Cemetery Archives - Page 2 of 8

The Old Burial Ground

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

A few blocks north of Downtown Monroe on Monroe Street is and old cemetery known as The Old Burial Ground. It was established in 1794 and is the oldest cemetery in the city and one of the oldest in the Great Lakes State. The cemetery is home to the graves of many early settlers, including soldiers who fought in the War of 1812. It is also the final resting place for some of Michigan’s earliest Europeans that were instrumental in the formation of the Michigan Territory including Laurent Durocher, Francois “Francis” Navarre, and Capt John Paxton. Many victims of the cholera epidemic of 1832 are buried in the cemetery.

I wonder how many cars pass by the old burial ground and the people riding inside do not know the history of the Old Burial Ground. If you like old cemeteries and reading old headstones, this is an interesting place to visit.

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The Heroes in Pinery Cemetery

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

A few miles northeast of L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula is the Pinery Indian Cemetery. The land has been used as a Native American burial ground since the 1600s. Many of the graves have spirit houses. They provide a place for loved ones to leave food, arrows, beads, and items needed for the deceased to travel to the spirit world.

I have been to the national cemeteries in Holly, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek and I have seen veterans sections in other cemeteries. I usually see American flags next to the headstones. It was inspiring to see an American flag next to the spirit houses. It is a reminder that people came from all walks of life and different backgrounds and religions to fight and defend freedom in this country.

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One Eye Pete

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, people .

I was roaming around the Monroe Cemetery located north of Greenville. I saw a tombstone with the words ONE EYE PETE that caught my attention. On the other side is the name of Corp. Peter Nelson.

From what I could find on the internet Peter Nelson came to the United States from Denmark to avoid conscription into the Danish army. He ended up in the Civil War instead. He got the nickname One Eye Pete because he had lost an eye at a young age when a animal swiped at his face and damaged his eye with its claw.

As part of his severance pay from the military he was offered what he saw as swampland in Illinois. He felt you couldn’t grow anything there of he refused it. Today it is part of downtown Chicago, Il. He came to the Greenville area and died in 1904 and was laid to rest in the Monroe Cemetery.

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Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

The Oak Hill Cemetery sits east of downtown Pontiac. It is where the Buckland Memorial Chapel stands. The old English style stone chapel was built in 1898. The cemetery contains the remains of six veterans of the Revolutionary War and well over 27 veterans of the Civil War, including General Israel B. Richardson, Michigan governor Moses Wisner, and General Joseph T. Copeland

Michigan has some of the most beautiful little chapels in cemeteries. Whenever I see them I always think they would make a beautiful wedding chapel, but I am thinking most brides do not want to get married in a cemetery.

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The Historic White Lake Cemetery

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Cemetery .

I drove past the historic White Lake Cemetery and had to stop and get a pic of the trees showing off their autumn color under the blue sky. A historical marker stands in the old cemetery and gives a little history

This cemetery was established by Robert Garner when his nine-month-old child, Mary, died in 1837. White Lake Road, which runs past it, was once an Indian trail. Garner, a pioneer of White Lake Township, was involved in the establishment of the First Presbyterian Church of White Lake and was the superintendent of a pioneer sabbath school in White Lake. Buried in the cemetery are many of the pioneer families of the township, including the Garners, Seeleys and Voorheises. Also buried here are twenty-eight Civil War veterans and just over forty veterans of succeeding wars. In 1856 the cemetery was formally deeded to the Board of Health of White Lake Township.

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The Legend of Lakeville Cemetery

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Haunted Places .

The community of Lakeville is located between Oxford and Romeo. It is there that you will find one of the oldest cemeteries in the state that was started in 1846. One of the earliest burials was Private Derrick Hulick, a veteran of the American Revolution who enlisted in the New Jersey militia in June 1776.

At the side of the cemetery is a mausoleum dug into the hillside. It is for James and Elizabeth Dunn, who ran a local sawmill in the early 1890s. James passed in 1930, Elizabeth in 1952. There are several urban legends and myths surrounding the old tomb. On suggests that a young teen couple was dared to spend the night in the tomb and died overnight. Another is that a teen girl was locked inside and she died while clawing at the door trying to escape. And another is that an axe murderer hid bodies in the tomb.

While there is no proof that any of this is true the urban legends continues to live on. I did not see any strange events or spirits when I visited. I thought it was a beautiful historic cemetery with an old and interesting stone mausoleum in the hillside.

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St Peter The Fisherman Cemetery

Posted on October 22, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

south of the historic Fayette townsite is an old cemetery on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A sign next to the road denotes it is St Peter The Fisherman Cemetery. It was the Catholic cemetery for Fayette and a protestant cemetery was north of town. A short trail from the road leads to the cemetery hidden in the trees.

It is a beautiful little cemetery with old headstones and newer wooden crosses. One of the earliest burials was in 1877. The one thing that stood out to me was the metal fencing surround a couple of burial plots. It was strange how it was all mangled and twisted as if some supernatural force hit it. I am thinking a tree fell on it or maybe ice from a storm but for whatever reason it looked odd. If you like old cemeteries and you are visiting Fayette be sure to check out the old cemetery. It is near the Port Bar & Family Restaurant.

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The Spirits of Quaker Cemetery

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Haunted Places .

concealed in the woods at the end of an unmarked two-track trail is the old Quaker Cemetery. It is in a desolate section a few miles south of Nashville. No, not that Nashville, known for country music, but Nashville Michigan.

Eli Lapham, a Quaker minister, settled the area in 1837. After a sawmill was constructed the area grew in population with people of the Quaker faith. over time the trees were cut down. The swampy area was not good for farming so the Quakers had left leaving behind a small cemetery on a hill.

Sadly many of the headstones are broken. I am not sure if it is due to the ravages of time or vandals, probably a little bit of both. Some say the surrounding woods are haunted by the spirits whose graves have been forgotten. It has been said that you can see spirits among the trees watching visitors. I did not see anyone or anything mysterious. It was sad to see the condition that some of the headstones are in. The old cemetery does seem to have been remembered by the local historical society. A new historical marker stands at the site and the grass was mowed. Maybe the spirits are a little more content and do not bother visitors as long as they behave themselves.

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Copper Harbor Cemetery

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

When I was up in Copper Harbor last fall I took a trip through the old cemetery. I noticed it has several graves with fences around them. I was curious and did a little research on the internets. Although decorative the fencing served to keep animals off loved ones grave sites. At least that is what I found on the internet. I am thinking that makes sense since I see fencing more frequently in the northern Michigan cemeteries where there would be more animals.

If you like old grave sites check out the cemetery off US-41 just before you get into Copper Harbor.

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Veteran’s Home Cemetery

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

The Michigan Veterans’ Facility (formerly the Michigan Soldiers’ Home) was authorized by Act 152 of the Public Acts of 1885, which provided for the establishment of a home for disabled Michigan veterans. This act resulted from the efforts of Civil War veterans who were members of the Grand Army of the Republic. The buildings served Civil War veterans until 1938, when the last resident veteran of that conflict died.

In April 1886 the board of managers of the Michigan Veterans’ Facility set aside five acres for a cemetery. The Grand Rapids posts of the Grand Army of the Republic dedicated the cemetery on Memorial Day, May 31, 1886. The original cemetery was designed in the form of a Maltese cross with 262 grave sites in each of its four sections. In 1894 a granite statue of a Civil War soldier was placed in the center of the cross. By the time of its centennial in 1986, the cemetery had recorded over 4,000 burials of veterans and their dependents.

Only residents of the Veteran’s Home can be buried at the cemetery. It is one of five VA cemeteries in Michigan.

Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta (Battle Creek)

Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly

Lakeside Cemetery Soldiers’ Lot in Port Huron

Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery on Mackinac Island

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