Cemetery of The First German Baptist Church, Avon, So. Dakota.


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	This brief history of the First German Baptist Church and Cemetery
	of Avon was found with the WPA Graves Registration Project 

	Transcribed by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com


     In the year 1891 the above said church following the organization
Dec. 15, 1890 through a gift from August Voigt, one of the charter
members, came into possession of land for erection of a church building and
a cemetery.

     This cemetery is located one fourth mile south and one mile east from
the city limits of Avon, So. Dakota, and is now owned by the above said
church. A committee of three (5) has charge of the administration thereof
subject to the requirements of the church.

     As early as 1892 the church acted to protect this ground by furnishing
material for a barbed wire fence, which a member offered to build
without compensation for his work. This in the year 1900 was replaced
by one of woven wire and in 1927 an ornamental fence was built with two
gates leading from the public road onto drivewayes of the cemetery. The
arch of one of the gates showes the name:"Baptist Cemetery".

     The first person buried here is Mrs. Karoline Voigt a pioneer of this
vicinity who died Feb. 23, 1894 at the age of 75 years, the only one
•until the year 1900, when others followed.

     May 24, 1894 is an interesting day when in the presence of members,
largely the heads of families, the trustees in accordance with the order
of the church, surveyed, divided, and marked buriel lots, known as: "Old
Part". The wooden lot markers of this time were later replaced by
cement corners. This plan in 1900 was recorded in the church records
and the first cemetery committee elected: August Voigt. W. D. VanGerpen,
and John Schroder, Sr.

     In the year 1901 the church building was moved from here to the then
started city of Avon, So. Dakota where since 1905 it is the city hall,
the church dedicating its new structure in 1906.

     Later in 1921 the part termed as the "New Part" of the cemetery was
surveyed, divided into buriel lots marked by cement corners, a drive
way of 12ft in width divides the "New Part from the Old Part".

     A record system for the cemetery has been inaugerated whereby the
grave of any person buried therein can be located.