The Hope Cemetery, one of the pioneer cemeteries near Turkey Creek in Barber County, is located along the south-central border of Section 25, Turkey Creek Township. This is about 1.25 miles due north of present-day Sun City, KS. GPS coordinates of the Bullock grave (the most prominent) are N 37-23-56, W 98-54-47 (degrees-minutes-seconds). This property was originally known as the Cornish Ranch, later the Harrington Ranch, and is now owned by Frances Bissantz. The Cornish-Harrington descendants are buried in the Lake City Cemetery. The cemetery is located along the "old freight trail" from Hutchinson, KS, before the current Sun City road was built around 1927.

As of July, 2006, there are only 5 clearly marked graves in the Hope Cemetery. Strangely, there is "gap" of around 20 years (early 1890s to 1911) in which the settlers around Sun City were not buried near the town at all. Indeed, the earliest grave in the current Sunnyside Cemetery at Sun City is the baby McGee grave of 1912. The deceased of that era were buried at the Lake City Cemetery, some 5 miles south-east of the area.

Sylvie Ward 

Grave 3: Located about 20 paces due east of Bullock grave in deep grass.

Sylvie E.
Dau. Of Wm. & C.R. Ward
Born Sept. 22, 1892
Died May 10, 1894
Gone but not forgotten

Baby G A Taul

Baby G A Taul

Grave 5: Located about 50 paces south-west of Bullock grave, fallen from old concrete setting, foot-stone intact. Headstone turned over in 2006 to protect deteriorating face.

Baby
G.A. Taul
(no other dates or marks)

Died: Saturday, March 10th, the infant son of B.L. and Rachel Taul, age 1 year, two months and ten days. Our heart beats with sympathy for the bereaved parents whose only consolation is given in these words: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven." Or ask, "Where is they spirit flown? I gaze above - thy look is imaged there; I listen - and thy gentle tone is on the air."

(As the stone is undated, we can't be sure that the above death notice is for Baby G.A. Taul, however, he did die near Sun City at a time when the Hope Cemetery was being used.)

Infant Johnston  

Grave 4: Located about 40 paces south-east of Bullock grave, partially disturbed by large cedar tree with various other pieces of stone. Distinct foot-stone intact.

Infant
Son of J.G. & A.
Johnston
Born Oct. 12, 1890
Died Oct. 23, 1890
A bud plucked by God to bloom in Heaven

Grave 1 and 2: Located within a relatively fancy steel fence and filled with iris plants and aromatic sumac (buckbrush).

John Bullock
Nov. 24, 1837
Oct. 23, 1911

Susan E. Bullock
June 27, 1838
Feb. 2, 1912

John Bullock 11/24/1837 - 10/23/1911 and Susan E. Bullock 6/27/1838 - 2/2/1912

Editor Union.

It appears to be the impression of some of the people in the vicinity of Lake City, that Capt. B.P. Ayers should have been buried in the Lake City Cemetery, as it was his wish according to their ideas.

If it had ever been his wish he certainly had changed his mind for, last fall, at a meeting of the Sun City Post No. 372 G.A.R., he insisted that the Post buy a lot in Hope Cemetery for the G..A. R. boys, stating that it was a necessity as he, as well as some other members of the Post, wanted to know where they would be buried, and he said he wanted to be laid where some of his comrades would be placed by his side.

The lot was bought by the Quarter-master of the Post and he is now laid away in it according to his own wishes stated in open meeting of Sun City Post No. 372 G.A.R.

Hoping this will satisfy all parties, we are yours &c.

L. Lockert, Post Com.
H.E. Van Trees, Adjt.

(Note: G.A.R. means Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Civil War veterans.)

At a later date an effort was made to locate the cemetery a mile and a half north of Sun City, on the ranch of Mr. Cornish, just across the fence from Mr. Hoagland's pasture. There are several graves in this spot but with the exception of a lone grave which has an iron fence around it, all of them are melting away and will soon be forgotten.

This cemetery was too hard to get to so another cemetery the new and one used today, was located a mile east of Sun City, with half of it on Mr. Hoagland's land and the other half-acre on the land of Mr. Hastings. -- (excerpt) Four Cemeteries (near Sun City), Barber County Index, November 24, 1927.