There’s a quiet beauty one can find in Evansville’s city cemeteries. Located just off Highway 41 North, Oak Hill Cemetery and Arboretum is a tranquil 175-acre historic burial ground home to more than 70,000 interments along the hillside and flat lands of the property.
We took a walk through the Victorian-inspired Oak Hill, established in 1853, to discover some of the notable markers within. With the help of city cemeteries superintendent Chris Cooke, we are delving into some of the curious histories found in the cemeteries.
Among the winding pathways and picturesque trees of Oak Hill, in section 25 sits the family plot of the Boettichers. The resting place of 16 members, the interments are protected by a statue of a mastiff, placed there by family member Betty Boetticher.
Lovingly named Beowolf (no animals are buried in the cemetery, so Beowolf only is symbolic), the current statue was restored over a five-year period by former University of Southern Indiana art instructor David Huebner and placed back on the family plot in 2002.
