Old Willow Creek Cemetery, Shelby Township, Blue Earth Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, 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. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormatted by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: William Porter ========================================================================= Old Willow Creek Cemetery LOCATION Shelby Township, Blue Earth County, Minnesota T105N, R28W, Section 6, NE 1/4 East side of Blue Earth County Road #146 Hilltop just north of Reinke Slough and Willow Creek where it joins the Blue Earth River. Old Burr oak trees cover the hillsides to the north, east and southerly edges of the cemetery. TIMESPAN Earliest marked burial: 12 August 1858 Latest marked burial: 1934 HISTORY It has been verbally handed down in some local circles, that this prominent, hilltop location, just north of Reinke Slough, was an earlier Sioux burial ground containing platform burials prior to being formally established as a pioneer cemetery in the late 1850's. Another name for this location is "the old Indian burial ground". This cemetery is the resting-place of the earliest pioneers in this part of Blue Earth County. It is very probable that a number of those who rest here do not have monuments marking their graves. Cemetery records do not exist for locating plot corners or other pertinent information. All formal burial records seem to have vanished. This cemetery has been in a declining state for many years. In the early spring of 1982, the Shelby Township board supplied crushed rock for the cemetery access road. General cleanup was also accomplished and a crew was hired to maintain the grass during the growing season. In mid-June of 1982, the cemetery was vandalized and some of the monuments were damaged. Many of the footstones were removed by the vandals and thrown into the surrounding woods. Many were recovered but vegetation may have hidden some of the stones from the searchers. The caretakers were unable to put back the stones in their proper places in many instances. FIELD WORK The original field transcription (typescript) was carried out by Margaret Woods-Schreyer and Dean Milton Pettis, members of the Blue Earth County Historical Society and the Traverse des Sioux Genealogical Society; completed on 03 July 1982. William W. Porter has entered the notes into a spreadsheet in August of 2001. The birth and death dates were standardized and calculated where appropriate to enhance readability. It is planned that this new work will again be field checked to verify the transcriptions and the present conditions of each stone. Row Name Born Died Age Footstone Inscription (condition and notes) 1 Esther A. DAY 30 Jul 1851 12 Aug 1858 * 7y 0m 13d E.A.D. Dau. Of [broken] DAY (partially broken - 1982) 1 1 ? ?? Jul 18?? ?? Aug ???? (Monument broken and badly worn, date illegible - 1982) 1 1 Bertha REINKE 1864 1913 *49y wife of Judson N. DAY 1 Arthur H. DAY 1889 1910 *21y son (single stone) 1 1 Sanford N. [BENSON] 04 Nov 1906 15 Aug 1910 * 3y 9m 11d S.N. Children of N. & E. BENSON (single stone, same stone as below) 1 Frances A. [BENSON] 30 Nov 1904 22 Aug 1910 * 5y 8m 22d F.A. Children of N. & E. BENSON (single stone, same stone as below) 1 1 Chancellor DARLING 1803 1887 *84y Chancellor 1 Roxanna DARLING 1805 1877 *72y Roxanna (single stone) 1 Charlotte A. AUSTIN 1820 1893 *73y Charlotte (single stone) 1 Judd A. DARLING 1832 1899 *67y Judd A. (single stone) 1 1 Elizabeth H. KINNEY 09 Feb 1893 E.H.K. 1 Horace KINNEY 28 Jan 1833 01 Jun 1877 *44y 4m 4d (single stone; repaired with cement - 1982) 1 1 H. & M. McDONALD (Monument broken - 1982) 1 1 ? L.A.F. (Only footstone showing - 1982) 2 Charles C. MACK *04 Jan 1810 11 Aug 1864 54y 7m 7d C.C.M. Killed by / Sioux Indians 2 Caroline C. MACK *27 Oct 1813 to 26 Oct 1814 26 Oct 1863 49y C.C.M. (single stone) 2 Emma A. ROBERTS *15 Oct 1841 03 Dec 1863 22y 1m 19d E.A.R. (single stone) 2 Sarah N. LAYTON *16 Sep 1839 29 Aug 1879 39y 11m 13d (single stone) 2 2 James B. [MACK] *19 Nov 1860 17 Dec 1862 2y 28d J.B.M. Our Darlings (single stone, same stone as below) 2 Sophis B. [MACK] *02 Oct 1862 19 Feb 1864 1y 4m 17d S.B.M. Children of J. & H. MACK (single stone, same stone as above) 2 2 Harriet E. [MACK] *22 Jun 1839 29 May 1864 24y 11m 7d wife of Jessie MACK 2 2 Alice K. [THOMAS] *14 Jun 1854 08 Apr 1872 17y 9m 24d A.M.T. [?] footstone does not match tombstone 2 2 ? (broken cement base, no monument found - 1982) 2 2 Jane [ADAMS] *04 May 1831 10 Feb 1883 51y 9m 6d J.A. wife of Wm. ADAMS (The 1982 transcription is marked: E9-BA) 3 Esther A. [DAY] *11 Jun 1854 21 May 1864 9y 11m 10d E.A.D. Dau. of P.B. and E.B. DAY 3 3 Charles RADCLIFF *15 Mar 1807 to 14 Apr 1807 14 Feb 1884 76y 10m Our Father and Mothers grave (The 1982 transcription is marked: LBB14) 3 Catherine RADCLIFF *05 Mar 1809 to 04 Apr 1809 04 Nov 1873 64y 7m 3 William H. [RADCLIFF] *24 Mar 1841 to 23 Apr 1841 23 Oct 1868 27y 6m W.H.R. Son of C. and C. RADCLIFF 3 3 Louisa [FOX] 05 Feb 188?[6?]aged 38y 7m 11d wife of / ___ FOX (Name eroded, broken in 1982, death of 1886 is a guess) 3 3 Hiram BIGELOW 16 Jun 1826 12 Feb 1892 *66y 6m 22d Father & S. (single stone, same stone as below) 3 Sarah BIGELOW 23 Apr 1819 27 Feb 1892 *73y 8m 30d Father & S. (single stone, same stone as above) 4 Samuel B. NOTT *03 Jul 1807 20 May 1885 77y 10m 17d S.B.N 4 Sarah [NOTT] 31 Jan 1819 ?? Feb 1896 *77y 0m [1d to 29d]illegible]wife of S.B. NOTT 4 Sarah HULL *25 Mar 1778 14 Oct 1873 95y 6m 20d MOTHER 4 4 Miles PORTER *05 Aug 1824 to 04 Aug 1825 04 Aug 1873 48y M.P. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace (stone is repaired - 1982) 4 4 ? M.M.W. (No monument shows - 1982) 5 Elizabeth BOOTH53 5 5 Julia Ann [------FAR] *12 Nov 1843 to 11 Dec 1843 11 Nov 1863 19y 11m W.H.R. dau of -----FAR (Surname illegible, ?Footstone match? - 1982) 5 5 John PORTER 17 Jul 1822 14 Aug 1894 *72y 0m 28d Father / Farewell dear fathers sweet thy rest / Weary withy and worn with pain / Farewell till in some happy place / We shall behold thy face again / (Top finial of monument detached - 1982) 5 5 Helene [KING] *05 Dec 1860 to 04 Jan 1861 04 Jun 1887 26y 6m wife of Herman A. KING 5 5 Herman A. KING 1860 1934 *74y (Large monument) 5 5 Mason M. WOODBURY *01 Oct 1822 29 Jan 1886 63y 3m 28d (Possibly footstone is replaced in wrong location - see entry after Miles Porter - 1982) 5 5 Edward A. KING 1884 1934 *50y 6 [? BRADBURY] 1830 1874 *44y wife of Mark (Given name not listed on stone) 6 Mark BRADBURY 1828 1925 *97y 6 6 Flora A. *28 Feb 1865 05 Mar 1865 5d (Road divides from other monuments, repaired with cement, laid flat - 1982) 6 Ida M. *26 Feb 1866 to 25 Mar 1866 26 Aug 1866 5m 2_ [illegible]I.M.B. (Road divides from other monuments, repaired with cement, laid flat - 1982) 6 Arthur A. *05 Aug 1872 to 03 Sep 1872 04 Sep 1872__d [illegible] A.A.B. (Road divides from other monuments, repaired with cement, laid flat - 1982) 6 6 ? E.H.K. (Only footstone showing - 1982) 6 6 James K. SELBY 05 May 1807 12 Nov 1874 *67y 6m 7d Inscription: Death's but a path/ that must be trod / if man would ever / pass to God (single stone) 6 Eliza [SELBY] 04 Feb 1810 09 Feb 1891 *81y 0m 5d his wife (single stone) 6 6 Rice WILDER *18 Jan 1791 to 17 Jan 1792 16 Jan 1878 86y R.W. father of J. R. WILDER 6 6 Gara [WILDER] 21 Jul 1875 infant daughter of E.H. and M.E. WILDER 6 6 Emanuel V. [SHROLL] 29 Nov 1868 son of V. and E. A. SHROLL (anchored in cement, top broken off - 1982) 7 James PAWSON 28 Dec 1829 26 Oct 1884 *54y 9m 29d born in Lincolnshire, England(Inscribed:Rawson on monument base, Typo, which surname is correct?) 7 7 ? M.E. (footstone showing-1982) 7 7 ? A.G. (footstone showing-1982) 7 7 Lemen F. McKIBBEN 19 Dec 1832 27 Nov 1904 *71y 11m 8d L.F. (single stone) 7 Mary T. McKIBBEN 11 Aug 1832 25 Jun 1903 *70y 10m 14d M.T. his wife(single stone) 7 Mary E McKIBBEN 01 Nov 1868 16 Apr 1869 * 0y 5m 15d R.W. dau.(single stone;possibly footstone is replaced in wrong location? - 1982) 8 ? (Monument missing, concrete base only-1982) 8 8 Johanna M. [ROADS] *09 May 1827 16 Sep 1883 56y 4m 7d wife of J.C. ROADS father and mother(single stone) 8 John C. ROADS *13 Feb 1810 29 Dec 1877 67y 10m 16d father and mother(single stone) 8 8 Lucinoa [PROTSMAN] 15 May 1834 27 Jan 1880 45y 8m 12d J.[?]. G. (Possibly footstone is replaced in wrong location - 1982) 8 8 Ottillie M. [PAHL] 13 Sep 1862 14 Jun 1896 28y 9m O.M.P. beloved wife of Hermann PAHL 9 W. BOECK 28 Sep 1870 30 Oct 1870 * 0y 1m 2d Inscription:sein Leben war ein Augen blick, ein Fruhlingstrum sein E denykick (Deep depression, sunken plot with daylilies-1982) 10 Emma SPLINTER [?] Mar 1919 (Crude cement slab, inscription written with finger in wet cement-1982) 10 10 Dorothy DREDGE 31 Jul 1806 15 May 1882 *75y 9m 15d Mother born at Batcombe Somersetshire, England died in the town of Pleasant, Mound, Minn well done good and faithful servant 10 10 Abel J. PATTRIDGE 1841 1924 *83y (single stone) 10 Sarah A. [PATTRIDGE] 1838 1932 *94y his wife (single stone) 10 Clara A. [PATTRIDGE] 1874 1876 *2y Clara A. their dau. (single stone) 10 Dorothy DREDGE 1806 1882 *76y (single stone) 10 Emily PATTRIDGE 1833 1909 *76y Emily (single stone) 10 10 Clara Alberta [PATTRIDGE] 12 Aug 1874 12 Aug 1876 * 2y 0m 0d C.A.P. daughter of A.J. and S.A. PATTRIDGE (Footstone is white marble) 11 Helen GIBBONS *14 Oct 1868 23 Oct 1870 2m 9d Gone Home Helen dau. of E.A. and E.P. GIBBONS 11 11 Heinrich [SPLINTER] *22 Apr 1874 21 Aug 1887 13y 4m Heinrich sohn von C. and A.W. SPLINTER gest. 21 Aug, 1887 alter 13 Jre 4 Mte(single stone) 11 Auguste W. SPLINTER 28 Feb 1845 22 Jan 1890 *44y 10m 25d A.W.S. geb. 28 Feb. 1845 gest. 22 Jan, 1890 Mother(single stone) 11 11 11 Willie W. [ARMSTRONG] *02 Apr 1870 12 May 1881 11y 1m 10d son of G.C. and B. ARMSTRONG 11 11 ? J.L.F. (footstone showing-1982) 11 ? M.H. (footstone showing-1982) 12 ? (White marble monument, illegible-1982) 12 12 William MELLEN *31 Aug 1806 12 Nov 1873 67y 2m 12d W.M. 12 12 Glendor L. McKIBBEN 13 Jun 1896 16 Sep 1898 * 2y 3m 3d son of J.W. and H. McKIBBEN(single stone) 12 Mary Etta [McKIBBEN] 07 Mar 1894 27 Dec 1894 * 0y 9m 20d dau of J.W. and H. McKIBBEN(single stone) 12 12 John FOSTER 13 Mar 1819 13 Jan 1889 *69y 10m 0d Father His words were kindness, his deeds were love, His spirit humble, he rests above 12 Elizabeth [FOSTER] 16 Nov 1825 13 Jan 1889 *63y 1m 27d his wife, Mother, She has gone to her home in heaven And all her afflictions are o'er 13 Orin TRACY 1855 1884 *29y 13 Mary TRACY / HARRIS 1856 1918 *62y 13 13 ? 25 Feb 1875 (Broken monument, all that was legible-1982) 14 B. F. TRIMBLE B.F.T. Co. K 2nd Wis. Cav. 15 Benjamin F. TRIMBLE *04 Sep 1772 to 03 Sep 1773 03 Sep 1822 49y (Questionable death year for a Blue Earth County burial, single stone) 15 Lucinda TRIMBLE *04 Jan 1865 to 03 Jan 1866 03 Jan 1887 21y (single stone) 15 George W. TRIMBLE *24 Feb 1809 to 23 Feb 1810 23 Feb 1886 76y (single stone) NOTES ? means illegible, missing, or questionable value / delimits the line breaks in the stone inscription [ ] means added by the transcriber to assist the reader ( ) means taken from field notes * Computed value is shown and has been calculated from the stone's inscription. Dates have been standardized and are listed in a GedCom format. Dates are generally displayed differently on the stone. Submittor Note: The Porter's shown are my great-cousin Miles and my great-grandfather John; some of the first settlers in this part of the County. Ceresco Township at Porter Lake.