The Rural Cemetery and Louis Bromfield

Small cemeteries on the rolling prairie are where most of our American ancestors were laid to rest. Many of these tiny cemeteries have been lost to the ages as they are reclaimed by nature. This particular cemetery is the final resting place for many of the early founders of the area, as well as famed author Louis Bromfield. He died in the 20th century, well past the peak of the pioneer cemetery. Cemeteries were not small affairs by this time; as America grew more industrialized, populated, and wealthy, cemeteries reflected this shift in the size and grandeur of its tombstones and monuments. Burials no longer took place on the small farm-parcels of land were set aside for the specific purpose of burial, far away from homes and farms. However, Bromfield celebrated rural America, and felt that organic farming techniques would help conserve the land and resources we had. Bromfield bought a large tract of land, which he called Malabar Farm, and this cemetery was a part of that farm. This was well over 60 years ago, and we are just now beginning to see how imperative it is that we preserve our natural resources and use more sustainable, nature friendly ways of farming. It is fitting that Bromfield and his family are buried alongside these resourceful pioneers who lived off of the land. It would have been uncharacteristic for Bromfield and his family to have been buried far away from the land they farmed and wished to stand as an example for future generations of the importance of a lifestyle in harmony with the natural world.