Origin of Campo Cemetery
Colonel Asa Thompson Oliver, from Austin County (Waller, Texas), boarded a ship in New York and arrived in Rio de Janeiro on September 20, 1866. From there, he traveled to Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, where he purchased a farm in the area known as “Campo.” On February 19, 1867, his wife Beatrice Oliver and their three children arrived at the port of Rio de Janeiro and proceeded to their new home in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste. Mrs. Beatrice contracted tuberculosis and passed away on July 13, 1868. At that time, cemeteries belonged to the Catholic Church, not to the municipality as they do today.
Shortly thereafter, his two daughters, Inglianna and Mildred Oliver, also succumbed to tuberculosis and were buried beside their mother. During this period, little Henry Bankston also died near Santa Bárbara, and his family wished to bury him in the village’s small cemetery.
With no other options, as others passed away, their families requested Colonel Oliver’s permission to bury their deceased on his land, next to his family. Colonel Oliver then allocated one hectare of his land for the burial of the North American community. In 1871, a chapel was built to serve the three Protestant denominations: Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist.
Campo Cemetery is the site of the founding of the 1st Baptist Church of Brazil, as well as the 1st Methodist Church of Brazil. It is also the site of the 1st Presbyterian Church of the Southern Synod (from the Southern U.S. states). Additionally, immigrants requested missionaries from the three denominations to come from the U.S. to the colony. These missionaries were responsible for the development of these EVANGELICAL KINGDOM´S SERVICE IN Brazil.
Thus, Santa Bárbara d’Oeste can be considered the birthplace of the Brazilian Evangelical Church.
In 1974, the cemetery received a visit from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, during which his wife, Rosalean Carter, found the grave of her great-uncle. Mr. Carter gave a brief speech next to the monument commemorating the 300th anniversary of North American immigration (erected in 1967).
The cemetery is oriented East-West because it is believed that when Jesus returns at the dawn of a new day, the souls will rise and look toward Him.
CAPELA (Memorial Chapel): The 1st chapel (wooden) was built in 1779, the 2nd chapel (brick) in 1803, and the current one in 1862. It is used for occasional services and funerals. The musical organ dates to 1893.
THE CHAPEL WAS BUILT BY ANNA BOOKWALTER AND MARTHA NORRIS [DAUGHTER AND NIECE OF MR. ASA THOMPSON].
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