Washingtonm County PA Archives Cemetery Transcriptions.....Windy Gap Churchyard (partial survey) ************************************************ Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/washington/ ************************************************ Files contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gary L. Caldwell, , April 2012 This page was last updated: 3 April 2012 Windy Gap Churchyard Burnsville, Washington County, Pennsylvania The Windy Gap Presbyterian Church 132 Burnsville Rd. West Finley, PA 15377 Lat: 39°59'59.87"N, Lon: 80°27'24.21"W West Finley Township Directions from Claysville, PA: Turn onto PA-231 S/Bell Ave, continue to follow PA-231 S for 1.7 mi, turn left onto PA-231 S/E Finley Dr for 1.9 mi, turn right onto Burnsville Ridge Rd for 2.3 mi, turn left onto Burnsville Ridge Rd/State Route 3029 for 5.1 mi, cemetery is on the right across from the church. Windy Gap Church, a branch of the Concord Church (also called Cumberland Presbyterian) was organized in 1855. The members of the "Concord" Church residing in the vicinity of Windy Gap petitioned the Presbytery at its previous fall session to organize them into a separate church, which was done 29 May 1855. Their first business session was held in the June following of which the record says "The Windy Gap Congregation met in the church and after prayer received one member by certificate. No further business was transacted." They started out with a membership of over thirty with Alexander Sprowls, John Chase, Samuel Rockefellow and Solomon Nickinson as ruling elders. In 1855, Reverend E.P. Henderson was the officiating clergyman but from 1856 to 1857, the people were dependent upon supplies. From 1857 to the spring of 1863, Reverend P. Axtell had the charge. It was during his administration, in 1858, that they purchased a lot of Henry and Nelson Sprowls, - consideration, $600,- upon which they erected a handsome parsonage. The burial-ground belonging to this society is called Windy Gap Churchyard. The first grave made in the ground was that of Amand Connet, who died 14 March 1844 at the age of 16. Just below the highway stands a marble monument erected to the memory of two brothers who sacrificed their lives in the defense of their country. They were Griffith D. Taylor, who fell at the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia 13 December 1862, and Henry M. Taylor who died on Davis Island, New York 5 February 1864. A monument in this ground marks the grave of Dr. J.W. Hancher, who died 22 March 1876 in the fifty-first year of his age. (Boyd Crumrine, "History of Washington County, Pennsylvania with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men" (Philadelphia: L. H. Leverts & Co., 1882). According to the DAR notes, the cemetery was "very badly neglected and was overgrow with elder berry and thorns. There were many sunken graves and stones were down." Using Google Street View, the cemetery looks like it is now maintained. This data was collected by the DAR and found in the genealogy section of the Citizen’s Library in Washington PA library. The data is from 1939 so the burial records may not be complete. LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Ackley Rosamar 1 Aug 1835 1885 wife of Daniel Alexander Keziah 23 May 1872 45yr Alexander Nancy Sep 1874 41yr LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Boyd Eunice 6 Jun 1877 57yr wife of M. Boyd Nancy 1834 44yr wife of M. Brown Mary 13 Sep 1868 23yr LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Danley Malinda 1846 1896 wife of Samuel LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Hackarass Mary 1846 58yr wife of M. Hackarass Sarah 1887 74yr wife of M. LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Lorimor Cassena 24 Nov 1873 68yr wife of John Lorimor John 23 Nov 1875 47yr LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES McKee Joseph 1869 60yr McKee Nancy 1875 wife of L. McNeill Roxana Miller No dates wife of John Miller Jane 1862 wife of Thomas Miller N.M. 1850 1st wife of Thomas Miller Thomas No dates Milligan Anna 1856 51yr wife of Robert. Age is also shown as 64yr. Milligan Eliza Jane 1 Jul 1866 27yr wife of M. Milligan John 27 Oct 1899 Civil War - Pvt. Co. K, 16th PA Cavalry Milligan Mary 1854 24yr wife of John Milligan Sarah 1850 64yr wife of Robert LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Newland David No dates Newland Mary 1853 23yr daughter Nickerson Phebe 1882 65yr wife of John LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES ParrJeer Elizabeth 1856 33yr wife of Nathan J. Perry John 13 Jun 1853 46yr LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Rockey Samuel 1863 46yr According to the Crumrine text, last name may have been Rockefeller LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Sprowls Alexander 10 Dec 1875 Sprowls James 1889 93yr LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Taylor Griffith 13 Dec 1862 Civil War - 8th PA Reserves. Died Fredericksburg, VA Taylor Henry 1864 21yr Civil War - 85th PA Infantry. Died at Davis Island, NY Taylor Salena 1877 wife of William Taylor William 1879 34yr Civil War - 85th PA Infantry Trussell Charles 17 Jun 1847 78yr Soldier of the Revolution Trussell Rachel 6 Mar 1853 25yr wife of William. Trussell Sarah 1850 84yr wife of Charles Trussell Sarah A. 4 Sep 1874 54yr LAST NAME FIRST NAME BORN DIED AGE NOTES Woods Sarah C. Aug 1873 wife of George