Welcome to Cemetery Tuesday!
Today's offering is a slightly different kind of exploration than I usually get to do.
I've driven by this place many times and I have to think they put the sign up about the same time I found the listing on Find A Grave - I remember telling Sis1, who lives nearby, that I didn't remember ever seeing a cemetery along that road and neither did she!
I don't believe this is actually ON private property, but it's very close TO private property. There's a short paragraph about it on Find-A-Grave. There is a sign now, I can confirm a family lives in the schoolhouse and the cemetery can be seen from the road, if you know what to look for (and it's easier in winter). And it is better maintained than some cemeteries I've been to!
That being said - I was with both my sisters and we parked on the side of the road and walked back to get a picture of the sign. Before we could even decide what we were going to do, Miss Mary, the lady of the house came out and I was able to ask permission to visit the cemetery. Not only did we get to visit, she let us move the car into her driveway, gave us a tour and told us a lot of fascinating history.
Miss Mary and her family have lived in the schoolhouse for 20+ years and she's done maintenance and research on the cemetery since she's been there.
I'm glad she was with us, since we probably wouldn't have seen most of the cemetery!
It's only about an acre and heavily wooded, but it's kind of divided into 4 sections.
We were walking thru their yard here.
The front section is most the Carr family and the area is filled with silverbells, altho my phone keeps saying lily of the valley.....
Samuel Carr
March 28, 1816 - May 20, 1891
aged 75 yrs 1 m 22d
David Carr
died Sept 11, 1874
aged 84 years
Joseph H.
son of S & S Carr
died Feb 1863
aged 6 yrs 5 m
James Davis
Aug 21, 1819 - Feb 6, 1903
JHC footstone
wife of James David
Aug 28, 1839 - June 28, 1906
Emma E.
daughter of G & SJ Howard
Apr 28, 1861 - March 6, 1864
Sarah Jane Howard
June 8, 1841 - Feb 9, 1890
The second section was back farther, down a trail.
It was just a father and his 2 little girls.
This area is all planted with lilies, I think Mary said.
Levi Fitch
March 18, 1850 - Jan 5, 1923
Tillie Fitch
Feb 26, 1876 - June 6, 1877
The critter on the top was a kitten! Normally I see lambs on child graves.
Jennie Fitch (on the back of Tillie's stone)
Sept 25, 1881 - July 2, 1883
"Born with Dropsy on the Brain"
The third section was even farther back down the trail and surrounded with lilac bushes.
William Peck
died May 10, 1876
aged 23 yr 8m 10d
Oliver Bolton
died June 30, 1875
aged 31 yr 8m 16d
Mary Bolton
died Dec 17, 1870
aged 20 yr 8m 1d
Miss Mary told us who this belonged to, but I forgot.
There are several hollows back in this area, which she thought were unmarked graves.
This is the 4th and final section - opposite side of the trail from the Fitches
There is a large broken rock (circled in orange) that is the marker and the grave itself is surrounded with rocks.
Another sunken area / suspected unmarked grave.
It was a very neat experience, getting to chat with the caretaker!
FindAGrave says information was found in "Pioneer Families & History of Lapeer County" by J. Dee Ellis. I don't know if that's a book or a pamphlet or what, but from what I heard, I bet Miss Mary could add to it!
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