Rock Creek Cemetery 1954, Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co, Colorado Transcriber: Judith Ann Davenport Chun, 2389 Ahakapu St., Pearl City, HI 96782 ROCK CREEK CEMETERY This is a transcribed copy of a tombstone identification project done by Zachary C. Eagle in 1954 on the old pioneer Rock Creek Cemetery near Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colorado. It was typewritten; included 2 pictures - one of the cemetery and one of Mr. Eagle; a legal description; a Section/Range map; a story on the history of the cemetery by Arlene Lawyer - published in the Monte Vista Journal on May 28, 1954; an alpha index of names with the block #; and a block listing of all graves in the order they are found from a designated starting point. The two pictures and the map are not included here. The index has been re-alphabetized by the transcriber. --------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent, ---------------------------------------------------------------- LEGAL DESCRIPTION: The Rock Creek Cemetery Association owns the following land: Two acres, more or less, in the NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of section 28, Township 38 N., Range 7 E., New Mexico Principal Meridian described as follows: Beginning at the center of said section, thence south 460 feet, thence south 89 degrees 58 minutes East 189.4 feet, thence North 460 feet, thence North 89 degrees 58 minutes west 189.4 feet to the point of beginning. This land was deeded to the Rock Creek Cemetery Association by Rhoda Cole to be used for cemetery purposes. Also, the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of section 28, Township 38 N, Range 7 East, New Mexico Principal Meridian. This tract contains forty acres, more or less, granted by the United States to the Rock Creek Cemetery Association to be used for cemetery purposes only. ROCK CREEK CEMETERY GRAVES MARK EARLY COUNTY HISTORY - BY ARLENE LAWYER. PUBLISHED IN THE MONTE VISTA JOURNAL, MAY 28, 1954. Many of the county's earliest settlers are buried in a sage brush and chico covered plot of ground at the foot of the mountains southwest of Monte Vista on Rock Creek. Although the southern part of the Valley had been settled earlier, emigrant wagons started coming over Mosca Pass to settle this area around 1870. The settlers came here from Iowa and Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, from farther east and from across the ocean. Over 150 of them are buried in the Rock Creek Cemetery. Many of the early headstones are still standing, and the inscriptions on most of them can still be read. There are small, white children's stones, with lambs on top - four of them in one family. Larger stones topped by books or other carved emblems mark family plots. Over 60 of the graves have no stones at all. Above the marked and the unmarked graves alike, stands snowcapped "Old Baldy", an eternal monument to the courage and vision that brought these pioneers to the San Luis Valley, to make "the desert blossom as the rose." Z.C. Eagle, who settled on Rock Creek with his family in 1887,whose parents and one brother are buried in the Rock Creek Cemetery, has erected markers on the highway and on the Rock Creek road to point the way to the old burial ground. Mr. Eagle has also divided the cemetery into plots or blocks, and is attempting to locate as many of the graves as possible and to find out the names of the persons who are buried in them. The Rock Creek Cemetery land was donated by the Cole family, who settled there in 1874. Mrs. Elizabeth Cole Spencer, a daughter of the Mrs. Rhoda Cole who donated the ground, says that the land was set aside in 1874, although the deed was not recorded for several years after that. The Cole homestead is directly south of the cemetery and the original house, built with "cut" nails is still standing. (Note by the transcriber: the homestead was not seen in 1990.) The Rock Creek graves illustrate the hardships of pioneer life - many of them are those of small children, and of young mothers. One of the women buried there, Mary Gilchrist, was born just 20 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. She lived until 1883. Another pioneer, John B. Heilman, lived to be 100 years old and died in 1935. The oldest marked grave in the cemetery is that of Lewis G. Larick, a five-day-old baby who died Oct. 7, 1874. The next was Mary A. Larick who died Sept. 15, 1875. Among the latest graves are those of Jessie A. Keeling, 1910-1938, and Henry Hocker, who was born Aug. 17, and died April 13, 1938. In all the names of 40 different pioneer families - many of whose descendants still live here - are represented on the marked graves in Rock Creek. Mr. Eagle is still looking for information on the unmarked graves, although he is putting his book together now, so if you have any information, he will be glad to hear from you. ALPHABETICAL INDEX AND BLOCK #: Baker, Sophirey*************9 Bond, Nancy****************4 Brannan, Elvis***************12 Brannum, Howard Byron********12 Creason, Percy***************12 Sarah D.************12 Dunham, Charles**************6 Effie****************6 Sophira**************6 Eagle, Aurora Ann***********1 Elmore Y.************1 Ernest G.************1 Enke, Mrs. B.A.***********10 Baby****************10 Evans, Mary*****************8 Townsend*************7 Faus, Cyrus R.*************4 Frost, Lucy*****************5 Games, Willie***************2 Gilchrist, Janet****************5 Mary*****************5 Elizabeth************5 Haaf, Andrew***************6 Gladias**************6 Gladys May***********6 Haase, Catharina************1 Clarence*************1 Julius***************1 Hall, Nancy****************3 Harold, Peter A.*************7 Heilman, Dannie***************3 Florence*************2 Hettie Iilo**********2 John*****************3 Mary Belle***********2 Mary*****************5 Phytama**************3 Samuel***************5 Reuben***************3 William D., Jr.******2 William**************2 Henderson, John*****************8 Hiner, Jessie**************12 Malissa*************12 Hocker, Alice Grace**********3 Glenn Edgar**********1 Henry****************3 Isadora**************3 Joetta***************2 J. B. Senior*********3 John*****************2 Kenneth**************2 Mary Ann*************2 Nora (Lenora)********2 R. Vashti************2 Hogh, Maudie***************1 Hosselkus, Margaret*************5 Hunter, Effie****************9 John*****************9 Hyatt, Fred*****************4 Pauline**************4 Johns, Cathrina*************2 Keeling, Carl Richard*********1 Infant Grave*********1 Jessie***************1 Larick, Anna M. Miller*******4 Donald***************4 Frederick D.*********5 Hannah***************5 Hattie L.************4 Joanna***************4 Jessie Shock*********4 Lewis****************4 Mary A.**************4 Minnie***************4 Samuel***************4 Lund, Marie Brandt*********8 Nels*****************8 McConnel, Charles*************11 Fannie**************10 John****************11 Sarah***************11 McOllough, Catharine************3 Zenas****************3 Muller, Gottlieb*************5 Myers, Julia Liberty********8 Reuben***************8 Neff, Joe, Jr.*************8 Parker, Rhoda****************3 Pendell, A. Gordon************6 Richardson, G. J.****************9 Shakespeare, Thomas, E.**********11 Spencer, Morgan***************2 M- - a (?)***********8 Sopha****************2 Tipton, Child Grave**********2 Martha***************2 Milton***************2 Wallingford, Elizabeth************6 Miles****************6 Widman, William H.***********8 Whitney, Ann******************3 Fridric**************5 Mary R.**************5 Orley****************3 Thomas***************3 THE BLOCKS: The East end, extending North and South, twenty feet wide was left for a driveway. BLOCK ONE: Starting South end, going North. Glenn Edgar Hocker July 23, 1895 Sept. 23, 1895 Age: 2 Months Maudie E. Hogh Daughter of Wm. M. and L.A. Hogh Died: Feb.1, 1890 Age: 10 Months, 1 Day Ernest C. Eagle Son of E.Y. and A.A. Eagle Died: Oct. 22, 1888 Age: 19 Years, 7 Months, 13 Days Elmore Y. Eagle Born: March 3, 1840 Died: Dec. 3, 1900 Aurora Ann Eagle Born: July 25, 1842 Died: March 22, 1920 Two graves, No Markers Jessie A. Keeling 1910 - 1938 Baby Grave, No Marker, just above Keeling Baby Carl Richard Keeling 1930 - 1931 Catharina Haase Daughter of A.J. and A. Haase Died: Sept. 20, 1893 Julius Haase Father 1858 - 1925 Clarence A. Haase Son of A.J. and A. Haase June 8, 1898 June 10, 1898 BLOCK TWO: Starting South end, going North. Willie Games Born: June 4, 1878 Died: May 24, 1886 (At one time had a fence around it.) Milton W. Tipton Born: April 7, 1830 Died: March 14, 1878 Martha Tipton Wife of W. Tipton Born: April 19, 1849 Died: Feb. 9, 1898 (Low stone wall around the Tipton) Same lot has a small rock slab on child's grave, no marker Morgan Spencer Born in Fayetteville, Tennessee Born: Feb. 7, 1823 Died: Oct. 20, 1905 Sopha R. Spencer Born in Winchester, Tennessee Born: Sept. 21, 1827 Died: Aug.1, 1906 Mary Belle Heilman Mother Wife of William D. Heilman 1867 - 1936 Hettie Iilo Heilman Daughter of W.D. and M.B. Heilman Died: April 6, 1901 Age: 1 Year, 3 Months, 26 Days William D. Jr. Son of W.D. and M.B. Heilman Died: March 27, 1901 Age: 1 Month, 16 Days Florence Heilman Daughter of W.D. and M.B. Born 1886 Died: 1920 Cathrina Johns Born in Sweden 1809 Died in Monte Vista 1881 (Oct. 12) William Heilman Father Born: 1857 Died 1933 Joetta Hocker Wife of W.E. Hocker Died: March 22, 1891 Age: 25 Years, 8 Months, 5 Days Nora Hocker (Lenora) Wife of W.E. Hocker Died: Nov. 21, 1884 Age: 20 Years, 10 Months, 25 days Mary Ann Hocker Wife of J.B. Hocker Born: May 6, 1830 Died: Sept. 21, 1888 R. Vashti Wife of J.B. Hocker Died June 14, 1892 Age: 36 Years, 4 Months, 7 Days John Hocker Died: Aug. 19, 1906 Kennth Hocker Son of W.E. and Leonora Hocker Born: March 19, 1901 Died: April 1, 1901 BLOCK THREE: Starting South end, going North. Phytama Heilman 1844 - 1906 John B. Heilman 1835 - 1935 Rhoda Daughter of Z.T. and M.E. Parker Died April 26, 1876 Age: 3 Years, 5 Months Ann Whitney Wife of Thomas Whitney Died: Feb.16, 1887 Age: 54 Years, 1 Month, 8 Days Thomas Whitney Died: Feb. 17, 1877 Age: 55 Years, 1 Month, 24 Days Orley Son of Jay and H. whitney Died: June 1, 1877 Age: 9 Years, 7 Months, 6 Days Zenas C. McOllough June 24, 1841 Died: May 26, 1908 Cathariner Wife fo Z.C. McOllough Died: July 29, 1876 Age: 30 Years, 3 Months, 9 Days Reuben J. Son of W.D. and M.B. Heilman Died: Oct. 19, 1889 Age: 1 Year, 8 Months, 10 Days Dannie, E.G. Son of W.D. and M.B. Heilman Born: sept. 24, 1898 Age: 4 Years, 11 Months, 26 Days Alice Grace Daughter of J.b. and L.L. Hocker Died: Nov. 12, 1884 Age: 2 Years, 9 Months Nancy Hall Oct. 4, 1819 April 16, 1903 Adult Grave, Unmarked J.B. Hocker, Sr. 1832 - 1906 Isadora Hocker Born: April 1, 1858 Died: Feb. 23, 1923 Henry A. Hocjer Born: Aug. 22, 1857 Died: April 14, 1938 Unmarked Grave BLOCK FOUR: Starting South end, going North. Cyrus M. Faus Born: Dec. 19, 1850 Died: Sept. 4, 1886 Donald W. Larick Born: June 13, 1901 Died: Feb. 1, 1920 Anna M. Miller Wife of S.W. Larick Died Sept. 29, 1904 Age: 25 Years, 9 Days Baby buried with her. Minnie L. Larick Daughter of S.W. and A.M. Larick Born: Jan. 29, 1901 Died: Sept. 5, 1901 Two Adult Graves, Unmarked Samuel W. Larick Born : Sept. 2, 1871 Died: March 11, 1932 Josie Shock Larick Wife of S.W. Larick Born: Dec. 18, 1871 Died: March 27, 1894 Lewis G. Larick Died: Oct. 7, 1874 Age: 5 Days Mary A. Larick Daughter of G. and R. Larick Died Sept. 15, 1875 Age: 28 Years, 11 Months, 8 Days Adult Grave, Unmarked Hattie L. Larick Daughter of E.D. and H.A. Larick Born: March 20, 1876 Died: Dec 9, 1884 Age: 8 Years, 8 Months, 20 Days Joanna Larick Daughter of H. and S.E. Larick Died: Oct. 3, 1878 Age: 9 Years, 10 Months, 18 Days One Child Grave, Unmarked Two adult Graves, Unmarked Nancy Bond Wife of W.F. Bond Died: dec. 25, 1899 Age: 57 Years Child Grave, Unmarked Fred Hyatt Died Oct. 6, 1933 Pauline Hyatt Died: Dec. 4, 1928 Ashes of Pauline Hyatt was brought From Denver and placed in Fred Hyatt's Casket. BLOCK FIVE: Starting South end, going North Margaret Hosselkus Born: Oct. 28, 1883 Died: Nov. 20, 1883 Gottlieb Muller Died: June 20, 1925 His body was later moved to the Monte Vista Cemetery. Janet L. Gilchrist Born: 1861 Died: 1877 Mary Gilchrist Born: 1796 Died: 1885 (1883) Lucy Frost Born: 1868 Died: 1885 Elizabeth M. Gilchrist Wife of H.W. Gilchrist Born 1836 Died: 1893 Fridric William Whitney Born: March 31, 1889 Age: 24 Years, 9 Months, 27 Days All five of the following graves are inside an iron fence: Mary R. Whitney Wife of F.D. Whitney Died: April 29, 1895 Age: 30 Years, 8 Months, 27 Days Hannah A. Larick Wife of Frederick D. Larick Died: June 23, 1910 Age: 68 Years, 10 Days (Daughter of S.S. Heilman, Born: June 13, 1842) Frederick D. Larick Died: Nov. 29, 1894 Age: 54 Years, 10 Months, 28 Days Samuel Heilman Born: June 14, 1813 Died: April 9, 1894 Mary Heilman Wife of Samuel Heilman Born: Oct. 3, 1817 Died: Oct. 5, 1895 Child Grave, Unmarked Adult Grave, Unmarked BLOCK SIX: Starting South end, going North Charles F. Dunham Died: July 13, 1899 Age: 50 Years Effie A. Dunham Died: July 12, 1893 Age: 18 Years Sophira Dunham Wife of C.M. Born: Aug. 19, 1826 Died Nov. 28, 1888 A.Gordon Pendell Son of W.H. Pendell Died Sept. 18, 1890 Age: 11 Years, 6 Months Gladys May Haaff Daughter Born: Oct. 24, 1883 Died Aug. 24, 1891 Andrew Haaff Father Born: Jan. 9, 1857 Died: Date unknown Gladias Haaff Wife Died: Aug. 25, 1901 Adult Grave, Unmarked Miles Wallingford 1823 - 1895 Elizabeth Wallingford 1823 - 1899 Adult Grave, Unmarked BLOCK SEVEN: Starting South end, going North Child Grave, Unmarked Townsend Evans Born: May 13, 1810 Died: May 27, 1883 Two Adult Graves, Unmarked Child Grave, Unmarked Peter A. Harold (Valley Stone with P.H.H. printed on three sides) Died: Feb.27, 1881 Age: 34 Years, 6 Months, 18 Days Adult Grave, Foot Marker M.W. Small Grave, Head Marker E.W. Adult Grave, Wooden Marker Adult Grave, Unmarked (Close to fence) BLOCK EIGHT: Starting South end, going North Julia Liberty Myers Died: June 17, 1900 Age 69 Years, 11 Months, 17 Days Reuben Meyers Died: Oct. 10, 1891 Age: 71 Years, 9 Months, 11 Days Mary Evans Wife of Meveral Evans Daughter of Reuben Myers John Henderson Born: Oct. 29, 1821 Died: April 22, 1884 Age: 62 Years, 5 Months, 23 Days Child Grave, Unmarked William H. Widmann Son of L.G. and E.M. Widmann Born: Nov. 14, 1880 Died: March 3, 1881 Age: 3 Months, 19 Days Two Child Graves, Unmarked Adult Grave, Unmarked except a short piece of Valley Rock With M - - A Spencer on it. Nels Lund Born: July 1, 1838 in Norway Died: June 26, 1903 (Handwritten note on edge of page in Jesse Mann's handwriting says: "Should be Nils or the Norwegian spelling Niels - see deed to Henry McNeil) Marie Brandt Lund Wife of Nels Lund Born: March 10, 1848 Died: Aug. 5, 1915 Joe Neff, Jr. Son of Joe Neff Born: Aug. 9, 1922 Died: Nov. 15, 1922 Two Child Graves, Unmarked except with board with J.K. BLOCK NINE: Starting South end, going North A gate on the South side and a driveway between Blocks Eight and Nine. Adult Grave, Unmarked Child Grave, Unmarked Sophiry E. Baker Daughter of J.N. and Sarah L Baker Born: Nov. 11, 1889 Died: Feb. 24, 1890 Child and Infant Graves, Unmarked Effie L. Hunter Died: Jan. 29, 1890 Age: 21 Years John P. Hunter Died: Feb. 10, 1890 Age: 25 years G.J. Richardson, Co. 7 145 Th P.A. Inf. Child Grave, Unmarked Two Adult Graves, Unmarked Child Grave, Unmarked Two Adult Graves, Unmarked Child Grave, Unmarked BLOCK TEN: Starting South end, going North B.A. Enke (Mrs.) Born: March 15, 1871 Died: May 4, 1922 Fannie E.. McConnel Born: June 17, 1892 Died: Nov. 11, 1918 Baby of Mrs. B.A. Enke BLOCK ELEVEN: Starting South end, going North Child Grave, Unmarked Charles L. McConnel Born: July 23, 1878 Died: Jan. 9, 1891 North of Mcconnel Grave are two Child Graves, Unmarked South of McConnel Grave, a Child Grave, Unmarked John W. McConnel Born: June 13, 1849 Died: Dec. 18, 1917 Sarah L. McConnel Born: Sept. 12, 1858 Died: Nov. 18, 1918 Thomas E. Shakespeare Son of C.N. and S.A. Shakespeare Died: Jan. 26, 1891 Age: 1 Year, 2 Months, 11 Days Two Infant Graves, Unmarked BLOCK TWELVE: Starting South end, going North Child Grave, Unmarked Percy Creason Died: May 6, 1906 Sarah D. Creason Died: Aug. 19, 1930 Adult Grave, Unmarked Howard Byron Brannum Son of G.W. and Addie Brannum Born: sept. 23, 1884 Died: March 1891 Elvie Brannan Died: April 5, 1903 Age: 14 Years, 6 Months Six Unmarked Graves Jesse L. Hiner Born: Aug. 7, 1871 Died: Feb. 9, 1892 Malissa A. Hiner Born: Sept. 14, 1880 Died: Jan. 20, 1892 BLOCK THIRTEEN: Two Unmarked Graves A LIST OF NAMES FROM THE WOODS BOOK OF ONES BURIED IN ROCK CREEK, BUT NOT LOCATED. (Note from the transcriber: The "Woods Book" may refer to records kept by the Woods Mortuary, later the Sharp Mortuary) Gordon Lewis Born: July 18, 1910 Died: Jan. 29, 1923 Son of J.W. Lewis Stillborn baby of E.W. Julian March 28, 1917 Note from the transcriber - Many of these names, their family histories, and short genealogies can be found in a book, A BRIDGE TO YESTERDAY - AN EARLY HISTORY OF MONTE VISTA, COLORADO, by Emma M. Riggenbach, copyright 1982, published by HIGH VALLEY PRESS, P.O. Box 63, Monte Vista, CO 81144. Transcriber: Judith Ann Davenport Chun, 2389 Ahakapu St., Pearl City, HI 96782 JudyC44@netscape.net