Curtis Cemetery, Shelby Twp MI - Revisited

Wow, I have mentioned this cemetery a time or two in posts, but never dedicated a single post to it! 

I started one, but it was sitting in drafts since 2019!!

Welcome to Curtis Cemetery.

Curtis Cemetery is home to such notable township settlers as William and Susanna Arnold, Ezra Burgess, Hiram Andrews, and Jeremiah Curtis, a veteran of the War of 1812. Besides hosting 126 memorials, Curtis Cemetery is home to the official Shelby Township tree, a 250-year-old white oak. The Historical Committee selected the white oak as the official township tree because of its age, size and the protection afforded to it by its historical surroundings. The oldest marker in the cemetery belongs to Isaac Stringham, who died March 15, 1819, at 10-years-old. The last burial in Curtis Cemetery took place in 1931 as William Cundy was laid to rest at 98. Cundy was a relative of William Arnold, who, with his wife Susanna, was among the few Shelby Township settlers born before the United States of America's founding.

I'm not sure when that paragraph was written, because there was also a sentence describing the location as being behind the Farmer Jack's grocery store and they went out of business in 2007.  

I visited here in February 2012, several times in March 2019 and again May 9 (2026)  

I'm pretty sure I now have pics of ALL the stones so if you see some with green grass and some with snow, that's why.   

I think I need to write a series.....

Lucy N. Orcutt

wife of Fordice

died - Dec 24, 1888

aged -72y 11m 27d

Polina C Davis

wife of Smith Davis

died - Oct 15, 1879

aged - 51y 23d

This one was tough to figure out. 

Almena 

wife of George Hiram Fenner

Feb 18, 1820 - May 12, 1850

Burt

son of AG & RJ Wells

died - Sept 23, 1863

aged - 2y 8d

  
Robert Wright (in front of tree)

May 1808 - Nov 1885

he also had a tall stone at one time

Mary A. Wright

May 1816 - May 1863

Isaac Monfore

died - Apr 28, 1871

aged - 67y 7m 11d

Mary D. Curtis Monfore

May 30, 1818 - May 7, 1906

Allen P.

son of L & M Norton

died - Mar 4, 1853

aged - 1m 1d

Wilson

son of L & M Norton

died - Feb 19, 1861

aged - 8m 5d

Anna

wife of Hiram Andrews

died - Feb 9, 1882

aged - 81 years

Hiram Andrews

died - Feb 9, 1869

aged - 67y 1m 29d

there's a lot of history in his FindAGrave listing.

Elma L. Wales

1845 - 1914

Simon Lintz Jr.

Feb 15, 1817 - Mar 21, 1887

Elizabeth Wenner

his wife

July 12, 1817 - Dec 31, 1907

John Lintz

June 16, 1812 - Nov 23, 1888

Amanda

daughter of C & D Arnold

died - Aug 20, 1836

aged -1y 6m

Betsy

daughter of C & D Arnold

died - Mar 5, 1831

aged - 5m

Delilah

wife of C. Arnold

died - Aug 19, 1851

aged - 48y 6m

Cyrenus Arnold

died - June 22, 1867

aged - 67y 2d

J. Shaman 

son of J & L Bixby

died - Aug 17, 1859

aged - 21 years

Lydia Ann

daughter of J & L Bixby

died - Mar 9, 1848

aged - 5y 5m 17d

Lucy E.

Wife of J. Bixby

died - Feb 13, 1863

aged - 48 years

Justin Bixby (at one time, his stone matched Lucy's)

died - Feb 24, 1862

aged - 55 years

Sally Owen

Sept 17, 1791 - Sept 3, 1880

Abijah Owen
  Oct 15, 1792 - June 15, 1837

He served as town clerk during the first elections in 1827

Rosetta 

daughter of A & S Owen

died - 6 Dec 1825

aged - 12 years

Andrew & his wives as of 2026

Andrew Evritt (in 2019 - stone was standing)

died - Oct 2, 1873

aged - 52 years

Prudence 

wife of Andrew Evritt

died - Jan 27, 1856

aged - 34 years

Mary J

wife of Andrew Evritt

died - July 26, 1875

aged - 41y 4m 16d

George S.

son of A & P Evritt

died - Mar 29, 1862

aged - 12y 6m 20d

Harriet

daughter of E & S Burgess

died - Nov 11, 1838

aged - 1y 5m 6d

Ezra Burgess

died - Jan 10, 1853

aged - 64y 3m 15d

Ezra Burgess (again)

Sept 25, 1788 - Jan 10, 1853

Sally

wife of Ezra Burgess

Nov 13, 1796 - Nov 5, 1875

Frances P

wife of John Button

died - Feb 3, 1854

aged - 27y 2m 7d

  

Samuel D. Wells Sr

died - Aug 11, 1833

aged - 47y 4m

Lydia

wife of Samuel D Wells

died - Sept 22, 1855

aged - 66y 1m 20d

  In Memory Of....
Samuel D Wells Jr

died - May 20, 1848

aged 30

died in Mexico during the Spanish American War

George S. Wells

died - Sept 28, 1847

aged - 23y 8m

Nelson Wells

died - Jan 26, 1831

aged 20 years

close up of the detail around Nelson's name...

the only fenced plot

Celia (on left side)

wife of Ira S. Pearsall

died - May 20, 1868

aged - 50y 8m 19d

Ira S. Pearsall (right side)

Aug 1, 1810 - Jan 13, 1894

the top part of the stone is next to the base. 

Grovener White

June 28, 1830 - May 23, 1914

his Mom Fanny is on the left side

Dec 20, 1799 - Feb 8, 1883

Jeremiah Curtis

died - Nov 3, 1872

aged - 79y 3m 1d

Veteran of the War of 1812

Mercy (on the right side)

wife of Jeremiah Curtis

died - Jan 8, 1871

aged - 75y 3m 19d

The upside-down top of the Curtis stone. 

Anna Janette Curtis

Dec 25, 1833 - Mar 23, 1908

Allen J. Curtis

1838 - 1871 ish

Some unknown stones in the wooded area. 

I've also found a Geocache in this area.  

Ryland Parker

died - Aug 16, 1860

aged - 34y 7m 6d

Wm L. Cundy

Mary 18, 1833 - (Aug 6, 1931)

Mary E Cundy

died - Oct 30, 1904

aged - 62y 3m 3d 

Burton Lee 

son of Wm L & M E Cundy

died - Feb 26, 1882

aged - 3m 19d

 Cora May (matches Burton's above)

daughter of Wm L & M E Cundy

died - Aug 9, 1872

aged - 3m 21d

Llewelyn Chapel
Aug 13, 1840 - Aug 28, 1901

Helen M. Pearsall

wife of Llewellyn Chapel

Sept 2, 1845 - Feb 2, 1892

Lydia Ann

wife of Allen Pearsall

Oct 25, 1824 - Mar 14, 1890

Allen S. Pearsall

Jan 4, 1820 - Sept 24, 1892

both Lydia & Allen have notes written to a classmate in their memorial.

Adelpha

daughter of Wm P & F C Evritt

died - Dec 3, 1874

aged - 1y 1m 10d

"Earth counts a mortal less, Heaven an angel more"

Ashur Elwyn

son of Wm P & F C Evritt

died - Sept 15, 1875

aged - 5m 22d

"Budded on earth to bloom in Heaven"

Annette

daughter of Wm P & F C Evritt

died - Sept 17, 1877

aged - 1y 4m 19d

William G Lownds

Sept 17, 1842 - June 24, 1911

Alice Lownds

Nov 5, 1845 - Oct 25, 1873

Rest in Peace

Weldon Lownds

Nov 30, 1865 - Oct 18, 1873

Lownds

Arlie Lloyd 

May 21, 1903 - Apr 10, 1904

Lyle Alton

Mar 1, 1912 - Mar 19, 1912

Aunt Olive Bixby

1804 - 1893

I was really hoping to find some info on her!

My imagination says she never married and 

was the 1800's version of "the cool aunt".

William Arnold

died - Mar 25, 1849

aged - 83y 8m

Was elected the first constable of Shelby Twp in 1827

Susanna 

wife of William Arnold

died - July 3, 1840

aged - 78 years

Annis

wife of Nathan Inman

died - May 9, 1851

in the 61st year of her age

Orrin

son of Nathan & Annis Inman

died - Oct 7, 1842

in the 27th year of his age

Christopher Stafford

Sept 15, 1838 - (Dec 17, 1919)

Sarah Jane, his wife

June 14, 1836 - Feb 8, 1899

Mary Jane Leggett

daughter of Richard & Mary 

Mar 17, 1830 - Sept 13, 1852

A nice bench under that giant oak. 

Carrie (left)

wife of T Curtis

April 2, 1833 - Nov 16, 1910

Kensie (right)

son of T & C Curtis

died Aug 20, 1887

aged 23 years

Truman Curtis (back)

son of Jeremiah & Mercy

Feb 12, 1822 - June 10, 1883

in 2019, the top Part of the stone was on the ground several feet away.