A unique piece of history is unraveling at the Riverview Cemetery.

Believe it or not, a Civil War veteran is buried in our own back yard.

John Forrester died in Williams County on Oct. 28, 1925.

Monday's Memorial Day Services will be dedicated in Forrester's honor, according to Williams County Veterans Service Officer Bob Evans. The dedications for all veterans begin at 10:55 a.m. Monday at Ninth Avenue at the Riverview Cemetery.

"He has gone unnoticed as a veteran until now," Evans said. On May 19, Evans and Gene Emery of Rausch Monument Company of Rapid City, S.D., installed a government marker which recognizes Forrester for serving as a Civil War Veteran for the Union.

According to Evans, Forrester is buried in the older part of the cemetery not too far from where Memorial Day dedications will be observed. Guidelines will be provided for those attending Monday's ceremonies who wish to locate Forrester's grave site.

Details of Forrester's life are sketchy. Adrienne Stepanek, employee of the Riverview Cemetery, has been assigned to probe his story.

In doing so, she is poring through census records, newspaper articles, court documents, Homestead documents and federal pension records of his military compensation to dig up what she can. For Stepanek, finding the information about this enigma is like treasure hunting.

Locating his final resting place was not so difficult. The rest proves a little more of a challenge.

"It's an unmarked grave for a Civil War Veteran who died in 1925," Stepanek said. "They sent me out over a year ago, trying to find out that information. The old records indicated where the grave was supposed to be. We have ways to determine from our maps where that grave would be. The Cemetery Advisory Board asked me to find the grave and get a marker ordered."

She is sorting out as much as she can about Forrester. The puzzle pieces are scattered and ambiguous, and some contradict one another. She is searching for relatives of his grandchildren in South Dakota to see if she can find out more of who he really was and by inquiring in South Dakota newspapers.

"His story got more and more interesting," commented Stepanek.

The Federal Pension records for Forrester were obtained from the National Archives in Washington D.C. These records revealed that he was born Dec. 22, 1846, or 1847 in Manchester, England. These reports show he came to America at an early age.

Records show Forrester enlisted as a soldier on Aug. 27, 1863 in Cincinnati, Ohio as private with Company D -10th Ohio Regiment Infantry of Volunteers.

He also served 10 months in the 18th Ohio Battery of Light Artillery.

Forrester was discharged at Camp Denison on June 25, 1865.

How Forrester arrived in the Dakota Territory before North Dakota and South Dakota were separated into states (1889) is among the unanswered questions.

The first mention of Forrester being in the MonDak region comes through his pension records. These indicate he was married to [G]oechimabaza Warclub in December of 1873 at the Fort Peck Indian Agency (Montana). Data shows his wife died four years later.

What information that can be obtained about Forrester reveals he fathered two sons - one unnamed who died, and another, John, who was born June 5, 1875.

An early 1903 Williston Graphic newspaper article stated that Forrester "had been recognized by the government and placed upon the pension rolls. As a result, he has been allowed $600 for arrearages and monthly pensions of $6."

Stepanek also managed to locate Forrester's homestead papers in the Stony Creek Township within Williams County, dated Feb. 28, 1903.

Some records indicate that before obtaining his Homestead paperwork, 'Johnny Forester' was among the first 'squatters' residing along the river in the Stony Creek area. A squatter was a term used for a person who had no legal title to the land they occupied or land not yet allocated by government.

A Homestead Land entry case file was ordered from the National Archives in Washington D.C. Forrester's patent was applied for on Feb. 26, 1903; the witnesses were Christ Anderson, James Heffernan and G.B. Metzger.

His receiver receipt for the Homestead paperwork is listed at $13.68.

Some record shows he had one house built in 1887.

Later, there were two log houses, both chinked and plastered; two root houses; and a log stable.

Ten acres were fenced and four acres were plowed. The land was used mostly for grazing with a small strip of timber.

Forrester was listed on the 1910 and 1920 census records for Williams County, born in England, widowed, owned his farm and was a survivor of the Union Army.

Named as respondents in the estate procedures after his 1925 death, were his son, who is listed as John Foster, AKA John Forrester. Also listed as respondents was his sister, Catherine Hubert of Amarillo, Texas.

Ivan Metzger, administrator of the Forrester estate, reportedly sold 21 head of horses to Steidl and Birkdal of Moorhead, Minn. on June 1, 1926 for $200.

On July 9,1926 the remainder of the Forrester's personal property was sold at a public auction at the farm home of his neighbor Renia Peterson, the records showed.

These included a Ford car for $8, one bay horse for $2.25; one gray horse for $2; several saddles, harnesses, halters and bridles; and many miscellaneous items.

Net proceeds from the auction sale totaled $248.95.

Still, before his father's estate was settled, John Foster/Forrester died May 26, 1927. Young John Foster/Forrester reportedly left behind a wife, Amelia; and four children:Samuel, Sarah Firecloud, Harry and Daniel in South Dakota.

In 1951, the Williams County Register of Deeds records show that Peterson was the owner of the Forrester homestead.

Stepanek said research is continuing for more information about the Civil War military records, and the Fort Peck Indian Agency marriage records of Forrester. She added they will continue to seek facts about the life of John Foster/Forrester in South Dakota.

"I would be excited to find family. There are still Fosters in this area," Stepanek said.