The City of Fayette on Friday dedicated a memorial stone in honor of unmarked graves found in 2021 at the south entrance to town.

Members of the city council, along with city employees, area board members, interested citizens, and a state archeologist participated in the dedication, which was led by First Christian Church Pastor Kerry Kesey.

East Ward representative and Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Ford delivered words of appreciation on behalf of the city for everyone who attended and helped move forward the dedication.

The memorial stone was paid for by an anonymous donor and was installed by Audsley Monument of Glasgow beside the fence on the southeast edge of the Fayette City Cemetery. An inscription on the stone reads: “In recognition of those unknown souls buried here. May these sons and daughters of Howard County rest peacefully forever more. Dedicated November 3, 2023”.

“We’re touched that we had so much participation on this,” said Northwest Ward representative Michelle Ishmael, who spearheaded the project in recent months.

The graves were discovered in October 2021 when crews working on the city’s sewer replacement project were laying new underground lines from the city’s wastewater plant that run parallel to the highway. A wooden casket was found in an area between the road and the fence at the edge of the Fayette City Cemetery.

Work immediately stopped, and the city was notified. The coffin was located approximately eight feet below ground level and within a few feet of the highway. Two more coffins were suspected to lie within inches of the exposed coffin but were left unearthed.

Police Chief David Ford said he spoke with the city’s attorney, Nathan Nickolaus, who contacted Missouri Department of Transportation Archeologist Brianne Greenwood. It was determined that since no graves had been exhumed, they could rebury the remains.

The sewers were rerouted to avoid the area. A survey with ground-penetrating radar later suggested more unmarked graves lie in the vicinity.

The age of the grave is unknown, and cemetery records do not extend to that section of ground. Highway 240, which becomes Church Street, was constructed sometime around 1923, according to Mrs. Greenwood. Cemetery records only date to 1924. Prior to the highway’s construction, traffic entered Fayette along South Main Street, which runs between the cemetery and the industrial park.