Fern Prairie Cemetery
26700 NE Robinson Rd.
Camas, Clark County, Washington 98607
360-833-9176
On Dec. 10, 1855 Joel Coffey died and was buried on the land now known as Fern Prairie Cemetery. Two months later Coffey’s daughter Elizabeth Angeline married the neighboring Pioneer Lewis VanVleet. This burial area was later to be known as the Fern Prairie Cemetery. In a new Fern Prairie History book put out by Della M. Howe and Jane A. Woodworth there is mention of an earlier burial of a Native American called Homan. We do not have a reference for this other then it was mentioned in the Camas Post Record (year?). The cemetery was the resting place of Van Vleet’s and Coffey’s until it was donated to the local community by the Van Vleet’s.
In our search for old death certificates and obits of people buried in Fern Prairie Cemetery we have come upon a few documents that called the cemetery by other names, be it by error or just different names used by locals. We have come across the name Oak Farm Cemetery (the Van Vleet land was called The Oaks or Oak Farm.) and on occasion we have seen it mistakenly called Camas cemetery.
May of 1926 a small parcel of land adjoining the cemetery was purchased from D. F. Webberley and his wife Ella. Then on May 6, 1946 another section was purchased. It also adjoined the cemetery and was obtained from C. F. Webberley and his wife.
In 1953 the Cemetery members decided to become a district. Shortly thereafter, they became Clark County Cemetery District #1. The name Fern Prairie Cemetery has continued to be used by most people. At that time three commissioners were elected and those commissioners selected a secretary. It has been operating in this manner since that time.
Later land was donated by Mr. Charles Gates and two acres were purchased on December 31, 1989.
