Discovery of Pre-Civil War Graves Stops Condo Development; Nuns Sued for Selling Property

The discovery of more than 600 sets of remains dating to 1839-1856 in what was formerly a Catholic cemetery in Dubuque, Iowa, has stopped construction of luxury condos on the site and ended in the developer, A. J. Spiegel, suing the nuns who sold him the property. Spiegel claims that he was led to believe the remains had all been removed by the owners of the property, an order of Sinsinawa Dominican nuns. The nuns’ attorney and the diocese say that the nuns sincerely believed that all the remains had been removed from the area of the old Third Street Cemetery, also known as Kelly’s Bluff Cemetery.

It is believed that the graves may have been lost due to deterioration or loss of the grave markers or from the graves never having been marked at all.

Spiegel is seeking compensation under the Iowa law requiring property owners to pay for the excavation of human remains and also wants payment for relocation of the remains and lost use of the site.

The Third Street Cemetery was the first Catholic cemetery in Dubuque. The state archaeologist’s office will do an excavation on the site and has put the project on hold for two years.

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery: Jeremiah Beam

Jeremiah Beam
Co G 99th Reg. Pa. Vol.
Died Nov 27, 1907
in his 74th Year

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery: Nettie Monn and Stella Mae Beam

NETTIE MONN
1884-1910

STELLA MAE BEAM
July 28, 1914

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery: George Mortorff

PRI BATTERY E 2nd REGT.
PA HEAVY ARTILLERY
1844-1920
SARAH E. SLUSSER
HIS WIFE
1849-

My Favorite Photo: An Excursion to Mattituck Presbyterian Church Cemetery

Although Graveyard Rabbits have the gift of finding excitement in graveyards, one of the principle attractions of the graveyard for them is the peaceful atmosphere. The photo I have chosen as my favorite illustrates this sense of peace.

The photo shows my father-in-law standing in front of Mattituck Presbyterian Church in Mattituck, Long Island, New York. When we visited my husband’s parents last January, on a freezing cold day, with snow on the ground, my father-in-law Howard took me out to this church and cemetery so that I could do some photography and transcribing. The air was so cold that it was difficult to write or even to get my fingers to push the button on the camera, but Howard waited patiently for me. He knows a lot about the local history of this area and has knows a number of people in the families who have lived in this part of Long Island for many years, so he was able to fill me in on some of the history of the church and the people buried here. Despite the cold, we had a good time (or at least I’m hoping that he did, too) and were able to enjoy the stark beauty of the snow-covered graveyard. Some of the best times are to be had in the simplest of activities while quietly appreciating the beauty around us.

Submitted for the August 2009 edition of the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival: Favorite Photo.

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery: Margaret Mortorff

MARGARET MORTORFF
SEP. 17, 1826
MAR. 10, 1913
AGED 86 YEARS
5 MOS. 22 DS.

Cemetery of Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Goodyear, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a frequent destination for our family on its travels: Our oldest daughter is in college in Philadelphia, our younger daughter has attended the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the past four years, and we love to visit Gettysburg, Lancaster, and other parts of Pennsylvania. Even when our destination is beyond Pennsylvania, we enjoy traveling through the state and often stop at the small towns along our route.

Our last trip to Carlisle via Route 34 (the Carlisle Pike) took us through Goodyear and Idaville, close neighbors on Route 34 and home to Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and Idaville United Methodist Church. After we dropped our daughter off in Carlisle my husband and I took a leisurely drive back home to Virginia, stopping at several fruit stands, the two cemeteries, and, as always, Gettysburg.

Below are photographs of Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and its cemetery; photographs and transcriptions of some of the graves to follow.

Thank you Judith and Linda

Judith Richards Shubert of Tennessee Memories and Linda Ellis of Exploring almost forgotten gravesites in Ohio have awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thank you both, and thank you especially for all the pleasure and education I get from your blogs. I am passing the award on to seven Graveyard Rabbit bloggers; this was difficult due to the high level of creativity and the educational value of so many Graveyard Rabbit sites (following all these sites provides an amazing education in cemetery lore). Here are the seven GYRabbits I have nominated:

1. Diane Wright at The Graveyard Rabbit Travels Wright
2. Cheryl Hoover Davis at The Graveyard Rabbit of the Runnells Iowa Area
3. Cheryl Palmer at The Graveyard Rabbit of South Alameda County
4. Lisa Burks at Adventures in Grave Hunting
5. Lancaster Pennsylvania's Graveyard Rabbit
6. The Philadelphia Graveyard Rabbit
7. Brenda Kay Wolfgram Moore at Grand Traverse & Leelanau Counties Cemetery

[I can't seem to leave a comment on Brenda's website; if anyone knows how, I would appreciate help. If not, I hope Brenda sees this!]

Since this Award may have reached the point where it is winding down a bit, I am posting a general form of the rules here under which you are not obligated to make further nominations, but if you would like to nominate one or more blogs, feel free to do so as follows:

1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
[If you wish to nominate other blogs]
3. Nominate other bloggers.
4. Link to those sites on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.