942, just days after marrying his wife, Dixie. He would go on to serve in both Italy and Germany before returning home in 1945.

After the war, he came back to Jasper County. He built a life as a farmer, business owner, and family man. He raised four children, worked hard, and became part of the same community he had left behind to serve.

He passed away in 1988—but this letter remains.

From ration books at home…
To rebuilding economies overseas…
To the voices of the men who lived it—

World War II wasn’t just history.

It was personal.

Unforgettable history, one story at a time.

04/11/2026

Ever heard of “Mickey Mouse money”?

During World War II, Filipinos themselves nicknamed the currency issued under Japanese occupation “Mickey Mouse money.”

Not because it had cartoons on it—but because inflation made it nearly worthless by the end of the war.

As more and more of it was printed, prices soared. It took stacks of bills just to buy basic goods, and many people turned to bartering instead.

It’s a reminder of how difficult daily life became for families during the occupation.

Then came liberation.

This note is a Philippine One Peso “Victory Series” bill, issued as U.S. and Allied forces regained control of the islands.

It wasn’t just new money—it was a reset.

Backed by the United States, these notes helped restore trust in the economy and replace the occupation currency that had lost all value.

The word printed boldly across the back says it all:

“Victory.”

While Americans at home were carefully using ration books and saving stamps to stretch their food supply… families in the Philippines were navigating an entirely different kind of hardship.

Different experiences—same war.

From ration books at home to currency overseas, World War II changed how people lived, spent, and survived.

Unforgettable history, one story at a time.