CEMETERIES:Evangelical St. John's German Lutheran Cemetery; Johnson County, Iowa ***************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ****************************************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Colleen Sehr February, 2003 ___________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: Please visit the Johnson County, IAGenWeb page at http://iagenweb.org/johnson/ ____________________________________________________________________________ EVANGELICAL ST. JOHN’S GERMAN LUTHERAN CEMETERY SHARON CENTER, JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery is located ten miles south of Iowa City. Travel south on four-lane Highway 1 South, then approximately two miles farther on two-lane Highway 1 South. Turn left (south) at the Sharon Center Road and proceed five miles to Sharon Center. Continue south one mile. St. John’s Cemetery is located on the right (west) side of Sharon Center Road. Information provided by Colleen Sehr and submitted on June 15, 2002. The following information is located on a plaque along with a plat map in the cemetery: "St. John’s Lutheran Church" served for many years (1870-1977) the spiritual needs of the small German community of Sharon Center, Iowa. Services in German provided important cultural ties with the homeland of the most of the congregation and contributed to the sense of community among strangers in their new land. The congregation was organized in 1870 by immigrants from Germany and Switzerland who had come in 1866. It began as a mission under Reverend J. Hoerlin, Sr. and was formally incorporated in 1865. The church was built by parishioner, Albert Drews, with help from the entire congregation. English services were introduced in 1905 "for the benefit of the younger members". In the years between 1900 and the official closing of the church in 1955 the congregation shared ministers with Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City. In 1967 St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery Association was incorporated to care for the buildings and grounds. The National Register of Historic Places accepted St. John’s Lutheran Church on its roll in 1977. During a severe storm a huge tree beside the church fell on it, making it impossible to preserve the church. The beautiful cemetery adjacent to the church continues to give solace and comfort to the descendants of those who have been laid to rest there. In Loving Memory Erected 1989 * Verse engraved on stone: A light from our household is gone A voice we loved is stilled A place is vacant in our hearts That never can be filled Last Name First Name Born Died Back (10th) Row Left to Right Kesselring Emilie Jan 1, 1866 May 1877 Bettcher Carl May 21, 1870 June 21, 1886 Frank Margerette Feb 14, 1879 Jan 16, 1881 Meinike Elsie Aug 30, 1887 Sept 8, 1887 Konrad Ferdenard July 23, 1889 Sept 21, 1889 Helm Elsie May 7, 1889 Aug 7, 1890 Yordie Elsie Nov 11, 1895 Mar 29, 1896 9th Row Left to Right *Barz Anna M Jan 2, 1826 Feb 13, 1879 Kesselring Anna Carolina Oct 1, 1872 Feb 10, 1890 Hoffmeister Charlotte Oct 10, 1804 Apr 18, 1880 Bettcher Fridericke Oct 17, 1866 Apr 17, 1881 Hoffmeister Christoph Jan 15, 1796 Oct 15, 1884 Falk Christlieb July 16, 1816 Sept 17, 1886 Falk Pauline Sept 10, 1820 Feb 28, 1897 Meer John Oct 12, 1839 July 24, 1896 Meer Bertha Oct 26, 1848 Sept 18, 1886 Siehrig George Jan 2, 1822 Sept 15, 1888 Suhrig Barbara Jan 12, 1829 Mar 12, 1889 Siegling Christiane Apr 15, 1809 Dec 28, 1889 Sigling Christoph Nov 18, 1808 Mar 12, 1894 8th Row Left to Right Treptow Dorthathea, M Mar 12, 1814 Sept 9, 1890 Walter Johann, G 1818 1896 Walter Katherine 1837 1914 Sommer Andreas Aug 30, 1828 Jul 28, 1890 Sommer Ottellie Jan 11, 1846 Jan 1, 1936 Roessler Gottlieb, F Mar 20, 1821 May 10, 1889 Roessler Louisa 1838 1925 Monk John Monk Caroline Jan 1, 1917 July 26, 1891 Sommer Christian Sept 1, 1831 Oct 1, 1909 Sommer Augusta, A Aug 28, 1847 Mar 20, 1894 Wachholz Charlotte Dec 25, 1820 Mar 17, 1896 Kortz Pastor John Feb 19, 1838 Aug 17, 1896 7th Row Left to Right Walter George Jan 30, 1868 Jan 21, 1939 Sommer Cora, M Nov 15, 1887 Feb 18, 1902 Sommer Christian, R Mar 19, 1873 Nov 2, 1900 Siegling Marcus Jan 5, 1868 Sept 9, 1900 Bettcher William 1832 1901 Bettcher Dorothea 1830 1904 Siegling Jimmie Mar 1899 Dec-07 Kutchenreitter Hanna July 29, 1870 Mar 12, 1899 Sass Annie Apr 18, 1876 Sept 4, 1898 Yordi Anna Nov 9, 1856 Apr 15, 1898 Kesselring Caroline Nov 26, 1897 Zager August, B Mar 21, 1843 Jan 17, 1905 Zager Wilhelmine Feb 24, 1843 Nov 4, 1896 6th Row Left to Right Hoppe Friedrich Aug 18, 1828 Dec 25, 1908 Hoppe Louisa Jan 30, 1844 Mar 25, 1926 Klineschmidt William, F Oct 23, 1943 Oct 11, 1910 Klineschmidt Johanna Sept 9, 1844 Jan 28, 1915 Amelon Elisabeth Mar 10, 1822 Jan 10, 1911 Roessler Pauline May 26, 1880 Apr 26, 1916 Amelon Augusta Sept 11, 1855 Mar 6, 1917 Kesselring Gottlieb Nov 10, 1836 Oct 11, 1921 Kesselring Albertine, C Sept 7, 1845 Feb 18, 1921 Venzke Reinhard Jan 8, 1857 Mar 24, 1930 Venzke Bertha Sept 4, 1857 Apr 5, 1907 Hesselschwerdt George, J Nov 9, 1902 Jan 31, 1903 5th Row Left to Right Graeper Gustave, C 1845 1918 Graeper Theresa, W 1855 1924 Graeper Elsie, G 1889 1918 Kleinschmidt Albert Sept 9, 1877 Nov 1, 1923 Kleinschmidt Minnie Heeds Oct 11, 1880 May 28, 1918 Kleinschmidt Minnie, R May 25, 1918 Jan 9, 1919 Kleinschmidt Frank, A May 25, 1918 Apr 3, 1919 Hoppe Paul, F May 22, 1920 Aug 18, 1920 Eyman Vera, M Mar 7, 1921 Mar 12, 1921 Sass William, J July 9, 1847 Mar 22, 1926 Sass Caroline, D Oct 15, 1843 Jan 23, 1923 Sahs Alvin Nov 13, 1923 Nov 16, 1923 Venzke Theresa Feb 25, 1863 Mar 13, 1928 Venzke Irene, R 1915 1976 Venske Albert, R 1912 4th Row Left to Right Gaffaner Kuester John Sept 13, 1848 Apr 29, 1926 Kolstad Doris, M Aug 7, 1932 Nov 7, 1932 Moll Gustave 1872 1937 Moll Bertha 1881 1961 Kutchenwriter John, D 1864 1941 Kutchenwriter Vina, W 1975 1961 Venzke Herman 1895 1982 Venzke Leona 1900 1934 Graeper Erich, W 1891 1942 Graeper Emma, M 1895 1981 Hoppe Elizabeth 1890 1933 Hoppe Horace 1923 1948 Hoppe Ferdinand 1866 1951 Sehr Frank, F Oct 21, 1861 June 14, 1943 Sehr Mathilda, W May 5, 1862 Dec 28, 1955 Sehr Carl, F May 29, 1895 Sept 1, 1957 Sehr Anna, E July 12, 1889 Apr 17, 1981 3rd Row Left to Right Young Harold 1917 1993 Young Adolph 1913 1973 Young Andrew 1866 1940 Young Anna 1875 1970 Venzke William, E 1888 1966 Venzke Helen, G 1906 1998 Graper Richard, P 1884 1962 Graper Clara, E 1890 1985 Graper Leo, C 1910 1966 Graper Frances, C 1911 1983 Sahs Emil June 5, 1887 Sept 23, 1967 Sahs Minnie July 28, 1892 Jan 10, 1960 Sehr Donald, F May 7, 1927 Sehr Anita, K July 26, 1930 2nd Row Left to Right Kutchenwriter Frank, W June 2, 1893 Dec 16, 1967 Kleinschmidt Fred, F Sept 21, 1915 Oct 18, 1994 Kleinschmidt Dora, M May 30, 1921 Graper Eldon, P Aug 20, 1920 Graper Helen, L Oct 15, 1934 Apr 23, 1988 Semler Don "Chub" June11, 1918 July 23, 1995 Semler Loretta Apr 19, 1913 Oct 15, 1997 1st Row Left to Right Trost Shirley Ann Brand Mar 25, 1935 Aug 6, 1985 Trost Pastor Richard, L Aug 10, 1930