ROCKY COULEE,OTTMAR CEMETERY, GRANT COUNTY,WA The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection. Transcribed for the Internet and submitted by Lenore Lenz July 18,2001. Both above notices must remain when copied or downloaded. Llbend@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rocky Coulee, Ottmar Cemetery Grant County, WA T20N R29E Section 26 Rocky Coulee, Ottmar Cemetery is referred to by local residence as the 'Old' Keller Cemetery. It was originally called Ottmar Cemetery as Mr. Ottmar donated 1 acre of land to the Evangelical Church in Ruff. He and his wife lost two children at an early age. Of the marked graves that are still legible, theirs appear to be the first burials in the Cemetery. The earliest grave was for Jacob Ottmar born 1897 died 1910. Jacob had two sisters buried there also, Eleanore was four and Christina who was just a baby. Her grave is not marked. There are many mounds of graves marked with wooden gardening stakes and we can only presume that the parents of Jacob are among these as they also were probably pioneers who lived there as early as the Kellers. The oldest members of the Keller family were Christo- pher and Elizabeth born 1850 and 1851, died 1916 and 1933. The Cemetery itself commands a wonderful panoramic view of the entire area as it is located at the top of a hill. The grounds are flat and very overgrown with weeds. It seemed we were the first people to visit this year (May8, 2000) as the knee high weeds were undisturbed by any footsteps other than our own. The rows are very well discernible but many stones are gone so it can be difficult to find all of the graves in the high grass. According to Rynold Ottmar, whose father donated the property, a Boys Club had taken care of it in the past. To reach the Rocky Coulee, Ottmar Cemetery from Moses Lake go east on the Wheeler Road. Go through the town of Wheeler and just after you cross over the big irrigation canal turn left(nortrh). Stay on this paved road all the way. It will turn east after about 1 mile. Continue on for about 1 mile more and it will turn left (north) up a long hill. At the top you will reach the intersection of Road PNE and 8NE. The Cemetery occupies the Southeast corner of the intersection. It is fenced and has an arched gate going into it. The first grave is on the east side as you go into the gate, the other graves with one exception are on the West side. I have listed them in rows moving north to south and then back south to north. In between the legible headstones are graves marked with mounds and stakes so some rows will only list one or two sites. NAME BIRTH/DEATH COMMENTS ROW 1 Deloris Doris Bachmann Nov11,1942 Nov 24,1942 Daughter of Alex and Emma ROW 2 Christina Aug11,1862 Jul 6,1923 Wife of John Bareither Emma Winkler 1910 1921 Sister ROW 3 Bareither Oct 30-31 1922 Infant son of George and Anna ROW 4 Hochstatter 1822 Mother-Sophia 1879 1948 Father-John ROW 5 John C Hepperle Jun 17,1858 Mar 18,1918 A tender Husband and loving father Large headstone with white rock border behind it. At base of headstone is family name of Huether- German inscription is as follows- Hier Ruht in Dem Herren Jesu Christi Paul Huether Geboren Den 31 Jan 1853 Gestboren Den 8 Sept 1918 Der Herr ist Mein Hirteetc Katherine Paslm 28 Sept 23, 1868 Sept 18, 1948 Katie Lesser 1868 1942 Hochstatter 1854 1947 Mother-Barbara 1852 1918 Father-J.Gottlob ROW 7 Our baby Elaine Daughter of Charles & Elmina Keller ROW 8 (Nearest Road PNE) Eleanore Ottmar Mar 9, 1918 Nov 18, 1922 Jacob Ottmar Nov 22, 1897 April 27,1910 Christ Keller 1880 1910 Brother (This grave is enclosed in a short iron fence.) Christopher Keller 1850 1916 Father Elizabeth Keller 1851 1933 Mother George Schoessler George Schoessler 1895 1911 Anna Goede Jan 15,1915 Aged 58 yrs A faithful wife and loving Mother In the far southeast corner of the Cemetery is another staked mound of earth. There is a glass fruit jar dug into the ground for flowes. Rynold Ottmar told me it is the grave of man who commited suicide, he didn't know who it was.