This is NOT the same as late 19th century (African-American) Rock Creek Cemetery at Montague Hill closer to Marshall.
This cemetery was located in Township 51N, Range 20W, Section 33. It was in the southeast quarter of Section 33 beside Rock Creek. Before the town of Marshall was incorporated, Richard Durrett settled along Rock Creek. Missouri Historical Review Vol. 6 Page 20: the Rock Creek Methodist congregation organized in 1832-33, meeting in the Durrett home. Early parishioners' names were Pemberton, Kirbey, Gains, Cathrae. With Durrett donating a building site, a primitive log church and school building was erected, followed by a frame building in 1852 during the pastorate of Revs. W. W. Prottsman and T. M. Finney. (Oral tradition says both whites and blacks attended services.) Camp meetings (revivals) were held on church grounds. The church and cemetery were abandoned in 1885 when the congregation disbanded in favor of a new church further north at the developing Orearville community. The old church then served as a farm outbuilding.
Later generations of farm owners left the site undisturbed, not maintaining but preserving it. During a 1981 cemetery survey, only four tombstones were readable, and not all burials there were initially marked with stones. When the last family that knew about and did not disturb the site sold off the part with the church and cemetery, the historic, cultural landmark was terraced by the next owner for cropping. Orearville was chosen as location for this Rock Creek Church Cemetery instead of Marshall since most of the congregation moved membership to Orearville and the land has been in the Orearville School District since at least the 1950s.
Early settlers in this Rock Creek Church neighborhood include Lankford, Piper, Goff, Wilhite, Gwinn, Smith, Weedin according to 1881 "History of Saline County, Missouri." Pipers used the cemetery, and others likely did also.