Thomas Patterson and his family were some of the first settlers along the James River in what is now Greene County. In 1822, when Thomas staked his claim to land on the North side of the James River, he designated a part of this land for a cemetery. The first burial in Patterson Cemetery was Thomas and Jane Patterson’s daughter, Sally, in 1848. Thomas joined Sally in 1851 and his wife Jane joined Sally and Thomas in 1853.
The Patterson Cemetery Association is a non-profit organization of the State of Missouri whose primary function is to maintain the cemetery founded by Thomas and Jane Patterson.
The Association through time has enlarged Patterson Cemetery through purchase of adjoining property so that now the present size of the cemetery is approximately three (3) acres of land. The original cemetery was set-up as a family/neighborhood cemetery. The Original Cemetery is defined as that area inside the “horseshoe drive”. The “new” areas lie outside the horseshoe drive.