http://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/31/864/Barry_County_Cemetery_Histories.pdf 0ac124bd79bd475af1c4b51dc2b37f93 PDF Text Text Barry County Cemeteries 6/21/98 Assyria Township 01 ♦Assyria Cemetery Section # 22 ♦South Assyria Section #26 ♦Bell Cemetery Section # 26 +Checkered Cemetery M-66 south of Assyria Center. Wing Road, first burial was Joseph S. Blaisdell, March 12, 1848. Became known as the Bell Cemetery, (combined with. Wing Road Woods Road Section # 31 #Ellis Cemetery Section # 3 *Ellis Cemetery Section # Page 1 One burial in 1839 On private land, Mrs. Philo Norton. 9 #Langford Cemetery Section # 32 Lacey Road First burial in this public cemetery was Mrs. Cyril Johnson, in 1849. Huff at King Road Two graves on private property Mary Langford - Joseph Langford #01d Indian Assyria Township Sections # 24 & #25 land. No Indian burials there since 1840. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single burials or Indian Burial grounds. + Cemetery in active use but being cared for by the Township. Owned and cared for by On private Assyria Township Assyria cemetery Bell Cemetery Checkered Cemetery Ellis Cemetery Union Joy owned and cared for by Grove and Johnstown Townships. Assyria, Baltimore, Maple �Barry County Cemeteries 6/21/1998 BALTIMORE TOWNSHIP 02 *Dowling Cemetery located in section #21 and #22 on M-37 at Tebo Road, Baltimore Township #Farr Section # 28. one burial there, Mrs. Farr who was the first person to die in Baltimore Township and was buried on section #28 near the Blanchard home. Rueben Farr was in Johnstown Township as early as 1844. Baltimore and Johnstown were divided in 1849. *Striker Cemetery *Union Joy Section #3, Davison Road Baltimore Township was set aside as a burial grounds in April, 1851 and was the first public cemetery in Baltimore township. The first burial was the son of John Houghtalin. The cemetery was neatly enclosed and legally set as a cemetery. Section #31 Maple Grove Township, North and Butler Roads. Jointly owned and managed by Assyria, Baltimore, Maple Grove and Johnstown Township. Owned and cared for by Baltimore Township Dowling Cemetery Striker Cemetery Union Joy - Assyria, Baltimore, Maple Grove and Johnstown. �Barry County Cemeteries 6/26/98 Barry Township #Dewey Grave located on section #32. One grave, that of Charlotte Dewey. East Hickory Cemetery (Mills) located on section #27 Boyes Road. Ambrose Mills was buried there in 1848. Was abandoned. #Falk Cemetery located on section #20 Barry Township. #Lawrence - Fargo located Section 27, Brooklodge Road,, Barry Township. 1st burial was Edith Fargo in 1835. Mrs. Moses Lawrence died in 1838. Both graves were moved to Hickory Corners Cemetery, section # 28, W. Hickory Road. This cemetery was then obliterated. #McAllister Cemetery located at M-43. Family burial plot. on Section 19, Community Hall Cemetery located on section #24, Barry Township. Abandoned. Barry Township Leinaar Road, *Hickory Corners Cemetery, East Hickory, Located on section #28, Hickory Corners, Barry Township. The land for this cemetery was purchased in 1854. *Pennock Cemetery, North Hickory, located on section #21, Kellogg School Road, Hickory Corners, Barry Township. The land for this cemetery was donated to the township by Zaphus Barnes in 1847. Was designated as the North Cemetery. *Cemetery is still in use. #Single graves or Indian Burial grounds. +Cemetery inactive but cared for by township. Owned and cared for by Barry Township: Barry Township cemeteries owned and cared for by Barry Township are: Hickory Corners, East and Pennock Cemetery, North. �Barry County Cemeteries Carlton Township 6/28/98 04 *Fuller-Barnum Cemetery located on section # 24.Charlton Park Road. Rueben Fuller, a child born in 1837 died in 1838 and was buried near the river on the Fuller farm and was never moved. Hart Covey was the first person buried in the Fuller -Barnum cemetery in 1843. M. E. Fuller added to the land for use as a cemetery and the cemetery became known as the Fuller Cemetery. *West Carlton Cemetery, located on section #21, on what is now M-43 was part of the E.R. Carpenter land and was also laid out as a cemetery in 1843 as a township cemetery. The wife of Harriosn Wickham was the first burial in this cemetery on February 25, 1843. The cemetery inactive by a court order in later years. oVanBrocklin-Cheney Cemetery was also laid out in 1853 on section # 12, Carlton Township on land owned by Lester Van Brocklin. The Cheney School, a saw mill, a grocery store, post office and a church were located on this corner. This cemetery was obliterated and the people moved to other cemeteries including West Carlton and Eckardt Cemetery. There are several stones still in place on the area which is about an acre in size, is fenced and is owned by Ray Bond. This is located on the south side of Brown Road. +01d Dunkard Cemetery, north side of Vedder Road, Was part of the Dunkard Church which still stands on the corner of Vedder Road and Fry Roads. A new church was built on Section #3 of Carlton Township across from the cemetery. Cemetery is mowed and maintained. oLeach Cemetery, section #32 (M-43) Ira Leach, pioneer, died on his farm on section #32 in 1841 and was buried on his farm. This cemetery was obliterated and the body moved to West Carlton Cemetery. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single burials or Indian Burial grounds. + Centery inactive but being cared for by o Obliterated Owned and carejfor by Carlton Township: Fuller Cemetery West Carlton Cemetery Carlton Township. �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES June 27, 1998 Castleton Township 05 *Barryville Cemetery, located on section #32 M-79, is part of the Church yard, west of Nashville. Was in operation before 1860. Still in use today. Brethern (Dunkard Cemetery) located in section 3, On private land. Burials are recorded at Michigan State Library 1969. Abandoned. *Hosmer Cemetery, located on section #23 of Castleton Township East State Road near the junction with M-66. Lakeview Cemetery, Nashville Village, Located on section 36 on the SE corner of the township and of the village. Is Village owned and cared for. *Warner Cemetery, (Stoney Point) located on section #16, at the junction of East State Road and Wellman Road. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single burials or Indian Burial grounds. + Cemetery is inactive but being care for by Township. o Obliterated Owned and cared for by Castleton Township: Barryville Cemetery Hosmer Cemetery Warner Cemetery Lakeview Cemetery is owned and operated by the Village of Nashville. �Barry County Cemeteries 6/28/98 Hastings Township 06 +County Farm Cemetery or Valley Home cemetery, on section #27 on Nashville Road (Old M-79). County owned and maintained. Inactive. ©Hastings Cemetery (Old) Was located at Grand and Church Streets in the City of Hastings. Was obliterated and the bodies moved when a new site was purchased on West State Road, sometimes called Cemetery Ave. Removal of the bodies was an ongoing process until 1877. Hastings City Schools were built on the site. *Hastings Township Cemetery, (Sponable) located on section #27 on McKeown Road, across the river from the County Farm. Is still operating under the Township. *Mt. Calvary Cemetery located on section #18, West Green Street at Cook Road. Was opened in 1904 with John Foley, January 8, 1904 and Catherine McPharlin, February 21, 1904, William Murphy, April 7, 1904 and Lawrence Renkes, July 8, 1904 being the first burials there. It is owned by the Catholic church and operated by St. Rose Catholic Church, Hastings. oSt. Rose, (Old Catholic Church) established about 1860 on Cemetery Avenue or West State Road at the edge of the City of Hastings, west of Riverside Cemetery along the Thornapple River. The earliest burial there was Jeremiah Foley who died in 1861. It was obliterated beginning in 1904 as the river was eroding away the bank and it was falling into the River. Some graves were thought to be lost to the river. The removal of the bodies was not completed until 1932. However several have been found since that time. The land is now privately owned. *Riverside Cemetery, along with Woodlawn is located on section #7 on West State Road or Cemetery Avenue, City of Hastings. It is corporation owned, managed and maintained. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. if Single Burials or Indian Burial grounds. is inactive but being cared for + Cemetery o obliterated. Owned and cared for by Hastings Township Hastings Township Cemetery County Farm Cemetery by Township. �Barry Counties Cemeteries 6/28/98 Hope Township 07 *Brushridge Cemetery (Bruchridge) located on section #9, Hope Township on Wilkins Road, west of M-43 on Schultz Road to Wilkins Road. It doesn’t appear on plat map for I860, but a description of the Brushridge School located the log school as south of the cemetery when it was built in 1857 informing us that it was there as early as 1856 or 1857. It is still operating today (1998) and is maintained by Hope Township. *Cedar Creek Cemetery is located on section #36 of Hope Township, south of Cedar Creek. 1 acre of land was donated for a burial ground by David Bowker. The first burial there was Isaac Graves in 1848. The first death in the township was that of Jeckanias Mott, who died in 1847 but was buring in Barry Township. oMcCallum Cemetery was located on section #7. Donald McCallum was the first settler on section #7. The cemetery was on the south side of Pine Lake Road, just inside Hope Township from Otis Lake Road. This was believed to be a family burial ground. The cemetery has been obliterated but several grave sites can still be identified where bodies have been moved, possibly to Brushridge cemetery. There are still several cement bases where stones once stood. * Cemetery is still operating. # Single graves or Indian Burial grounds. + Cemetery is inactive but being cared for by Township. Being cared for by Hope Township: Cedar Creek Cemetery Brushridge Cemetery �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES 6/28/98 Irving Township 08 *Freeport Cemetery located on section #lr Maple Street, on the northern edge of the village, Irving township. Was part of the lay out for the Village of Freeport when Michael S. and Samuel Roush platted out the village in 1874. Village owned and managed. +German Cemetery, located on section #2, on the south side of Eckert Road, Irving Township. This area of Irving Township was settled in 1851 by a group of German people who started the German Church, the plat maps show this as a German Methodist Church in section #2. The cemetery was across the road from the church. #olngraham Grave was located on Section #34 when Amos Ingraham died on the family land on August 11, 1838. When the Irving Cemetery was laid out in 1846 in that neighborhood, his body was moved to a family plot there. *Irving Cemetery located on Section #34, West State Road, Irving Township, was laid out as a public cemetery in 1846. The first burial in the cemetery was that of Mrs. William Cole on January 1, 1847. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single Burials or Indians Burial Grounds. + Cemetery inactive but cared for by the township. o obliterated. Owned and cared for by Irving Township: Irving Cemetery German Cemetery Owned and cared for by the village, Freeport Cemetery. �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES 7/1/1998 Johnstown Township 09 *Banfield Cemetery located on section #18, Orsborne Road, Johnstowns Township. This cemetery is shown on the 1860 plat map. However, when Mr. Thomas Iden, the first death in Johnstowns Township, died in the fall of 1838, there was no cemetery in Johnstown Township and he was taken to Battle Creek for burial. This cemetery is active, operated by the township. +Iden (Culver) Cemetery is located on section #27 on Hickory Road. The cemetery is inactive, owned by the township and cared for by the township. oLacey Cemtery was located on section #12, on Lacey Road.It is obliterated. Area Burails are made in the Unio Cemetery at the corners of Johnstown, Assyria, Baltimore and Maple Grove Townsips and is located on Butler Road and North Avenue. This was part of the First Congregational Church which was built in 1866. + Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single burials or Indian Camp Grounds. + Cemebery is inactive but cared for by the Township. o Obliterated. Owned and cared for by Banfield Cemetery Iden (Culver) Cemetery Union-Joy Cemetery Johnstown Township: �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES Maple Grove Township July 3, 1998 10 +Dillbahner Cemetery, Located on Section #9, Maple Grove Township, Also known as German Evangelical, or Old Evangelical Cemetery or North Maple Grove Cemetery. Is closed to burials but is cared for by the township. On the south side of Bivens Road, is mile west from Assyria Road. The Church, now a private residence is west of the cemetery on the north side of Bivens Road. The church was built on the Dillbahner property on Section #4 north and west of the cemetery. +Quaker or Old Quaker Cemetery located On section #26 on Guy Road, Maple Grove Township. Is inactive, but cared for by the township. Has Michigan Historic Marker in place. John Quick, father of Abraham Quick, fought in the Revolutionary war. He came to Michigan with his son in 1842 and died in Maple Grove Township in 1851 at the age of 91 and was buried in the Quaker Cemetery on what is now known as Guy Road. *Union- Joy is located on section # 31 at the junction of Butler and North Avenue. Is jointly owned, managed and cared for by four towships, Maple Grove, Assyria, Johnstown and Baltimore. *Wilcox Cemetery is located on section #22, Cloverday Road, just east of M-66. It is township owned and is located next door to the east of the brick church which was orginally a Methodist Church. It is still used as a church. (1998). * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single Grave or Indian Burial Ground. + Cemetery is inactive but cared for by the township. o Obliterated. Owned and cared for by Maple Grave Township: Dillbahner Cemetery or North Maple Grove or German Evangelical Quaker Cemetery Union-Joy Jointly managed and cared for by four townships, Maple Grove, Baltimore, Assyria and Johnstown. Wilcox Cemetery - Maple Grove Cemetery �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES July 3, 1998 Orangeville *Brown Cemetery, located on section 32, Lindsey Road. Orangeville Township. This cemetery was laid out after 1837 as Mrs. Henry Brown who died in July, 1837 was buried on the family farm in this area. It is shown on the plat map for 1860. It is still operating in 1998. *Oak Hill Cemetery, Orangeville, is located on section #17, on Nine Mile Road, on a hill just east of the village of Orangeville. It is Township owned and still operating in 1998. The first burials in the cemetery were Truman Clark and George Sweet who drowned in Gun Lake in 1858. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single burials or Indian Burial Grounds. + Cemetery inactive, but cared for by the township. o Obliterated. Owned and cared for by Orangeville Township: Brown Cemetery Oak Hill (Orangeville) �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES Prairieville Township July 7, 1998 12 *Prairieville Cemetery, Prairieville Township, located in section #2 on Pine Lake Road, at the northeast corner of the village, behind the Township offices. This cemetery was in use very early on after settlement of Barry then to become Prairieville began. It was used by Orangeville Township until 1858 when Orangeville Township laid out a cemetery within its boundries. It is township owned and cared for by the township. A burial of interest is that of Minnie Doster who died at age 16 in 1892. Her dog Ben followed the burial party to the cemetery and would not leave the grave site. The family tried to keep him home in vain, tried to feed him, but he refused to eat and finally died there. He too is buried in the Prairiville Cemetery and a sculptored dog was laced to mark his grave near the grave of his young mistress. *Cressey Cemetery is located on section 33, of Prairieville Township, near the town line west of the village of Cressey. It is township owened and cared for and is still in use. The village and the cemetery were named for Erastus Cressey who arrived in the area in 1842. #Lindsey or Waite located on section #5, at the junction of Pne Lake and Lindsey Roads, Prairieville Township. Eli Waite came to the are in 1836 and Mrs. Waite died within six weeks of their arrival. She was buried on the farm and later when there daughter and Mr. Waite died they were also buried there. This cemetery is no longer in use and is listed as a Lindsey-Waite family cemetery. It is cared for by Prairieville Township. There is a monument located on the grounds of the grounds of the Pine Lake Technical Institute in honor of Eli Waite and his family. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single Burials, + Cemetery inactive but care for by the township o obliterated. family burials or Indian Burial Grounds. Owned and care for by Prairieville Township: Prairieville Cemetery Cressey Cemetery Lindsey Waite �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES July 10, 1998 Rutland Township 13 *Rutland Township Cemetery is located on section 4 and section 9, Upton Road and M-37 in Rutland Township. It is township owned and managed. Mrs. Estes Rich ( Eleanor Rork Estes) died in 1845 and was buried on the Rich farm on section no. 9, Rutland Township. This land was later plotted out for use as a cemetery and is still, 1998, in use for that purpose. When the cemetery was plotted out it was discovered that Mrs. Rich’s grave occupied a place in one of the walks and was allowed to remain there. To find the earliest grave in Rutland cemetery, go to the southeast corner and look for the one that is in the pathway. This cemetery has been enlarged over the years and is managed and operated by Rutland Township. oCrosby-Tanner Cemetery was located on section no. 26, south of M-43 on Tanner Lake Road. George W. Crosby died on May 29, 1879. A description of the cemetery reads as follows; section no. 26, NW SE George W. Crosby & Olive to Chauncay R. Crosby, 4/2/1870, cemetery excepted from the deed and described as i acre adjorning the road as a burying ground, described as: commencing at center of highway at the point where it cross i line, W 10 rods, S 4 rds, N 4 rods to beginning. Allvin Phillips buried his child there in on 4/20/1876. The underground springs were running through the cemetery and Mr. Philips was deeply concerned about this and asked the neighbors to help him and a movement of all of the bodies which they could locate were moved to the Rutland cemetery. See listing for the names and lot numbers of those moved to Rutland. It is conjectured that some bodies were moved to Hastings and to Wayland but there are no records available to substantiate this. Rutland records indicate that most of the moves were done in 1884. The land where the cemetery was located is now owned by private parties. * Cemetery is operating in 1998. o Obliterated Rutland Township owns operates and manages Rutland Cemetery. < �CROSBY CEMETERY, RUTLAND TOWNSHIP, SECTION #26 Obliterated and bodies moved to other sites Those moved to Rutland Township Cemetery include the following: Lot 172 space #2 Addie Stone, child of Homer Stone, moved from Crosby to Rutland 2/3/1886 Lot #313 Crosby Family Spots 1,2,3,4 moved from Crosby Cemebery to Rutland cemetery November 1899. Lot 35 is Lydia W. Crosby wife of Chauncy Crosby, 3/31/1904 Lot #321 Spot #1 John Yeckley, #2 Wife of John Yeckley, #3 Horace, son of John Yeckley, #4 Charles, son of John Yeckley, #5 Msartha, mother of John Yeckley, Moved from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery 3/25/1898. Lot # 322 Spot #1 Rhenben Durham, #2 wife of Rhenben Durham, #3 John Durham, son of Rhenben Durham moved from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery (no date given) Lot #292 Spot #1. Child of Ed Hathaway, moved from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery on #/8/1899• Lot # 349 Spot #1. Birdie, daughter of E. J. and H. Eldred moved from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery 1893 Lot #343 Spots 1, not filled, 2 & 3 contain James VAn Wagner, 1/18/1910 and Olive VAn Wagner 5/26/1907. #4. Lucinda, wife of James Van Wagner, #5. William A Van Wagner, son of James Van Wagner, #6. Frankie, son of James Van Wagner were moved from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery, date of move not recorded. Lot #397 Spots 1, 2, & 3 not filled. #4 Senena Tanner 5/2/1912 #5 Wife of Whitney Tanner moved from Crosby to Rutland Township Cemetery 10/1/1884. �#6. Joseph W. Tanner, son of W. Tanner removed from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery 10/26/1884. Lot #401 Spot #1. William O. Tanner, son of J. W. Tanner, died 9/4/1864. from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery Spot #2. Moved 1884. is John W. Tanner, 11/27/1902 Spot #6 Infant daughter of N. & S. Brown, died 3/7/1865. Moved from Crosby Cemetery to Rutland Township Cemetery, date of move not given. �The Crosby Family Comes to Rutland Township The research and writing of most of the following article was done by Karen Marie Leiter Echtinaw and her mother Shirley Leiter who lives on the site of the Crosby farm and the former Crosby Cemetery. Some information has been added by searching further into the records at the Barry County Courthouse. "Rutland Township had a rather slow beginning. From the slow, hard work of the early settlers Rutland Township was formed and developed as we know it today. Although the early settlers have been laid to rest and some of their stories are lost, there are reminders of them and their importance still remaining. The Rork Road addition was named for David Rork, for an example, and Bull’s Prairie Campground was after A. E. Bull. These names along with others, serve to remind us of some of the early settlers who struggled to settle this land. There many other early settlers whose struggles were as great, but haven’t been commemorated, some of their names lost to history. I would like to acquaint the reader with the lives and struggles of some of the less well known early settlers of Rutland Township, as well as some of the better known first settlers. According to some account, the first settlers in Rutland Township were John DeGroat and Lorenso Cooley. Both men arrived in Hastings in 1836, looking for land in Michigan. They agreed to settle in the area now known as Rutland. Mr. DeGroat went out to pick out some farmland. He bought 160 acres on section 14 for himself and 80 acres on section 1 for Mr. Cooley. Mr. Cooley didn’t like the land chosen for him by Mr. DeGroat. He exchanged this land for one of DeGroat’s 80s on section 14. They built a shanty on Mr. Cooley’s land and Mr. DeGroat lived with Mr. and Mrs. Cooley. During this time John DeGroat was girdling trees on a few acres of his own land preparatory to putting in a crop. While working in his fields he became ill and died at the Cooley home in a few weeks. He was the first person to be buried in the new cemetery in Hastings. Shortly after John DeGroat died, Lorenso Cooley was seriously injured while lifting heavy timber. His became the second grave in the Hastings cemetery, as he was buried beside his friend. Mrs. Cooley continued to live on the place in Rutland Township until 1838, when she married Estes Rich. In 1839 their first child, Loren Rich was born. He was ’’beyond a doubt, the first child born in the township.” Loren grew �a doubt, the first child born in the township. ” Loren grew up and became a teacher at the Wilcox school. When Mr. Rich first came to the township in March of 1836, prior to his marriage to the former Mrs. Cooley, he had entered land in section 9. When Mrs. Rich died in 1845, she was buried on this farm. Subsequently this area was plotted out for a cemetery and is known as Rutland Cemetery. After his wife’s death Estes Rich sold his farm to Mr. R. Topping and went north prospecting. The new owner had problems and was unable to meet his ’’pledged payments” on the farm, so it was returned to Estes Rich. He again took possession of the land and remained there until 1871 when he moved to Kansas. It should be noted that Mr. Rich built the second house in Rutland Township, the first being the house of Lorenso Cooley. The third house was built by Major Mott in 1838 on section 18, close to the Rutland - Yankee Springs town line. Major Mott only remained in Rutland township for two years. He then returned to Battle Creek where he had originally lived. In the southern half of the township the only settler was Ira Shipman until 1850. The southern half of Rutland was still an unbroken wilderness. One of the earliest settlers in the southern portion of the township was Joshua Peck, along with Reuben Durham and his wife.They settled on adjoining land on section 23 in 1850. Mr. Peck lived on his land until his death in 1873. Reuben Durham, his wife and child lived on the 80 acres of land acquired under a soldiers warrant, by right of his service in the war of 1812, in a framed shanty, 14 feet by 20 feet. Mrs. Durham’s sister, Olive Crosby and her family, which consisted of six members, came to stay with the Durhams in December of 1852. The Crosbys had moved from New York to Illinois, then to Michigan. On a soldiers' warrant, George W. Crosby took up 160 acres of land in section 26. The two families lived together for six weeks while George Crosby and his sons built their new home. The new house was erected a mile or so from the Durhams and Joshua Peck. George Crosby lived on this farm until his death in 1879. He was buried on a place on his land which he had chosen twenty seven years before his death. There is evidence that the place must have appealed to others as Rutland Cemetery records show where several persons who had lived near by were moved from this small cemetery to the township cemetery. No records of the Crosby Cemetery have been found but there is a description of the cemetery registered and described as follows: Section 26 NW 1/4, SE 1/4; George W. Crosby & Olive to Chauncy R. Crosby - 4/2/1870, cemetery excepted from deed and described as 1/4 acre adjorning the road as a burying ground described as : commencing at center of highway at the point �where it crosses 1/4 line, W 10 rds, S 4 rds, E 10 rds, N 4 rds to beginning. The cemetery also is shown on plat maps from 1873, 1895, 1913 and 1928. Chauncy Crosby, son of George and Olive Crosby, is shown as the owner of the farm on the 1873 plat map. Leota Smith who had some knowledge of the Yeckley family, said that there were members of that family buried with Crosby. Others buried may have been Joshua Peck, Durham family members, Solon Douds and a little girl named Phillips, the daughter of Alvin and Delia Phillips. The Phillips lost several children to typhoid epidemics between 1872 and 1884 Soon after the Phillip’s girl, shown as Mary Almy Phillips, on her death certificaste, died on 4/20.1876, was buried at the Crosby cemetery, her father learned that the cemetery had underground springs running through it. This knowledge caused the father much grief. He couldn’t stand the idea of his child’s grave becoming filled with water. Mr. Phillips asked his neighbors to help him and a movement of all of the bodies which they could locate were moved to the Rutland cemetery, located on the Estes Rich property. Rutland cemetery records show that the following persons were moved from the Crosby Cemetery to the Rutland Cemetery as well as that of the Phillips child: Addie stone, the Crosby family, the Yeckley family, Rueben Durham, his wife and his son, a Hathaway child, Birdie Eldred, Frankie Van Wagner, Senena Tanner, Joseph Tanner, William 0. Tanner, and a Brown infant. Most of the moves are dated in the Rutland Cemetery records as having been made in 1884. Information about the Phillips child and her family was obtained from Susie Phillips, who was born, the child of Alvin and Delia Phillips, on October 25, 1888. She and her brother Ansel Phillips, survived to adulthood. Susie never married and lived out her 90 year life span on the Rutland farm where she was born. Susie was born several years after the deaths of her sisters but could remember the family telling about the little girl’s death and the moving of the child from Crosby Cemetery. As there are no known records of this little cemetery and as it is difficult to know if all the persons were found and moved either to Rutland Cemetery or the Riverside in Hastings, or to other cemeteries about the county. It was rumored about the area that there was at least one woman and one child buried there that were never removed. The cemetery was considered ’’obliterated” and the land returned to the farm. In 1961 a portion of the Crosby farm where the cemetery had �been, was sold to Mr. and Mrs. William Leiter and they placed their home there. The cemetery is believed to have been on the north side of what is now the Leiter’s front lawn. Little remains to show that there was once a little cemetery where Hall Road meets with Tanner Lake Road. country Sources: History of Allegan and Barry County, 1880; Personal interviews with Leota Smith, and Susie Phillips; Search by Karen Echtinaw and Shirley Leiter of Rutland and Riverside Cemeteries, April, 1983; Search of Barry County Vital Statistics, 1994; Rutland Cemetery Records, Nancy Boersma, Norma Velderman and Joyce Weinbrecht; Barry County Abstract Office; Hastings Banner, 10/31/78 and 12/21/1978. �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES July 11, 1998 Thornapple Township 14 *IOOF Cemetery located on section 23, State Road, Middleville, Thornapple Township, was deeded to Thornapple Township by Isaac N. Keeler, on November 5, 1875 and on February 24, 1880, land was deeded by I.N. Keeler to Thornapple IOOF and it was fenced by the Lodge and used as a cemetery by the Lodge. The west side of the Calvin Hill plot is the divider between IOOF Cemetery and Mt. Hope Cemetery. The IOOF Cemetery is divided at the road by the American Legion Marker, Old IOOF to the north and New IOOF to the south. The newest addition to the IOOF Cemetery is north of Fremont Street and extends about 600 feet to the west. The Hill are at the east side of the Cemetery is referred to as old Hill cemetery and is not mowed but is covered with prairie grasses, and other native plants, with many of the stones still readable. This cemetery is owned and managed by Thornapple Township. *Mt. Hope Cemetery is located to the east of the IOOF Cemetery. This village cemetery is on the east side of the village. It is owned and managed by the Township. Calvin Hill is buried in this cemetery. It was opened for burials about 1875. oThe first cemetery in Thornapple Township was located on section #27 and was on land donated by Calvin G. Hill for use by the white settlers. Mr. Hill purchased the land where it was located in 1834. This included land in sections #26 which was on both sides of the Thornapple River and #27. This cemetery was still set aside as a cemetery on the farm deed as late as 1907. It appears that the bodies were moved from this area to Mt. Hope east of the village between 1875 when that cemetery was opened to burials and 1907 when it no longer appears on the deed of March 12, 1907. Ann Kenyon is credited with giving information that she had heard folks say that it was a sad time in the town when the bodies were moved. Gersham B. Freeman was supposedly the first person buried there August 24, 1841. #An Indian Burial grounds was located on section #28, about in the center of this section off from Adams Road. This was where there was a permanent Indian settlement called Middle Village. This was no longer used by the Indians from about 1859. This was also known as Scale's Prairie. �#Kilmer Cemetery, located in section #7, Thornapple Township was a family burial grounds, the children of John and Elenor Kilmer. This is on private land, on the south east end of Duncan Lake. *Parmelee Cemetery, located on section #3 on the east side of the Methodist Church. Owned and operated by Thornapple Township. The cemetery predates the church, and the village of Parmelee with the first burial being made in 1857, that of Thuseba Thomas. There is a deed which reads, Thornapple Township, section 3, SE? William H. Hungerford & Philena to the Trustees of Union Burial Grounds 11/14/1860. The 1860 plat plat map shows the cemetery in place at that time. An additional parcel was added to Parmelee Cemetery, Thornapple Township on 2/9/1878, making a total of 4 acres more or less. * Cemetery is still operating # Single graves, family plots and Indian Burial grounds. + Cemetery is inactive but cared for by the township. o Obliterated. in 1998. Owned and cared for by Thornapple Township: IOOF Cemetery Mt. Hope Cemetery Parmelee Cemetery �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES 7/12/1998 Woodland Township 15 #Mallett Farm Cemetery, was a single burial located on the Miner Mallett farm on section #26. The farm was in the center of section #26, near Mud Creek. The burial was that of the sister of Marietta Mallett, Mrs. J.W. Buckle of Hastings in 1841. This was noted as the first funeral sermon preached in Woodland Township. The minister was the Reverend Worthington of Hastings Methodist Circuit and was at the home of Minor Mallett. +Mauch (Jordan) cemetery was the first one laid out in Woodland Township, is located on section 4, Woodland Township on Brown Road just west of Woodland Road. It is owned and cared for by the Township but is inactive. The first burial there was Martha Ann Potts, daughter of John Potts on September 16, 1846. The first adult person buried there is believed to be Moses Wadleigh, who was killed by a fallen tree in 1848. +Meyers Cemetery is located in section #3, Velte Road (M-50) Township owned and managed. This was laid out with the Meyer United Brethern Church and the foundations of the church can still be found on the northeast corner of the cemetery. #Hager Farm family burial on section #36, where Huldah Hager, born on May 14, 1839, died in October, 1838 and was buried on the William Hager farm. This is on private land. Woodland Memorial Cemetery is sometimes listed on old burial records as Woodland #2. This cemetery is located on section No. 27, Woodland Township. The earliest burial was that of That of Eva Cole, daughter of of James Cole who died on January 27, 1842. A Baptist Church stood on the north east corner of the cemetery for many years. The cemetery is owned and operated by Woodland Township. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single burial or Indian Burial grounds. + Cemetery is inactive but cared for by the township. o Obliterated. Owned and cared for by Woodland Township: Mauch Cemetery Meyers Cemetery Woodland Memorial Cemetery �BARRY COUNTY CEMETERIES July 13, 1998 Yankee Springs Township 16 +Bowens Mills (Bowerman) (Minar) Cemetery is located on section #10, Bowens Mills Road, Middleville. Township owned. There is a growth of Prairie Grass and other Prairie plants over the cemetery so it is not mowed hoping to preserve these. A deed to Yankee Springs Township shows the parcel deeded from Orrin Bardo who purchased the farm it is on. The deed for the cemetery was to the Board of Health of Yankee Springs Township on June 14, 1865. The last burial as far as is know was C. B. Wilson, (female) who had died in Kalamazoo State Hospital, in an unmarked grave about 1955. The cemetery is closed to burials, (1998). *Coman Cemetery is located on section #4 Shaw Lake Road, Yankee Springs Township. Nelson Coman took the patent on the land where the cemetery is located on December 13, 1836. The first time the deed shows an exception for the cemetery is on June 15, 1886 when Nelson Coman's heir (Celestia Coman) sold the land to Charles H. Coman, who in turn on February 15, 1884 sold it to William W. Turner on October 16, 1885, who then sold it to Nathan Walbert on June 15, 1886 and this was the first time the cemetery shows on the deeds. The Coman family had apparently taken care of the cemetery as it was on their property while they owned it. On October 16, 1984 Eugene and Mary Poll sold two acres for $4000 to Yankee Springs Township as an addition to the Coman Cemetery. It appears that the first death was that of Benjamin Headley. Between that time and 1885 when the deed was finalized there were eighty one burials. Coman Cemetery is Township owned and operated. +Duffy Cemetery, Jesuit Cemetery is located on section #34 of Yankee Springs Township on the north side of the OrangevilleYankee Springs Townline on Sager Road at Norris Road. This cemetery was more or less abandoned and most of the bodies were moved. The little plot has a fence around it and Yankee Springs Township still mows it occasionaly. There are still five members of the Duffy family on the plot. In 1850 there was a log Catholic Church in Yankee Springs Township which stood east of the Cemetery, which was laid out about the same time. The earliest marker still remaining in the cemetery is that of Bridget Duffy, who die at 5 years, 10 months, on February 13, 1851, the daughter of John and Jean Duffy. John, 1807-1872 , 65; Jean Duffy, 78; 1810 - 1888, Eliza, 13; 1862-1875 and Jane, 17; 1858-1875. �Some of the bodies from the Duffy Cemetery were taken to Kalamazoo after the cemetery was closed and some were moved to Yankee Springs Cemetery and it is conjectured that one or two were moved to St. Rose Cemetery in Hastings. There are still places that show evidence of the removal of some of the bodies beyond the current fenced area. The church became inactive due the fact that many of its members moved away from the area. John Duffy acquired the land on which the cemetery was located on December 7, 1841. John Duffy in turn, deed 2 acres, more or less, to the Reverend Peter Paul Leserere, Bishop of the Catholic Church of Diocese of Detroit on March 12, 1849. The Roman Catholic Church Diocese of Detroit deeded it to the Diocese of Lansing in 1937 and Lansing Diocese of Lansing deeded the parcel to the Diocese of Grand Rapids in 1944 who in turn deeded it to the Diocese of Kalamazoo in 1971 who never recorded this parcel. It is now part of Yankee Springs Recreation Area. #Locust Hill Cemetery is located on private land and not open to the public, in section no. 11, on the north side of Bowen Mill Road at the junction of Norris Road. This is the burial grounds for the Calvin Hill family. Calvin Hill came to Barry County, Yankee Springs Township in 1836. There are eight graves in a grove of spruce trees, the grounds covered with myrtle. They are: Delia Sweet Hill, 1836- 1893; Delia A. Hill Sensiba, wife of Myron Sensiba, February 22, 1867-May 4, 1886; Calvin Hill, October 13, 1809-September 18, 1884, served in Company B, Thirteenth Michigan Infantry; Luther Hill, August 24, 1779-May 11, 1862; Abigail Hill, December 22, 1784-May 27, 1870; Lyman Hill, August 25, 1821- November 5, 1886; A. E. Hill, wife of Lyman Hill, 1825- April 2, 1861; Orange Hill, son of Calvin and S. Hill, died January 10, 1884, age 8 years, 10 months, 26 days. This cemetery is not mowed or trimmed but is protected by the owners of the land. #Barlow, a single burial on section #1, Yankee Springs Township. Nathan Barlow Sr. came to Yankee Springs Township in 1837 to section #7. He died in 1855 in Yankee Springs. Located on private land, east two miles from the Allegan County line, near Barlow Lake on private land. *Robbins Cemetery is located on section #19, Yankee Springs Township. It is named for George W. Robbins who settled on the land in March of 1866 It appears from the description of the cemetery, that it was there before George Robbins. Franklin Miles owned the land, and sold it to Elia Scott on November 11, 1863, with an exception of an area on the NW corner of the land which was deeded to Yankee Springs Township for a burying ground. Early burials indicate the cemetery, as well as the Robbins School predate George W. Robbins as �the school appears on the recorded is Sibyl Ward, in the 1840s and 1850s. 1860 plat map. The earliest burial 1796-1839, with several dated This cemetery is owned and operated by Yankee Springs Township and is still active. *Yankee Springs Cemetery is located on section #34, Yankee Springs Township, on Duffy Road, just off of Norris Road behind and beside the Yankee Springs Bible Church. William "Yankee Bill" Lewis, who settled in Yankee Spring Township in 1836, gave the plot of ground next to the Mansion House, his hotel and tavern, for the purpose of use for a burial grounds. The first burial there was that of Mr. Thomas, an employee of Mr. Lewis who drowned while fishing on Deep Lake. The second burial there, was that of Mrs. William Coffin of Orangeville Township. The stone with the earliest date is that of Peter Stewart son of J. and C. Stewart who died on August 8, 1837 at the age of 1 year, 6 months. The land on which the cemetery is located was deeded to the Boards of Health of Orangeville and Yankee Springs Townships on June 23, 1913 by the heirs of William Lewis, Mary C. Lewis (Widow of Wm. Lewis, Calvin W. Lewis,) Edward Campau, Henry Hoyt and wife Mary Lewis Hoyt. On May 26, 1908, Deborah Blackman deeded one acre of land on the North side of the cemetery known as Yankee Springs cemetery on section 34-35 to Yankee Springs Township. Yankee Springs Township owns and operates this cemetery. is active in 1998. * Cemetery is still operating in 1998. # Single grave or family plot. + Cemetery is inactive but cared for by the township. Yankee Springs owns and operates: Coman Cemetery Bowerman-Minar Cemetery Duffy Cemetery Robbins Cemetery Yankee Springs Cemetery It �BROWN CEMETERY Many years ago a paper prepared for by Walter Brown for the Barry County Pioneer meeting told about the Brown Settlement near Orangeville. The Brown Settlement was three miles south of Orangeville on the west side of Barry County. The first route from Gull Prairie was blazed with a hatchet by George Brown in 1835. He traveled on foot looking for a place to settle. His oldest son William, followed on horseback. He liked the area near what is now known as Pine Lake on section 32. This land was purchased from the government and plans were made to clear it and build a home. He went back east to get his wife and father, Calvin Brown. He returned the following year to find J. Patton and J.J. Pease busily clearing the land for him. He had made these arrangements the year before. In 1837, Henry Brown came to join his brother. His wife died six weeks after they arrived. A plot of ground was set aside on the north end of the Brown property for a burial ground. This cemetery was subsequently called the Brown Cemetery. George Brown and father Calvin and brother Henry are all buried there as well as many family members and neighbors. The first school in the settlement was held in Duty Benson’s back room and Amy Benson was the first teacher. The first schoolhouse was built by the Nichols brothers, Elam and Silas, on the George Brown farm in 1838. The lumber was drawn from Otsego by Henry Brown and cost $400.00. It was a small framed building with four paned windows and home made benches. It was the social center of the neighborhood. The first teacher in the new school was Harriet Hoyt. Other eary teachers were Calvin White, Chloe Warner, Hannah Benson and N.J. Nevins, who later married Augusta Brown, daughter of George Brown. Some of the families in the neighborhood in addition to the Browns were Isaac Messer, Duty Benson, Adams, Pease and Patton. The Nichols brothers who were carpenters. Hiram Chase on section 29 and a Mr. Shelp whp came soon after. Many of th d here are buried in the Brown Cemetery. �--------------------- ---------------------------- - ---------- - By-Laws of Mt.-Calvary (lasting!, Michigan.’ . . * ARTICLE I.—On the occasion of Burials*, -for the* opening and cffeug of * i7gfayC?Bere shall be charged Two Dollars. ’ . .• e e xT •» ’ Jr 3T * * * ART. if.—No fence or enclosure, of wb£t description soever, shanbe built around a Lot ; or Dots, nor lot or lots raised higher than the general grade of CemeteflL. ART. HI.—Trees already situated on w in front of any lot shaljfcaot be remavexLby pro­ prietors; neither,,tnose planted by them on or.one foot'in front of any 1<% unless a permission be * obtained from the aforesaid Pastor or L’..» Delegate. • 1v ” ART. IV.—No horse teams or yoke of cattle, with or without vKicle. shall be allowedwithin the enclosure of said Cemetery, unle^-a special grant be given y the aforesaid Pastor or his Delegate. f .. I ** x'" ”• f ART. V.—No Corpse shall be in terredfin the Cemetery, unless'jpSiicket- of admission: be | -“•gTvmrby^the aforesaid Pastor or is entitled u. **•*•5 a grave on the reception of said ticket. ART. VI.—No-Headstone or Monument* shall be erected in the Cemetery unless approved of by the Pastor; who shall approve or disapprove of the inscription it shall bear, ART. VII.—Any person disturbing the quiet and good order of the Cemetery, by noise or . other improper conduct, shall be compelled instantly to leave the grounds. ART. VIII. Any decayed fences or enclosures, and dilapidated monuments, will be re“0VC?^th?JxpCAD?,e/>f?he ProPrJetors if not removed by themselves when notified to do so. ART. IX.—All bodies must be buried in the forenoon. .. ART. X.—If necessary to improve said cemetery, or fo repair fences or hedges a reason- ; S T7?' e"C - for,,n‘er”en‘s. and all improvements of Lots or Blocks shall be under the immediate supervision of the Sexton’or grave digger We having read the above and foregoing Contract and By-Laws, do hereby approyt them, • and desire that they be strictly kept and observed • • Given under my hand at Detroit, this 24th day of May. 1902. John S. Foley, Bishop of Detroit. �McCallum Church to celebrate 135 years of service-sJ^^ Lake Road on the Donalc • The McCallum United Brethren in Christ Church McCallum property (now will celebrate 135 years of owned by Stephen Osgood). service to the McCallum When the new school community Saturday and house was built on the west Sunday, July 11 and 12. side of Otis Lake Road, ser­ The celebration will begin vices were held in it until the Saturday at 2 p.m. with old present church building was fashioned games and craft • erected. displays. Then, at 5 p.m. The church building origi­ there will be a carry-in sup­ nally had been built in Wal­ per (just bring dish of food). ton Township, in Eaton At 7 p.m. there will be a County in the later 1800s.. Gospel concert, featuring When that church closed, it “In His Name.” was torn down and put on On Sunday, the 12th, the rail flat cars and shipped via service will begin at. 10 a.m. the C.K.&S. railroad to with an old-fashioned wor­ Cloverdale. ship time (no electrifica­ The members of the tion). All are invited to come church used their horses and and join in this celebration, wagons to transport the especially those who have church building to its pre-. previously attended or sent location, where it was. rebuilt. The cement blockis served the church in any ca­ pacity, former pastors, Sun­ for the foundation of the new day school teachers, etc. church were made right on The McCallum class was the premises. founded in 1863 by Rev. The dedication of the new Morthland, a circuit rider McCallum Church was held United Brethren in Christ on July 8, 1923. The school preacher, who held services house became the parsonage in several school houses in for the church. No major this area. It was known for changes occurred in the many years as Hope Mis­ property until 1969, when a sion, and it convened in the new parsonage was built to original McCallum School the north of the church. building on the east side of Then, in 1980, a new addi­ Otis Lake Road, just south of tion was added to the back of the junction of Little Pine the original church. �FROM TIME TO TIME Joyce F. Weinbrecht THE BURIAL GROUNDS OF HASTINGS As the counties and townships of Michigan began to be settled by pioneers, there were several major concerns. Schools were high on the list as were mills and roads. One inevitable need was that of burial grounds. This need could not be predicted and sometimes the need came and a decision was made. Many burials were made on the homestead lands, but soon burial grounds were platted out often following the systems used in eastern states and the countries which the pioneers had left behind them. In the village of Hastings, then the township of Hastings, the village fathers laid out a cemetery, located in the area south of Central School, which was then the Union School, where the middle school stands today. (1996). In the summer of 1840 there were the graves of Mr. DeGroat, Lorenzo Cooley and Maria Rush, wife of Harmon Rush. Mr. DeGroat was the first person buried there. He and Lorenzo Cooley, the second person buried in the cemetery, lived in Rutland Township which was still a part of Yankee Springs Township in 1840. [It became an organized township in 1847.] Mrs. Rush was the first death in the village of Hastings. Dr. William A. Upjohn arrived in Hastings in 1841 when he came there from Richland, to treat Mr. Leach [Leach Lake was named for him.] He met Henry A. Goodyear and Alvin Bailey, who convinced him to stay in Hastings as there was no other physician in Hastings. He stayed and was a very busy doctor and was involved in many other facets of the life in the small town. He met and married Affa Connett in December of 1842. Affa Connet Upjohn died July 15, 1843. She died after a year of marriage and was buried in the Hastings Village Cemetery. In 1847 he married the sister of Affa, Lydia Amelia Connett and they spent their lives together. She outlived Dr. Upjohn by three years and they are both buried in Riverside Cemetery. Affa Connett Upjohn was one of those who was moved to Riverside when that cemetery was opened. As the village grew, and reached out toward the cemetery, it was felt that a new burial ground, outside of the village was in order and plans were begun to be formed to do this. Plans for a Union School were under way and the site selected for this was just to the north of the cemetery, north of Bond Street, between Broadway and Church Streets. This school was completed in 1872. The fifty acres of land, which was to become Riverside Cemetery, was taken first by Monts Schyler on Feb. 4, 1836. It had been through several ownerships when James Sweezey, Nathon Barlow and Henry A. Goodyear bought it from the Benjamin C. Grinnell estate on May 2, 1868. The three men deeded the land to Riverside Cemetery on March 16, 1872. The transaction was recorded as �costing $1200. This was a lovely wooded spot, with the Thornapple River flowing along its southern border and wild flowers blooming in the spring and summer. There were no roads into the cemetery and only a wagon road out to the cemetery at that time. There is an interesting story about Mrs. Nathan (Melissa Tyler) Barlow Jr., who was the first person to be buried in the new cemetery. She knew that her death was near as she suffered from tuberculosis (consumption]. She also knew that there was the plan to move the cemetery to the spot by the river. She didn’t want to be one of the persons who would have to be moved to the new cemetery. She had her son, Fred Barlow, take her out to the new site which hadn’t been platted yet and the association wasn’t yet organized. She chose a spot close to the edge of the bluff in the southeastern section, where the river can be seen and the birds can be heard, and squirrels and other woodland creatures can be seen playing near her grave site, as well as those of other family members who were later interned there. She died on the Easter Monday, March 31, 1869. Her body was brought to the cemetery on a crude wagon and the casket was carried through the woods to the spot which she had chosen and remains there to this day. [1996] Meanwhile the plans for the new burial ground moved forward. A petition was made to Justice of Peace, Israel S. Boice, calling for a meeting of persons who would like to be incorporated as a cemetery society, specifying that such a society would acquire the grounds for the burial of the dea , dispose of rights of burial there and to fence, improve, ornament and keep the cemetery in suitable condition. The application was made on September 27, 1870 and permission was granted the same day. The meeting was called for October 10, 1870. Officers were elected to administer the society at this meeting. President was H.A. Goodyear, treasurer, James P. Roberts, clerk, David G. Robinson and James A.Sweezey would serve as their attorney. By laws were adopted. Rules were drafted and the cemetery was ready to be used. Sarah B. Robinson, wife of D. G. Robinson was the second burial recorded for the cemetery. Her burial was recorded on September 18, 1870. Removal of the bodies from the Hastings Village cemetery began but wasn’t very well organized. On May 16, 1877 James Sweezy, W. S. Goodyear and clerk' John Bessmer, who became the clerk on December 1, 1875, appointed a committee to go to visit the common council and urge the removal of all bodies which remained there. And along with a committee of three from the council, Mr. Dewey, Mr. McNaughton and Mr. Russell went to the old cemetery, counted about 130 graves which needed to be moved. They advertised for sealed bids for someone to do this work. E. W. Carr, Hiram Jones, Henry Lake, James Slattery, Andrew Angle and James A. Swin put in bids for the task. James A. �Swin was accepted at $1.00 per body. He was given a contract at the June 1, 1877 meeting. He gave bond of $100 to show good faith. At the July 21st meeting he reported that the job was done. He had removed 127 bodies and 14 tombstones , resetting the stones on the proper sites. Ten bodies had been removed by friends and there were still sixteen remaining which were to be moved by friends or relatives. Mr. Swin received .$127 for removal and reinterring the bodies and $7 for resetting the stones. The bodies were moved over Broadway/ the route between the two cemeteries, and was .the source of much comment and interest to the village. The custom of the time, was to toll the church bells as a funeral possession passed by. The bell ringer at the Presbyterian church, started to ring the church bell at the beginning of the task, but discovered it to be too much of a task and gave it up. He is credited with remarking that the bell had been tolled once for them at the time of their deaths and he guessed that doing it again wasn’t necessary. Years later in 1915-1916 when excavation for the new high school [now the Middle school/ 1996] was being done several bodies were discovered in unmarked graves. These were moved at that time although not identified. Students attending the Union School sometimes played in the indentations in the ground made by the removal of the bodies. The little girls pretended that the sunken areas were rooms of their houses and spent hours in pretend playing there. The area later became a village park/ with its majestic trees making it an ideal spot for picnicing and playing baseball. The Society had allocated a space at the west end of the north side of the cemetery for free burials, for persons who could not afford to purchase a plot' were strangers to the area or were criminals. This is sometimes referred to as ’’Potter’s field.” [This term stems from the Bible story of Judas Iscariot when the priests could not use the thirty pieces of silver which Judas turned over to them when he was feeling repentance for his betrayal of Jesus. The priests purchases a field in the Valley of Hinnon from a potter. It was called Potter’s field and the down through the ages and nearly every community had such an area in their burial grounds.] Here the bodies which could not be identified due to being in unmarked graves/ or whose families were gone from Hastings and their addresses were not known or were just weren’t interested were placed in this area. The cutting of trees in the cemetery was closely controlled by the Society. Persons owning the lots could not cut a tree �without permission. In 1876 a list of lot owners was compiled. one hundred names. It contained exactly The association began to see the need of a permanent sexton to oversee the burials and care of the cemetery. Bids were taken on for building a house for the sexton, and six bids were received with F.A. Skeel winning the job. $769.25 were paid to Mr.Skeel when he finished his contract. The house stood on the west side of the first drive on side of State Road. A house for a sexton was felt incentive to someone wanting the position. There people interested in the job. J. S. Woodruff became permanent, live in sexton of Riverside Cemetery. the north to be an were nine the first In 1896 the house and out buildings were moved to give more space for a new addition. The house and out buildings were move to its current [1996] location on Country club Drive on the north side of State Road and the southeast corner of that area. This was Carter Road, of Carter snake fame. To keep the plants, shrubs and trees in the cemetery as well as to supply water for the sexton’s house a well was needed. In the spring of 1878 L. W. Vroman sunk a well 125 feet in front of the house and found no water. He tried again without success. The sexton was walking half a mile for all drinking water used. George Abbey was then hired by the board to dig a well. He reached water at eighteen feet. With a good supply of water the board went ahead and purchased 214 evergreen trees for 9C each and planted them on the grounds. In 1879 a fence was built, 53 rods, at 40 cents per rod along the front of the grounds. The lumber for the fence was purchased from Bentlry Bros, and Wilkins of Hastings for $73.74. The paint was purchased from Roberts and Hotchkiss for $22.35. Another well was dug on the north side, just outside of the grounds, near the north side for lot owners who wish to water their shrubs, plants and flowers, eliminated the long walk down to the river or the sexton's house for water. The association also purchased a lawn mower a watering can and pail. They cleared the river bank of loose brush and rubbish and planted twenty five maple trees. In 1842, John and Suzanna Hammond came to Barry county in an ox drawn wagon and settled o section number 24 in the middle part of Irving Township. He was an English man, who loved his country and was so sincere that he flew the British Union Jack from a flag pole in his �yard and sent his wife on repeated trips to London during the many years during which he conducted his well managed and productive farm. While he was loyal to to his homeland, he show courtesy and friendship with his neighbors who learned to respect him. The land which he adopted was important to him also. He wholeheartedly supported his new homeland, never did it suffer in comparison with the land of his birth. Mrs. Hammond would bring back from London, the latest fashions and quantities of English groceries and teas which were unavailable in Barry county. She was an outstanding woman, known in the city of Hastings and in other county villages. She rode a saddle horse or drove a white mare, hitched to a shiny buggy, apparently never aware of the interest her London fashions, in colors, rare in Barry County created as she moved about. John Hammond called his farm "New Norfolk" a name which is still used sometimes to describe the northern districts of Irving Township. He referred to the American Revolution as the "War of Rebellion one time and promptly apologize and changed the subj ect. Suzanna and John had no children and had no family in the United States. They adopted a son, naming him Henry Hammond and raised him to manhood. About 1895 John Hammond built an English type vault in Riverside cemetery, in the south section. He directed that the inscription on the marble shaft would read "England was my native home, America my abiding place. When I am dead and in my grave and all my bones are rotten, Come all ye males and females, look at this and see that I am not forgotten." There was space in the vault for two caskets in the heavy walled tomb. John Hammond died on Dec. 3, 1903 and was placed in the vault. Suzanna Hammond lived until Oct. 11, 1911, when she was placed beside him in the crypt and the lid was eternally sealed. She had asked that a cement cover be placed over the ground surrounding the vault an the monument to insure perpetual care. This was done and a wrought iron fence placed around the plot. Son Henry lived only a short time, about three years after Suzanna died. The fence is no longer there but the monument and the vault on the cement slab remind the viewer of the early pioneers who help to settle Barry County. The cemetery was filling quite rapidly and in 1889 more space was needed and in 1890 work began to clear off timber and level the land on the north side of State Road, next to the free cemetery. In 1891 the city of Hastings agreed to extend the water system to the cemetery if the cemetery board would pay all the costs over $1000. The availability of plenty of water �led to the investigation into systems used in other cities where lawns were put in, and the entire cemetery was landscaped, mowed and cared for a modest fee. Of course some stock holders objected and also didn’t want to remove the walls, stone hedges, coping which were in placed. The Hastings Association held a hearing and voted to go ahead with the plan. Lots and alleys were on a natural grad and seed, or sod was put in place and care of the cemetery became the vocation of the Association. A new county courthouse was built in 1893 and the iron fence which had been built around the courthouse lawn to help keep the horses, cows and hogs of the city from running rampart over courthouse square was no longer deemed necessary. The Hastings Cemetery Association purchased this fence for $200 and put in place. More space was laid out and platted for the free grounds that same year. In 1896 a group of individuals organized the Woodlawn Cemetery Company. This cemetery was a three acre piece of ground purchased from Delos R. McElwain whose farm bordered it on the east. The Thornapple River made the south boundry, Riverside Cemetery was on the west and the state road was along the north side. Ten men subscribed $100 each and the articles of corporation were drawn up and signed before Notary Public James A. Sweezy on August 31, 1896 and registered with John G. Nagler, County Clerk. The ten men who incorporated the Woodlawn Cemetery Company, as they chose to name the company, were Luke Waters, Robert Dawson, George W. Lowry, William H. Stebbins, Jason McElvain, Jesse Townsend, Delos R. McElvain, J. N. Burroughs, Daniel W. Reynolds and Charles Weisert. Seven of the ten were elected to be directors of the company and George W. Lowry was elected treasure of the corporation for one year. Two hundred dollars of the subscribed $1000 were collected at the time of incorporation. There were by-laws and rules made. There was to be an annual meeting called on the first Monday of May to conduct the business of the company and to elect officers as needed. And the company proceeded to plat out the three acres, assign lots to the stockholders and to sell lots. One interesting clause in the Articles of Incorporation is included in Article VII, which states, ’’The term of existence of this Corporation is fixed at thirty years from the date hereoff.” This self eliminating statement simply meant that on August 31, 1926 the corporation automatically dissolved. It became part of Riverside Cemetery and remains so today.[1996] A walk along the south east portion along the high bank of the river, speaks to the existence of this corporation as one passes the plots of Luke Water, George W. Lowry, Jesse Townsend, the McElvains, the Burroughs family, Reynolds, the Stebbins family and others of the group. Woodlawn Cemetery is now an integral part of Riverside Cemetery. �Chapels and vaults were often built at cemeteries to afford protection from the weather, a place to hold services and a place to store bodies when inclement weather held up actual burial. Riverside Cemetery Association had such a building in their plans. In the summer of 1921 they were able to build the long anticipated building. Chester Messer, who was president of the association, and also president of Hastings City Bank, saw an opportunity to put to use the bricks left from the construction of the Hastings City Bank building. He saw this leftover pile of bricks as a Chapel at Riverside and had them moved to his home until the time was right. the masons who built the chapel found themselves a bit short of bricks to finish the job so simply added a window not included in the plan. They ended up the job with three bricks left over. The chapel was placed at the entrance to the south park of the cemetery. It contained toilets, a sanctuary, a safe for the Company’s records, a desk for the sexton’s use. The basement section was set up for the temporary storage of bodies with an apparatus for lowering them from the floor above. The original trustees, directors and officers remained the same for many years, changing only when a death in the ranks occurred or a member had to leave for personal reasons• John Bessmer served as clerk for 37 years until his death on Feb. 5, 1912. The Cemetery has continued to grow, and is still operated by the association. This may change in 1996 as the City of Hastings is considering taking over the operation of Riverside Cemetery. Sources: History of Barry County, W.W. Potter; City of Hastings, 1871-1971; Corporation Records, Barry County Courthouse; Archives, Hastings Banner, April 12, 19, and 26, 1922; Lawrence Barnett Scrapbooks, From Time To Time, May 1985, Esther Watlton. History of Allegan and Barry Counties, 1880. �FROM TIME TO TIME Joyce F. Weinbrecht More About Burial Grounds in Hastings West State Road was once called Cemetery Avenue or State Road. And with good reason. There was Woodlawn Cemetery Established in 1896 along the Thornapple River to the east. Riverside Cemetery next along the River and across the street, established in 1868 and on the west along the river, St. Rose Catholic Cemetery established in the time between 1860 and 1870. The earliest burial was Jeremiah Foley who died in 1861. Genevieve Myers, who died on 9/23/1867 and Sebastian Myers who died on 9/25/1868 are also recorded as being buried there. There was no pattern of burials until 1870. These three bodies may have been moved in from Yankee Springs after the Hastings site was established. From 1870 until 1904 there was a steady pattern of burials taking place there. Thornapple River bank, along the North side of the river, where the Woodlawn Cemetery, a portion of Riverside and the St. Rose Catholic Cemetery, is very steep, high above the flow of the river. It is a beautiful spot looking out over the river. At the foot of the river bank, just below the St. Rose cemetery there was a place in the river where the current developed into a whirlpool. The foot of the bank has long been influence by the currents as well as floating logs and debris that erode the toe or lower bank area. Foot traffic also has taken its toll over the years. St. Rose Cemetery was bordered on the east by a deep ravine which carries a small creek, dividing it from the Riverside Cemetery, On the North West State Road or Cemetery Avenue made the north boarder and the on the west was a wood lot, where trilliums, wild violets and other wild flowers bloomed profusely in the spring. A two track wagon road entered the cemetery at the east end, went along the the river bank, in from the edge about sixty or seventy feet from the edge of the cliff. It over looked the river leaving the cemetery going onto Cemetery- Avenue or State Road at the west end of the burial grounds, exiting about where the City limits end today. The spot was a lovely, peaceful place. Below the river flowed along reflecting the seasons. There was ice on the river at times. The river flooded at times and in times of drought, became quite shallow. Just entering the bend, a whirlpool current, where the water is deeper and the river bank higher. This current was constantly cutting away at the riverbank below the cemetery. The Board of the St. Rose Cemetery began to recognize that the river was eroding their sacred burial grounds at an alarming �rate. Something would need to be done. St. Rose of Lima Catholic parish first held mass in the home of Patrick McPharlin in Hastings Township, on section 30. Patrick McPharlin had arrived in Hastings, coming from Ireland in 1859. The Catholic families from Hastings Township had attended occasional services in a log church situated near the Old Yankee Springs tavern. The McPharlins opened their home to the services so that Hastings people didn’t have to travel so far. Mass at both the Yankee Springs Catholic Church and the service held at the McPharlin home were conducted by Missionary priests who traveled from Jackson or Grand Rapids. Organization of the Catholic Church in the City of Hastings was pushed forward in 1869 by John Stanely, Patrick Ryan and Thomas Haney who were instrumental in organizing the parish as well as finding a meeting place. In March of 1873 the parish obtained a cooper shop on Hanover Street, Hastings. Missionary Priests still served the people. This building served as a meeting place for the next nine years for the congregation. Then in 1882 a heavy snow caved in the roof of the cooper shop-church and the people were again without a church. They met in the homes of parishioners, with the Thomas Haney home on what is now Cook Road, being a frequent meeting place. The idea for a new church building was already being pursued among the members of the church and they had already owned three building lots as early as 1880. In 1886 a new frame church was built at 805 South Jefferson and services were held there until it burned down in 1909. The fire was felt to have been the fault of defective wiring. Once again the parish was without a church home. Mass was held in the school hall. Father Francis VanAntwerp was the first resident priest for the parish. Other early priests were Fathers Ernstrasser, Pulcher and McManus as well as Father Algier and Father Wicart who each served a term of two years In the meantime it was evident that something had to be done about the ever shrinking St.Rose Cemetery. A piece of land at the end of Green Street in Section 18, Hastings Township was the chosen spot. The four acres of land was deeded to John S. Foley of Detroit on November 25, 1901 from Eliza J. Stef fey for the sum of $400. John S. Foley then deeded the land to John S. Foley, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Detroit for the sum of $1.00, on the 4th of December, 1917. In the meantime burials had begun in the new Catholic cemetery named Mount Calvary. Families wishing to move their deceased family members also began to do so, handling the cost of moving the bodies and the markers themselves. The first burials in the new cemetery were John Foley, January �8, 1904; Catherine McPharlin, February 21, 1904; William Murphy, April 7, 1904 and Lawrence Renkes, July 8, 1904. The last burial recorded in St. Rose Catholic Cemetery was listed as John Renkes, on 12/8/1905. His body was later moved to Mount Calvary. Meanwhile the Catholic parish was faced with a large project, that of rebuilding their church. The church was to be built of field stones and the collection of these from nearby fields as begun in 1911. Oscar Matthews had a farm north and east of Hastings, on section 5. There were 20 piles of stones which had been harvested from the fields over the years. They began hauling the stones to the site of the new church. John Young, who lived just outside of the city limits on M-37, was an expert stone mason, but never attended the church or any other church.. Every stone was cut and put fit into place with care. The men of the church joined in with loving labor and a magnificent church was built to replace the one which had burned to the ground. The pastor at the time the new stone church was completed was Father John Lindskey. The new stone church building was fitted out and ready for occupancy in 1915. The church was debt free at that time at $75,000. in November of 1947 and was valued The Rectory stood on north side of the church and was also a frame building. On the south side of the church there was a stone home owned by the Burtons. In 1952 this house became available to the church and it was purchased for $25,000, an addition made to it and it became the rectory and offices for the church. The two buildings had always looked like they belonged together and now they did. The former rectory was purchased by Chip and Irene St.Martin and was moved to Clinton Street where they made it their home. The new Catholic School was built on this sight. The St. Rose Cemetery continued to wash into the Thornapple River. The bank was being eroded by the River at a rapid rate. The new cemetery at the west edge of Hastings, was being utilized. The Fish Hatchery had been developed to the east of the cemetery and wanted to expand to the north, A trade of the land north of Mount Calvary for the land to the east of the cemetery allowed the Fish Hatchery expansion and made added usable space to the cemetery, which was on level land. There were still many bodies left over on West State Road and the river bank continued to melt away • Moving the bodies was hard work, to be done with hand labor, with shovels and chains and horse drawn wagons during the early years. They had to travel across the river on Broadway to Green Street and then out West Green Street to the new burial grounds. Some move families could not be found, to give permission for the and to aid either financially or with the actual labor �was a long slow process. By 1930 the Cemetery Board felt that it needed to have a closure in the matter. They hired Charles Leonard, mortician, and Clark Olmstead to finish locating the remaining bodies and markers and move them to Mount Calvary at the expense of the Church. It is thought that the two men charged about $2 each for each body transferred. Even in 1930 this was not an easy task, although they did use motor vehicles to make the move. They felt that they task was completed in late 1932 or the spring of 1933. Only indentations in the earthand clumps of day lilies remained to show where the graves had been. [These can still be identified in 1997] The cemetery had long been an attractive spot for children to play in and for couples to use as a parking and sparking area. The Church and the community felt that it was becoming a dangerous spot as the cliff where the road was built, kept crumbling away each year. The road through the cemetery was closed to traffic and classified as a no trespassing area. Father Pohl became very concerned about the place as a liability and when he had a chance to sell it, he did so for the sum of $500. During the spring of 1946, flood waters further eroded the bank and the part of the cliff where the cemetery road had been tumbled down and landed in the river lost forever. It was discovered then that a couple of bodies had indeed been missed in the 1930s as they surfaced in the 1946 landslide. This matter was taken care of and they were buried with dignity. The plot of land where the St. Rose Cemetery once was has had several owners. It is currently owned by Michael Dooley of Delton who has spent hours and hours attempting to shore the bank by placing non-woven geotextile fabric anchored in 15 foot lengths at the toe of the bank and then covering this with rocks. The rocks are being provided at cost by excavator Carrol Carpenter of Banfield. They are dropped one by one through a 30 foot plastic culvert positioned to land them in the best locations. The culvert keeps the rocks from doing further erosion damage by tearing out the existing vegetation. Once the rock rip-rapping is done, the bank will be planted with vegetation in hopes of holding the bank and keep it from washing down the river. There are several very large trees which he is trying to preserve. The Riparian project is being aided by grant money for materials. Natural Resource Conservation service, Barry District conservationists and Potowatomi RC&D coordinator have assisted in getting the grants and in instructing Mike and his volunteers in the actual work process. One vault, now empty remains in the bank above the river, as a reminder of the time in the past when this spot as a tranquil burial ground that was. Mount Calvary Cemetery, on the corner of Green Street and Cook �Road, is a well kept cemetery. It is operated by the Cemetery Board made up of parishioners who are responsible for making the lots available to parishioners. Over the years St. Rose Church has been redecorated, a new flag pole installed, carpeting put in and a new kitchen and community room built and furnished. The bell tower has been repaired and enclosed. A public address system has been added. All of this through the hard work and donations from the members. The parish has been part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, the Diocese of Lansing, back to Grand Rapids and is now a part of the Diocese of Kalamazoo. The patron saint of the church, Lima, Peru in 1586. St. Rose of Lima, was born in Sources: Records of the City of Hastings, 1871- 1971; Records of Mount Calvary Cemetery, 1871 to 1996; City of Hastings, Michigan, 1871-1971; Barry County History, 1985; History of Allegan and Barry Counties, 1880; A Look Back, Hastings, 150 Years, 1837-1987; Plat maps from 1873, 1895; 1913. Register of Deeds, Barry County Court House, Interviews with T. Edward McPharlin, Tom Taffee, Julia McLean, Charlotte Heath and Michael Dooley. �St. Rose Catholic Cemetery Formerly on Cemetery Avenue, Hastings, Michigan 1861 - 1904 This cemetery was closed in 1904 and over a period of several years the bodies were removed to the new cemetery, Mt. Cavalry, West Green Street. To find the lot numbers where the bodies were placed in Mt. Cavalry see the directory for that cemetery. The following list were interred in St. Rose and then moved to Mt. Cavalry. date of death Name Allerding, Barbeire, Barbeire, Bowler, Bowler, Collins, Collins, Coonery, Currier, Currier, DeGolia, Diehl, Diehl, Diehl, Donovan, Dooley, Dooley, Dooley, English, English, Fisher, Foley, Hall, Hall, Heney, Hoffman, Hooan, Hooan, Kaiser, Kaiser, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Elizabeth Julia Virginia Helen Maurice Thomas Thomas Jr. John Catherine Joseph Mary J. Charles Josephine Marguerite Julia Helen Minnie Mary E. baby Anna John Louis Jeremiah M. Matthew Bridget Elizabeth Mary Patrick Catherine M. Sebastian Frank Honora James Julia Michael Patrick 1897 1902 1903 1894 o 1891 1895 1894 1891 1893 1890 1881 1903 1881 1889 1891 1879 1903 1893 1883 1903 1861 1872 1873 1892 1901 1898 1895 1896 1892 ;892 1898 1875 1881 1883 1870 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Cemeteries Subject The topic of the resource MI.BarryCounty.Cemetery Description An account of the resource This collection contains cemetery records, burial information, and cemetery history. All material was sourced from hardcopies held in the Hastings Public Library's Michigan Room collection. HPL cannot ensure the authenticity of any specific data point. Users should validate their research and cross-reference available information. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Barry County Cemetery Histories Subject The topic of the resource MI.BarryCounty.Cemetery Description An account of the resource Barry County cemetery details, where they are located, along with the first people buried there. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/ Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. 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