Last weekend I explored Fox Farm Cemetery in North Branch.
Find A Grave says:
The earliest burial at Fox Farm cemetery was of Theodore Marsh in 1852.The property for the cemetery was purchased by Burnside Twp from the landowner, John Sinclair in 1868.
The origin of the name of Fox Farm cemetery is uncertain, however in 1874 J.H. Fox owned 150 acres north of the cemetery.
Many early pioneers of Burnside Township are buried here, along with 2 Civil War Veterans.
There are approximately 145 burials here with 131 visible gravestones. The last burial recorded here was in 1920, until twin infants were interred in 2002.
As of 1940 it was noted that the cemetery was poorly kept. The Nipissing Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Lapeer Michigan devised a plan to reclaim the cemetery. In the fall of 2000, the brush and weeds were cleared and the gravestones were repaired.
The cemetery is beautifully taken care of - it even looked like someone had been out there recently cleaning up and a couple of the stones had been flipped over so they could be read.
I wasn't sure about going here alone, since looking at the map, it looked WAY back in the literal middle of a corn (?) field. But once I got there, there was a clearly marked "road" along the edge of the field.
I was reading in one of the memorials that around 1935, Fox Farm Cemetery moved approximately 50 burials, to add a road. They were moved to Burnside Township Cemetery, about 3 miles away. 
What road, I wonder???
Approaching via dirt road.
"Please walk back when trail is wet"
Words of wisdom, since it would not have been a fun place to get stuck!
I was excited to explore!
Peter Clukey
died - Nov 23, 1881
aged - 55y 2m 24d
In 2014, there was graffiti on this stone - I'm glad someone carefully cleaned it off.
Bracing on Peter's stone
Sarah Ann
daughter of
T & M Harris
died - July 28, 1869
Not sure why Sarah Ann had 2 stones, not even close to one another, either.
The info stated is very similar, but not exactly the same. But I still believe they're for the same girl.
The one on the left has a willow tree, her mom as "MJ" (Mary Jane) and age is 9y 1m 9d
On the right has a very interesting angel, mom is just "M" and her age is 9y 1m 23d
Joshua Clukey
son of Peter
died - Dec 21, 1881
aged - 23y 8m
Joshua Lewis
died - April 14, 1882
aged - 56y 9m 2d
I think someone has been doing some cleaning, since the photo in FindAGrave from 2013 is covered in black moss - and the dagger/crown at the top is hard to make out.
Maybe it was my imagination, but it looked like many unmarked graves in this area.
There were regular patches of brighter green grass.
our mother
Harriet E.
wife of L. N. Gardner
died - Feb 16, 1877
aged - 35y 9m 6d
Her stone was repaired with a single 2x4 on the back and bolts (you can see them)
Beautiful carvings, tho.
There were a few stones thru the middle of the cemetery carved out of this lovely white marble.
Ola Blanch
daughter of
L.N & M.C Gardner
died - May 5, 1891
aged - 10m 5d
Monroe L. Gardner
son of
L.N. & Harriet E Gardner
born - July 30, 1866
died - March 29, 1881
aged - 15y 7m 29d
This stone is also very pretty
John Ackerman
died - May 6, 1882
aged - 75y 5d
Fred Goold
died - June 28, 1878
aged - 26y 1m 18d
in memory of
Abbie
wife of Henry Yokey
died - May 3, 1880
Friedericke
wife of Christian Abel
born - Oct 31, 1813
died - Jan 14, 1887
Rosana
daughter of Asa & Miranda Evans
died - Dec 31, 1881
aged - 16 years, 21 days
I was surprised at how many stones only listed the date they passed, then detailed their age.
Blanche Sinclair
aged 8 weeks
Ann C.
wife of C.G. Allen
died - Oct 6, 1883
aged - 67y 4m
in 2013, her stone was still whole & standing
obviously, someone just flipped this broken section over after a long time!
Gracia Ann
daughter of A & E Sinclair
died - Mar 31, 1882
aged - 8m 10d
our mother
Mary
wife of Rev J. Shaw
died - March 27, 1872
aged - 51y 2m 11d
Stevens
the small stones say "wife, father, wife"
Margery wife of Alex
died - Aug 15, 1886
aged - 35y 11m
Alexander Stevens
died - Oct 14, 1905
aged - 62y 4m 21d
Amanda wife of Alex
died - Feb 24, 1904
aged - 45y 11m 2d
Peter J. Basna
died - Dec 21, 1879
aged - 26y 6m
Peter Basna
born - Feb 4, 1807
died - March 28, 1896
~erected by Elizabeth Cooper~
John Bowen
Co H
3rd Michigan Infantry
1836-1918
Chatharina
wife of S. Zimmerman
born in Dietz, Housen Prusia
died - May 1, 1865
aged - 46y 1m 2d
Hiel Rogers
died - April 8, 1881
aged - 54y 8m 12d
also
Hiel Rogers
1827 - 1881
Catherine
his wife
1835 - 1907
Franklin Keeler
died - July 16, 1882
aged - 59y 5m 16d
William Koyl
died - Jan 21, 1873
aged - 26y 1m 10d
This one's gotten very dirty since the 2013 photo in FindAGrave
William Cooper
departed life
October 16, 1882
aged - 91y 7m
Emma
wife of
Daniel McIntosh
died - June 21, 1884
aged - 32 y 9m 19d
Mary E
wife of Almon Munson
died - June 23, 1873
aged - 30y 10m 24d
Louesa
wife of Samuel Hillis
born - Aug 17, 1857
died - March 8, 1882
Louesa Hillis
born Feb 5, 1882
died Jan 18, 1883
I'm assuming her mom's is the stone above this one?
'our mother is gone but not forgotten'
Ann
wife of Robert Hillis
died - Feb 9, 1873
aged - 57y 6m 3d
Agnes
wife of Edward Best
died - October 26, 1872
aged - 22y 4m 20d
I really like the swoopy carvings
John Turner
Born - 1798 in New Brunswick, Canada
Died - 1873 in Burnside, Michigan
Moved to Michigan in 1866
(left side)
son
Henry Allen Turner
Born - 1845 in New Brunswick, Canada
Died - 1898 in Burnside Michigan
Moved to Michigan in 1866
Married in 1873
to
Alice Lucas
Born - 1851 in Imlay City, Michigan
Died - 1912 in Burnside, Michigan
All Brown City TURNERs
come from this marriage
(right side)
daughter
Elsie Turner
Born - 1829 in New Brunswick, Canada
Died - 1906 in North Branch, Michigan
Moved to Michigan in 1863
Married in 1847
to
William Turner
Born - 1823 in New Brunswick, Canada
Died - 1918 in North Branch, Michigan
All North Branch TURNERs
come from this marriage
George Brown
born - Dec 3, 1801
died - Dec 1, 1891
Esther
wife of George Brown
born - Dec 14, 1810 (Ireland)
died - Aug 13, 1895
John Riley
died - March 19, 1885
aged - 51y 2m 25d
In memory of
Fanny
Mother of John H Fox
died - June 1, 1873
aged - 73y 2m 20d
John Riley
died - Feb 22, 1877
aged - 87 years
Unice P.
wife of George Currier
died - Sept 27, 1880
aged - 72y 5m 8d
Daniel McIntosh
died - Oct 12, 1880
aged - 59y 6m 3d
Freddie
son of W & I McIntosh
died - Sept 4, 1872
aged - 4m 19d
~the bud was niped to bloom in Heaven~
Infant
son of J & A McIntosh
died - Feb 2, 1869
aged - 14d
~Sleep on sweet babe & take thy rest. God called thee home. He thought it best~
Never forgotten
James Charles
William George
Helton
born - died
May 18, 2002
Caroline
daughter of Garrett & Hannah Newkirk
died - July 22, 1884
The blue globe was not on the stone in 2013.
George Newkirk (Caroline's brother)
1860 - 1894
Developed Sciatic Rheumatism
while digging a well
survived by
wife Ida nee Cooper
6 yr old son John
Never Forgotten
This picture (snagged from FindAGrave) is a wood marker set in cement.
You can see the poles that held it upright, altho the chains are missing.
This was posted in January 2013 - but was clearly taken before that based on the green grass and leaves in the trees.
Sometime between 2013 & 2020 - the new stone was installed.
John L. Taylor
died - Dec 17, 1879
aged - 36y 10m 14d
I wonder what that black post used to hold? I saw several of them throughout the cemetery.
William Howton
1813 - 1898
Louise Howton
1811 - 1889
Smith
Eber L
died - March 31, 1879
aged 1y 4m 4d
Alice M
died - Dec 27, 1879
aged 14y 4m
Flora A
died - Oct 18, 1869
aged 2y 2m 20d
Philo B
died - July 29, 1894
aged 68y 2m 4d
I'm pretty sure I took pics of all the stones, but 150 +/- are a bit too many to post here.
As I was leaving, looking back in my side mirror.
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