Koger-Bice Cemetery
Koger-Bice Cemetery is located on the old Bice homestead, presently the McPheeters ranch, at 3300 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, Sonoma Co., CA. It was established with the burial of William Koger in 1856. His wife Matilda (Anglin) Bice was buried next to him in 1872. The Koger, Dillingham and Bice families were part of the wagon train that came from Missouri and settled in Healdsburg in 1853. Although several members of these families were buried on the homestead, only four headstones still exist. These graves were recorded on Feb 7, 2001, by Shay Tankersley and Debra McCann.
Graves with Headstones
William Koger
died Feb 12, 1856
age 59 years
Matilda Koger
died Sep 19, 1872
age 63 years, 3 months, 7 days
Isaac K. Bice
born May 18, 1863
died Dec 3, 1933
John K. Dillingham
born Apr 29, 1824
died Jan 23, ____
(headstone is broken)
Graves without Headstones
Cornelius Bice
born Feb 27, 1816
died Jul 17, 1879
Mary Jane (Koger) Bice
born Jun 5, 1827
died Sep 15, 1915
The headstones for Cornelius and Mary Bice are missing,
along with the headstones of additional family members buried here.
Healdsburg Pioneers
March 1992 Issue of the Sonoma Searcher
by the Sonoma County Genealogical SocietyOne of our members, Betty Sargent Neill, recently submitted information on her family to the Sonoma Searcher. Betty's great great grandfather, Cornelius Bice and his wife Mary Jane Koger were married in 1845 and came to Healdsburg in 1853, crossing the plains by ox team. Mary Jane's parents and siblings, the William Koger family, also arrived in Healdsburg that year.
The Bices originally settled on property which was represented to them as government land. After ten years, the Bice family became victims of the Healdsburg Land War. It turned out that what they thought was their property was actually a portion of the Fitch land grant and their home was burned in order to evict them.
After living in town for four years, Cornelius sold other property he owned and was able to purchase land in the Westside area of Healdsburg. Bice Hill on Westside Road is named for him. Many of the family, including Cornelius, Mary Jane and her parents, William and Matilda Koger, were buried in the Bice Cemetery, on the homestead. Very few of the grave markers remain because cattle were allowed to run on the property.
Cornelius and Mary Jane's children were: John W. Bice, Martha E. Bell, Matilda Elizabeth Sargent, Phoebe Louvenia Grover, Samuel C. Bice, Sarah A. Kelly, Charles A. Bice, Isaac E. Bice, Mary "May" E. Davis and Fred Bice.
Russian River Flag, Healdsburg
Jan 24, 1878 Issue Married near Healdsburg, Jan 22, 1878, residence of the bride's parents by Rev. T. W. Spanswick; Sarah Bice to T. L. Kelly, both of Mill Creek.
Jan 31, 1878 Issue Samuel C. Bice, Potter Valley, has made his appearance among his old friends during the past week. The main object of the trip, however, was to be present at the marriage of his sister, Miss Sarah to Mr. T. L. Kelly of Soules Mill.
Jul 24, 1879 Issue Near Healdsburg, July 17, 1879, Cornelius Bice, dropsy of the heart, aged 62 years. He was the eldest son of John and Phoebe Bice, the second of ten children. Born in Shelby Co., KY, at 10 years removed with his parents to Madison Co., IN, remaining there until he was 28 years, farming and boating on the Mississippi. He then settled in Jackson Co., MO, where he married in 1846 to a daughter of William Koger. In 1853, they crossed the plains to California settling in Healdsburg, where they were extremely prosperous until 1857. In 1863, he moved to the mines at Salmon River where he remained three years. In 1867, he removed to the Koger farm where he resided till his death. 12 children were born to him and his wife now remaining, all of whom but two boys are living. The oldest, Eilen, wife of G. K. Bell, a farmer on Upper Dry Creek; Elizabeth, wife of Henry Sargent, a boot and shoe merchant in Healdsburg; Luvenia, wife of T. J. Grover, stock raiser in Ellsworth Co., KS; John W., instructor at University of California, married a daughter of Thomas McClish; SC, farms at Potter Valley, married Annie Wilson; Sarah, wife of T. L. Kelley, a miller at Little Lake and the remaining four are at home.
Dry Creek Families and the Baptist Church
Winter 1997-8 Issue of the Sonoma Searcher
by the Sonoma County Genealogical SocietyWilliam Koger led the wagon train out from Jackson Co., Missouri, in 1853. He was accompanied by the John Dillingham and Cornelius Bice families. They first settled in the Dry Creek Road area. Most of these earlier settlers were baptists and their first church services were conducted in the barn of William "Buck" Koger. Koger, who had married Matilda Anglin, died in 1856.
Their daughter, Mary Jane Koger, married Cornelius Bice. Cornelius came in 1853 and settled on what is now the Lewis Norton property, on Grove Street. It was here that his home was burned during the Squatters disputes in 1862.
History of Sonoma County When Rancho Sotoyme was divided into small lots under an Order of the Probate Court, Fitch's daughter Mrs. Josephine Bailbache purchased the lands in dispute, 1400 acres. In October 1859 she obtained judgment for restitution of the premises against Cornelius Bice, James Miller, Robert Neely, J. N. Stapp, Alexander Scaggs, Thomas L. Forsee and A. M. Green.
If you have information on a cemetery in
Sonoma Co., that you would like to contribute,
e-mail it to Debra McCann, site coordinator.