Iconic water tower is now a memory

In the late spring I was walking along Stephens Road that borders the Kuper Memorial Cemetery northwest of Chinook. I noticed some construction equipment and workers around the water tower located on the highest part of the cemetery. I figured repair work was going on. A few days later I walked by the cemetery again and the water tank was partially flattened on the ground and the steel tower that held it was gone. I was curious about the history of the old tank and why it was taken down.

A few weeks later I was looking at some old "Chinook Opinions" in the archives and found a 1927 story with the headline "Water treatment plant at cemetery." The story described when and why the water tank was erected. I asked around about the "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say. Here's some of what I learned about the old water tower, the history of the Kuper Memorial Cemetery (Chinook Cemetery) and some of how the funeral business developed in our area.

Kuper Memorial Cemetery was started in the late 1890's

Based on human remains found years ago at the old Poor Farm site south of Chinook, it's believed an unofficial graveyard started there before the city's present cemetery. Vernelia Tilleman has done a lot of research on local history and her research found that at some time the owner of the Poor Farm property stopped burials on the site. Lucille Oehmcke, who was secretary to the Chinook cemetery board for many years, said her husband, Ralph, discovered the graves at the Poor Farm while "mapping" the locations of graves around the county. Those remains were reburied at the Kuper Cemetery.

The exact date and location where the present Kuper Memorial Cemetery started are a bit murky. Robert Seymour homesteaded the area on or near the cemetery in 1896. Some historical records note an infant child of the Seymours and "a lady who was shot" are buried on the "highest part" of the current cemetery-though that site is not clear. One year later, 1897, Jens and Mattie Sorenson deeded five acres in the southwest corner of the present cemetery (what was originally designated the Catholic Cemetery). That gift of land was likely the official start of the cemetery with subsequent grants of land that eventually enlarged the cemetery to its current 28 acres.

The history of an early pioneer in the local funeral business explains why the cemetery's name was officially changed to the Kuper Memorial Cemetery in 1978. Herman Kuper came to Chinook as a young man and went to work as a store clerk for Julius Lehfeldt whose business slogan was "No matter what you want Lehfeldt has it." One of the necessities sold was coffins and records suggest he also provided some burial services. Early on Lehfeldt paid for Herman Kuper to attend mortuary school in Chicago, likely making Kuper the first trained mortician in the area.

Kuper started his own funeral business and was instrumental in facilitating land gifts to expand the old cemetery and its development. Kuper never owned the cemetery as some locals believe. In 1937 he built the funeral chapel, still in use, at the corner of 5th and Indiana Street in Chinook. Herman's son, Eugene, later joined his father's business and in 1964 the business sold to Leon Eliason. In 1972 the business was purchased by Marvin and Cherie (Bell) Edwards who operated it for many years as Edwards Funeral Home. Daniel and Kadie Dahl bought the funeral chapel and business in 2013 and now operate it and several other locations as Wilderness Funeral Home. The Blaine County Funeral Chapel was created in 2016 and the owners converted the old Seventh Day Adventist building into a funeral chapel a few years ago.

Water tower part of cemetery improvements in 1927

In 1927 two projects were undertaken by various individuals and community groups to improve the Chinook Cemetery. In April, 1927 the "Chinook Opinion" reported that the Chinook Lions Club had purchased 180 Green Ash trees to be planted around the boundary of the cemetery. Volunteers were asked to "bring a shovel" and help dig holes to plant the new trees.

A month later an "Opinion" story announced a "water plant" was to be installed to irrigate the cemetery . A 5,000 gallon water tank would be erected on the high point of the cemetery, "...east of the Protestant Cemetery on the Catholic Cemetery ground." A gasoline-powered centrifugal pump would lift water from the Belknap Canal south of the cemetery and store the water in the tank. From the tank a series of moveable pipes and hoses would be used to irrigate the areas needing water.

The irrigation project was funded partially by the Protestant and Catholic cemetery associations (later combined) and the Chinook Lions Club. The Lions agreed to irrigate the new trees with a water wagon until the water system was completed. Several people who worked over the years at the cemetery agreed the irrigation lines were finally all buried about 20 years ago).

The tank fell in to disuse

No one was quite sure when but the original pumping station was removed and a new pumping system installed on the east side of the cemetery. The old water tank was no longer needed as the new pump could directly feed all the irrigation lines at the cemetery. One former cemetery worker said the last few times that attempts were made to fill the old tank, "It would get about one quarter full, then leak everywhere."

Frank LaTray's father, John, tended the cemetery from 1955-1966. Frank recalls the tank would fill with silt and sand from the canal, as well as tree branches and other debris (the 5,000 gallon tank was always open at the top). LaTray said, "My dad would pump the tank full and try to 'wash' out the sand and debris. What couldn't be flushed out, we kids climbed up and took out of the tank with buckets."

What's next?

In 1966 the county formed cemetery districts that took over maintenance of the cemeteries in Blaine County. Mick Thompson currently heads the district that includes Kuper Memorial Cemetery. Asked about the removal of the old water tower he said the tower was not used for years and was no longer needed. Additionally there were some liability concerns with reports of people climbing around on the old tower.

Asked about future plans for the site where the old tower stood, Thompson said there were plans to build a 'gazebo with a locator map' that would allow visitors to find specific graves. There is no specific time frame as to when that project might happen.