Source: Newsletter of the North Manchester Historical Society
Volume XXI Number 4 November 2004

The Cemeteries of Pleasant and PawPaw Townships

Chester Township boundary is Highway 13 on the west side of North Manchester so many citizens of North Manchester lie in cemeteries in Pleasant township. This is especially true for Pleasant Hill, the Cripe cemeteries and the Old German Baptist Brethren cemetery. This report uses much information from Lester Binne's Cemetery Records for Paw Paw and Pleasant Townships Wabash County, Indiana.

German Baptist Brethren cemetery located about one half mile north of the intersection of State Roads 13 and 114 along Highway 13. The land for the adjacent church and the cemetery was donated by Henry Cripe and the first burial is said to have occurred on February 7, 1885. A number of stones were moved from other older cemeteries in the community but likely no bodies were exhumed. The cemetery is well cared for and currently used. Common names found there Butterbaugh, Cripe, Metzger, Blickenstaff, Renicker, Blocher, Frantz, Boocher, Long, Miller, Ulrey, Karn, Heeter.

Pleasant Hill Cemetery, located one mile west of the intersection of State Roads 13 and 114. It is an endowed cemetery, very well maintained and currently used. It joins the church yard of the West Manchester Church of the Brethren. This brick church is the second building to be built on this site. The cemetery was established about 1880, but it contains several stones that were moved in from other locations. Common names found in this cemetery: Lautzenheiser, Heeter, Butterbaugh, Boyer, Crill, Warner, Cupp, Ulrey, DeLauter, Penrod, Blickenstaff, Frantz, Ohmart, Grossnickle, Harter, Garber, Buckingham, Landis Brookins, Miller, Neher and many others. Otho Winger, President of Manchester College for thirty years and members of his family lie in this resting place.

Old Cripe Cemetery located on a hilltop about one mile west of the intersection of State Roads 114 and 13 at North Manchester, it is on the north side of Road ll4 overlooking Clear Creek. This stream was an important mill stream in pioneer days. The cemetery is about 60 x 70 feet, fenced and now overgrown with native trees and myrtle. All of the adult buried there are believed to have been German Baptists. Some bodies may have been moved to other cemeteries but it is not clear if bodies were removed or only stones or perhaps only bodies and not stones.

Common names include Cripe, Butterbaugh, Boyer, Crill, Miller, Albright, Myers, Frantz, Isenbarger, Karn, Grossnickle.

Rose Hill Cemetery, sometimes known as the Lutheran or North Pleasant Cemetery. Located on the south side of the Wabash - Kosciusko County Line, near Wabash County Road 300 w. The cemetery and church yard occupy about an acre of land. A stone, built into the red brick church building reads, "North Pleasant Church, 1881. Common names: Bussard, Oldfather, Isley, Penrod, Ayres, Feigley.

Laketon Cemetery, first known as the Ijamsville Cemetery, located at the intersection of County Roads 950n & 200 w. about a half mile south of Laketon in Pleasant Township, Wabash County, Indiana. The cemetery is on the west side of 200 w and across the road from the Christian Church, built in 1901. Common names are Thompson, Bender, Fites, Fogerty, Tryon, Ogden, Kelly, Grisso, Weaver, Knouf,Lautzenheiser, Wertenberger, Sholty, Hoover, Moyer, Rager, Rooney, Werner, Palmer, Lindsey, Pettet, Mylin, Sickafus, Ferry, Ulsh, Marshall, Frederick and others.

Shiloh Cemetery, located about one half mile north of the junction of County Roads 700 w and 850 n in Pleasant Township. This was, once, the location of a Presbyterian church. The cemetery has had no maintenance for several years and is overgrown with bluestem, a tall prairie grass. It is fenced but many stones are broken or down. Common names are Keim, Ulsh, Stanley, Chinworth, Larrew, Brundige, Lukens, Schuler.

South Pleasant Cemetery, located at the intersection of County Road 1400 n and State Road 15. The east part is the oldest and it is separated from the new part by a white frame church now occupied by the United Methodist denomination. The cornerstone shows: "Pleasant Church 25 June, 1874." Common names are Drudge, Ihnen, Hileman, Young, Seitner, Leffel, Kroft, Jontz, Clinker, Gamble, Miller, Haney, Rager, Dillman, Groninger, Eichholtz, Hively. Shellenberger, Larrey, Noftzger, Weimer

Abshire Cemetery located in an open field about 600 ft southwest of the intersection of County Roads 600W &500 N in Pawpaw township. The plot is about 50 feet square, covered with bluegrass and several hickory trees. It has been abandoned for many years and none of the stones are standing. Most of them were found in a pile under one tree. Abraham Abshire, 1800-1892, and his wife, Hannah Neff were early settlers near Roann, Ind. They were natives of Franklin County, Virginia, near Boones Mill. Shelby Arthur came to this area from the same place and at about the same time and were members of the German Baptist church near Roann. Abraham was a son of Edward Abshire and a grandson of Luke, both of whom died in Franklin County, Virginia. Names, Abshire, Garver, Neff.

Alger Cemetery, located about 2 and a half miles southeast of Laketon on County Road 750N in Paw paw Township. Beautiful and well kept on a hilltop about 300 feet north of the road. There are two very large yellow poplar tree near the entrance and four very large red cedar in the enclosure. Common names Baker, Poole, Baer, Alger, Sickafus.

Gamble Cemetery, located 2 miles south of Roann, just east of the intersection of County Roads 400s & 700 E. in Paw Paw Township. This cemetery is completely overgrown with myrtle and rose briers. It is fenced except on the side next to the road. Names; McCoy, Bryan, Gamble.

Jack Cemetery, located about a half mile east of County Road 600W and about a half mile south of County Road 500 N on the south wide of Paw Paw creek. It appears to have been in use from about 1840 to 1914 but is now subject to grazing livestock. It is said that some stones were removed to the I.O.O.F. cemetery north of Roann. Names: Flint, Oswalt, Garver, Jones, Watson, Jack, Denning, Boblet.

Long Cemetery, located two Miles west and about one mile south of Urbana, on the west side of County Road 200W on the south side of Paw Paw creek. This cemetery in very poor condition. Names: Watts, Baker, Dunfee, Gray, Latchem, Long, Wellman, Lambert, Freeman, Purdy, Guynn, Amber,Merrick, Alger, Siders, Slee.

I.O.O.F cemetery located one mile north of Roann, on the east side of County Road 700 W at the former site of Bethel Church (Winebrennerian.) The present cemetery is endowed, well maintained and large. Some of the older stones were apparently moved here from older cemeteries in the vicinity. Names: Ashton, Steele, Smith, Bookover, Peters, Pottenger,

Bickel, Squires, Kidd, Schuler, Halderman, Wiles, Abshire, Dillman, Walker, Whitmeyer, Lambert, Favorite, Hoffman, Yocum, Oswalt, Yarian, Grogg, Crist, Rantz, Beamer, Hettmansperger, Lukens, Riggin, Jones, Van Buskirk, Keim, Meyer, Ivins, Worrel, Story, Butterbaugh, Martindale, Burson, Crist, Swihart, Bryan, Flora and many others.

Reed Cemetery, located on the south side of County Road 400 N. about two miles southwest of Roann. According to Helm's History the land was donated by Ezekiel Reed. The fenced area is about 100 ft square. It has had no maintenance for several years and some of the stones are down or missing. Names: Brower, Weaber. Reed, Riddle, Showalter, Wray.

Roann Cemetery, located at the south end of the covered bridge. Very well kept. Names: Deardorff, Gipe, Butler, Abshire, Neff, Miller, Drollinger, Squires, Signs, Smith.

Stockdale Cemetery, about one mile northwest of Roann on the west side of Squirrel Creek The area is fenced but the gate is open and the land was being used for pasture. Names: Bonewitz, Burdge, Black, Lewis, Croft.