A Woman’s Burial Site Lies in the Heart of an Indiana Road

We all ponder our own mortality at some point: When will it happen? How? Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on your perspective), most of us won’t have the answers to those questions until it’s too late. But one thing is certain: it will happen eventually. This gives us a unique opportunity to decide what we’d like to happen to our bodies after we’re gone.

However, even if our final wishes are perfectly executed, we can’t control what the world does with our resting places afterward. Take the case of a woman whose grave ended up right in the middle of a two-lane road in Franklin, Indiana.

Today, let me introduce you to Nancy Kerlin Barnett, a woman whose dying wish to be buried on her favorite hill didn't quite go as planned.

Nancy Kerlin Barnett's Life & Death

Born in 1793, Nancy was married to William Barnett, who claimed to be the great-great-great-grandson of Pocahontas and John Rolfe—at least, that’s what a sign once said at her grave. Her family settled in what’s now Franklin in 1821, and Nancy passed away a decade later at the age of 39. They buried her on a picturesque hill overlooking Sugar Creek in Johnson County, where she rests to this day. Source: Fox 59 in Indianapolis

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A Spork in the Road

When Nancy was buried, there was just a grassy hill—no road in sight. About 70 years later, in the early 1900s, county officials decided they wanted to build a road right through that spot. Why they couldn’t just build around her grave is a mystery. But legend has it that her grandson took matters into his own hands and guarded her grave with a shotgun, ensuring that no one disturbed it.

A Dedicated Grandson

A man with a shotgun can be pretty persuasive! Instead of bulldozing over the grave or relocating it, construction crews decided to split the road around it. Today, that stretch of road is known as County Road East 400 South.

Nancy was buried fairly shallowly—just a mound above ground—because back in the mid-1800s, they didn’t have the heavy equipment we do now. When the road was first built in the early 1900s, they placed a concrete slab over her grave for protection, and a historical marker was added in 1912..

Is Nancy Still There?

As we all know, roads don’t last forever. They need repairs, and sometimes they need to be widened. In 2016, county officials decided to widen the road, which meant Nancy had to be moved temporarily. Thankfully, no one was standing guard this time. The officials promised to return her to her spot after construction, and this time, they buried her underground according to modern standards. Now, she rests beneath a concrete median marked with a small plaque.

An Interesting Twist

According to a June 2016 article from the Indianapolis Star, while crews were exhuming Nancy, they made a surprising discovery: she wasn’t alone. They found the remains of six other individuals—two women, a man, and four children—believed to be part of a small family cemetery. After exhumation, they were all respectfully reburied in the same area.

Where to Find Nancy's Grave

If you’re curious to see Nancy’s grave, it’s located at 6844 East 400 South, Franklin, IN 46131, about 35 minutes south of Indianapolis, between Indiana Highway 31 and Interstate 65. There’s no direct exit from the Interstate, so you’ll need to access it from Highway 31. Just a heads-up—since it’s a county road, there aren’t many good places to pull over.

[Sources: Festival County Indiana / Fox 59 / Indianapolis Star / Find a Grave]

More Indiana Fun Facts

If you enjoyed this edition, and enjoy learning unique things about the state we call home, check out the previous editions of Indiana Fun Facts.

• This Juice was Invented at a So. IN Resort 
• America's First Street Light Was Right Here in IN 
• A Tree Has Been Growing on This Courthouse Roof for Over 140 Years
• This Superstar Played His Last Concert in the Hoosier State Before His Death 
• First American Soldier to Die in World War I was from a Smal IN City
• The First Sears Retail Store was in So. Indiana
• The Gas Pump was Created in this Indiana City