ST. JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH CEMETERY

(a.k.a Barrens Cemetery)

Morgan Township, Harrison County, Indiana

Submitted by Kevin Conrad

 

The St. Johns Lutheran Church Cemetery, which is also called by some as the Barrens Cemetery,  is located about 12.5 miles northeast of Corydon, and 1.5 miles north of Hwy 64, on Cemetery Road. The former church, which was established on this site on September 25, 1847, and present cemetery, is situated on a small parcel of land estimated to be about ¾ acres, on the south-side of Cemetery Road. To park a vehicle you must use part of the east bound lane on Cemetery Road, immediately north of the cemetery.  This cemetery is located on the southern part of Morgan Township, at Section 17, Southwest ¼ of the Northeast ¼, Township-2-South and Range-4-East, of Harrison County, Indiana.  Geographically, the cemetery is located in the Crandall Quad at: Latitude 38° 20' 19"N and Longitude 86° 05' 47"W; or UTM 16  578981 E  4243570 N.

 

My wife and I first visited this cemetery on June 26, 2002 and found it waist high with overgrown vegetation; some places even taller. On this particular visit, the overwhelming growth consisted of native grasses, scattered saplings, and various wild flowers, such as Black-eyed Susans. Initially we thought we would still push to find the headstones, but settled on turning back since we had just encountered an infestation of ticks at an earlier cemetery. As we we’re departing we had decided to return during the winter; by then the tall grass would have died back and if any creepy crawlers did exist they would be dormant.

 

On January 4th, 2003, a rather blustery cold day with a light coating of snow, we returned to this cemetery and recorded and photographed the names on the gravestones. During this visit, we found that the vegetation had been cleared sometime earlier and the saplings removed.  We also discovered that a new metal sign had been posted near the road. The sign, apparently posted by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), provided some historic background on this cemetery and the surrounding area.  

 

Several days later while searching the Internet for any background information on this cemetery, I stumbled onto a website that provided insight to the reason we found the cemetery overwhelmed in vegetation. This story [or controversy] involved the: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a concerned citizen who has ancestors buried at the cemetery (who is also the County Coordinator for the Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project (INPCRP)); the Nature Conservancy; a Township Trustee and possible others. Basically the controversy concerned the decision to return the cemetery grounds to its “natural state” and annual burning of the cemetery’s grounds. To read more on this particular controversy go to: http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/barrenscem.html

 

The cemetery’s property is bordered by three fence-lines on the east, south and west sides.  The northern edge of the property is bordered with wooden posts approximately three to four feet tall.  To the north, south and east of the cemetery there is a sparse number of urban dwellings. Along and outside the fence-line to the west is a small patch of woods and thick underbrush.

 

We identified approximately 81 inscribed headstones and a number of graves marked with fieldstones. There were also a number of sunken unmarked graves. As we walked the cemetery multiple fragments of former headstones and/or foot stones were scattered along the ground. Along the west fence we found a small collection of stone markers—apparently used to mark graves  at one time.

 

There were also a number of headstones stained with smoke from when the cemetery was repeatedly burn for vegetation control.

 

The earliest burial found during our visit occurred in July 20, 1833 upon the death of Joseph Dorr, son of Joseph and Christiena Dorr. This burial pre-dates the establishment of the St. Johns Lutheran Church (Est. Sept. 25, 1847) by 14 years. It can reasonably be assumed this graveyard received burials prior to 1833, given the number of fieldstones and unmarked graves found. The last known burial occurred in 1930 upon the death of Maggie Feiock.

 

Jack Briles, the County Coordinator for Floyd County, reported on his website that a WPA plat map from the 1930s shows this cemetery could contains as many as 190 graves. A copy of this plat map is located at the Frederick Porter Griffin Center for Local History and Genealogy, 117 West Beaver Street, Corydon, Indiana, 47112, Phone: (812) 738-4110.

 

Known Surnames interred at this cemetery

 

Baur; Beal; Beel; Bottner; Bower; Byerley; Byerly; Denhart; Dorr; Ems; Ernts; Feiock; Graninger; Grbert; Hartman; Hendrick; Hendrich; Herbert; Heuser; Hiibsh; Hilker; Hiser; Hittner; Hoffman; Hofmann; Kraninger; Maliss; Miller; Munch; Richert; Roeder; Schmitthennery; Shafer; Temple; Windisch; Windish.


 

Headstone Inscriptions

 

ROW 1   (east side of the cemetery)

 

Conrad BAUR, born March 14, 1814, died Sept. 18, 1891.

Anna C. BAUR, born June 2, 1808, died Jan. 4, 1892.

 

ROW 2   

 

Anna L., daut. of J. & E. DENHART, died Jan. (illegible), 1880, aged 6m, 11d?.

 

John DENHART, died Oct. 25, 1879, aged 46 yrs.

 

Christian, husband of Anna B. WINDISCH, born Jan. 6, 1819, died Aug. 4, 1881, aged 62y, 6m, 28d..

 

Heinerich SCHMITTHENNERY, born June 25, 1805, died Nov. 1, 1881, aged 76y, 4m, 6d.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German]

 

Several unmarked graves.

 

Herbert W., son of G. & L. B. HITTNER, born Dec. 26, 1892, died July 13, 1908.

 

Louis MUNCH, born 1849, died 1928.

 

Carrie TEMPLE, born Oct. 10, 1863, died Jan. 30, 1906.

 

Several unmarked graves.

 

ROW 3   

 

John HOFFMAN, born May 28, 1847, died Mar. 27, 1915.

 

Christina, wife of John HOFFMAN, born Sept. 18, 1853, died Feb. 28, 1883.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German]

 

Louis, son of G. & C. HEUSER, born Feb. 14, 1863, died Dec. 16, 1873.

 

Christopher, son of Jos. & Christina BEAL, died Dec. 9, 1873, aged 4y, 2m, 3d.

 

Joseph H., son of G. & C. HEUSER, born Dec. 1, 1870, died Oct. 1, 1872.

 

John, son of J. & C. MILLER, died Nov. 1, 1871,  aged 2y, 4m, 20d.

 

Carolina F. C., wife of Philip EMS, died Aug. 14, 1871,  aged 47y, 8m, 2d.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German]

 

Louisa K., wife of Wm. HENDRICK, died Sept. 10, 1871,  aged 22y, 10m, 18d.

 

Heinrich C., husb. of Sophie HENDRICH, born July 17, 1803, died Feb. 21, 1871?, aged 68y, ?m, 4d.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German]

 

Sophia M., wife of Henry C. HENDRICH, born Oct. 16, 1812, died Dec. 29, 1878.

 

Augusta, wife of Charles MALISS, died Feb. 24, 1874, aged “about 71 years”.

 

Charles, husb of Augusta MALISS, died Mar. 1?, 1874, aged “about 84 years”.

 

Several unmarked graves.

 

Barbara FEIOCK, born Aug. 15, 1845, died Feb. 22, 1916.

 

Louis FEIOCK, died Mar. 3, 1877, aged 34y, 9m, 22d.

 

Christiena, wife of Joseph DORR, born Sept. 13, 1811, died Mar. 30, 1877.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German]

 

Catherine, wife of John MILLER, died Aug? 17, 1870,  aged 50y, 1m, 8d.

 

John, husb. of Catharine MILLER, died Sept. 23, 1882,  aged 60y, 8m, 28d.

 

John, husb. of Mary BYERLY, born May 22, 1843, died Sept. 2, 1879,  aged 36y, 3m, 10d.

 

ROW 4   

 

Philip HEUSER, born Jan. 13, 1867, died June 3, 1928.

Louisa HEUSER, born Dec. 23, 1869, died Oct. 30, 1924.

 

Willie G., son of G. & C. WINDISH, born June 26, 1895, died Aug. 2, 1896, aged 1y, 2m, 1d.

 

William C., son of P. & L. HISER, born July 9, 1893, died Aug. 15, 1893.

 

Mary E. HEUSER, born July 14, 1863, died Aug. 20, 1891, aged 28y, 1m, 26d.

 

Caroline, daughter of Charles & Maria Ann FEIOCK, born ??, died ??

[Note: This headstone is broken in half. The lower portion inscribed with the dates is missing]

 

Louis R., son of C. & K. WINDISH, born Jan. 17, 1883, died Mar. 14, 1885.

 

August, son of Adam HERBERT, died Mar. 23, 1865, aged “about 15 years.”

 

Fredericke L., wife of Frederick BOWER, died Oct, 21?, 1863, aged 56y, ?m, 22d.

 

Johan ERNTS, consort of Willelmine BOTTNER, died Mar. 23, 1861, aged 57y, 8m, 19d.

 

Caroline, wife of Lewis FEIOCK, died July 7, 1872, aged 75 yrs.

 

Lewis, consort of Caroline FEIOCK, died Dec. 2, 1864, aged “about 71 yrs.”

 

Barbara, wife of G. WINDISH, died Sept. 3, 1873, aged 45y, 5m, 6d.

 

ROW 5   

 

Marked grave

[Note: This headstone has broken from the base and is missing. Given its size, this may be the grave of a child or infant]

 

Julianna, wife of David SHAFER, died Feb. 8, 1861, aged 65y, 8m, 3d.

 

David SHAFER, born June 16, 1788, died Sept. 21, 1872.

 

Adam HERBERT, died May 8, 1858, aged “about 71 yrs.”

 

Carolina, daughter of J. & E. HIIBSH, died Mar 12, 1861, aged 1y, 7m, 20d.

[Note: The surname is not misspelled, the surname is “Hiibsh.”]

 

Catharine FEIOCK, born Sept. 29, 1820, died Oct. 14, 1907.

 

Michael, consort of Catharine FEIOCK, died May 24, 1862, aged 40y, 4m, 20d.

 

George, son of M. & C. FEIOCK, born Apr.4, 1847, died Feb. 1, 1854.

[Note: This headstone is broken from its base and leaning against the headstone of Michael Feiock]

 

Barbary, wife of George HARTMAN, died Mar. 21, 1868, aged 50y, 12d.

 

George HARTMAN, died Dec. 30, 1868, aged 57y, 2m.

 

ROW 6   

 

Marked grave

[Note: This headstone has broken into multiple small fragments.]

 

Mary, wife of Michael BYERLEY, born Feb. 17, 1823, died Oct. 14, 1854.

 

Footstone (initials “L.C.F.”)

[Note: This footstone may have been misplaced ??].

 

Marked grave

[Note: This headstone has broken into multiple small fragments.]

 

Catharine, daughter of J. & C. BEEL, born Feb. 27, 1851, died Feb. 19, 1854, aged 3y, 2d.

[Note: This age doesn’t match the inscribed birth and death dates. The age at death should be about 2y, 11m, 23d].

 

Anna Maria ROEDER, born 1797, died Dec. 21, 1852.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German. She may have been born in Wurttemberg, Germany]

 

Marked grave (illegible)

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German, but is very worn and illegible].

 

Marked grave (illegible)

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German, but is very worn and illegible].

 

ROW 7   

 

Hein__?___  GRBERT, born (illegible) 15, 1819?, died 1862?, age 14y, 11m, 20d.

[Note: This headstone is inscribed in German and almost entirely illegible. The death year may be 1852.]

 

Joseph, son of J. & C. DORR, born Feb. 21, 1833, died July 20, 1833.

 

Annie M., daughter of J. & C. DORR, born / died Jan. 8, 1849.

 

Christena, daughter of J. & C. DORR, born Apr. 6, 1850, died Jan. 6, 1851.

 

Elizabeth, wife of Charles FEIOCK, died Oct. 28, 1849, aged about 38 yrs.

 

Elizabeth, daughter of Charles & Elizabeth FEIOCK, died Oct. 29, 1857, aged 18y, 10, 10d.

 

Charity, consort of Georg GRANINGER, born 1795, died Apr. 15, 1851, age 51 yrs.

[Note: See later in this record for the full inscription of this headstone]

 

Louisa, daughter of M. & C. FEIOCK, born Mar?. 3, 181_?, died Feb. 1, 18__?

 

Louisa, daughter of L. & B. FEIOCK, born / died Nov. 28, 1870.

 

Reinhart FEIOCK, died Oct. 13, 1884, aged 12y, 6m, 28d.

 

Charlotte J., daughter of R. W. & M. FEIOCK, born Aug. 28, 1883, died Jan. 8, 1885.

 

Willie B., son of P. J. & M. E. FEIOCK, born Mar. 17, 1885, died Mar. 22, 1886.

 

E. L. Katie, daughter of W. R. & M. FEIOCK, born June 4, 1887, died Mar. 28, 1888.

 

Zettie A., daughter of P. J. & M. E. FEIOCK, born Oct. 16, 1887, died Jan. 13, 1891.

 

Lourena C., daughter of R. W. & M. FEIOCK, born Mar. 10, 1889, died Sept. 24, 1891.

 

M. Bertha, daughter of W. & M. FEIOCK, born Aug. 19, 1890, died Jan. 27, 1899.

 

Maggie FEIOCK, born 1859, Aug. 19, 1890, died 1930.

Reinhard FEIOCK, born 1859, died 19_ _ (last not given)Aug. 19, 1890, died 1930.

[Note: The last two digits on the year of death is not engraved].

 

ROW 8   

 

William M. RICHERT, born 1850, died 1916.

Mary A. RICHERT, born 1851, died 1926.

 

Daniel R. RICHERT, born Apr. 10, 1885, died June 24, 1891, aged 6y, 2m, 14d.

Edmund J. RICHERT, born Sept. 24, 1880, died Apr. 17, 1891, aged 10y, 6m, 23d.

Children of Wm. & M. Richert.

 

George, consort of Charity KRANINGER, died June 17, 1864, aged “about 73 yrs”.

 

Charles FEIOCK, born 1801, died 1861.

 

Mary Ann, wife of Charles FEIOCK, born Apr. 7, 1862, aged 39 years.

 

Michael, son of Charles & Mary Ann FEIOCK, died July 8, 1862, aged 3m, 1d.

 

ROW 9   

 

Note: Row 9 is offset to the east from the north end of Row 8. These two rows are separated by about fourteen plots.

 

John F. HILKER, husband, born Mar. 29, 1803, died Apr. 11, 1881.

Louisa HILKER, wife, born Apr. 4, 1801, died Nov. 20, 1848.

 

ROW 10   

 

Note: There is only one standing fieldstone and one broken/illegible headstone in this row; although there are many fragments of headstones laying on the ground in the row. It is likely there are a number of graves in this row, which are now unmarked.

 

Marked grave (Fieldstone)

 

Marked grave (broken and illegible headstone)

 

WEST FENCE LINE   

 

Note: About in the middle of the west fence-line, there are approximately 15 grave markers scattered about.  It appears someone removed this grave markers from the rows within the cemetery and placed them here.

 

 

Examples of complete headstones inscriptions at this cemetery

 

Headstone of Heinerich Schmitthennery: Row 2

 

Heinerich Schmitthennery

Geb. Den.

25 Juni 1805

Gest. Den

1 Nov 1881

Alter

76 J. 4M & 6T

 

 

Headstone of Christina, wife of John Hofmann: Row 3

 

Christina Ehefrau von Johann Hofmann

GeB. Den 18 Sep 1853

Zuhlingenhof Baiern

Gest. Den

28 Febr 1883

 

 

Headstone of Carolina F.C., wife of Philip Ems: Row 3

 

Carolina F. C. Frau Von Philip Ems

Gestobren

Aug 14 1871

Alter

47 Jahr 8 Mo 2 Tage

 

 

Headstone of Heinrich C. wife of Sophia Hendrich: Row 3

 

Heinrich C.

Gatte Der

Sophie Hendrich

Geb. In. Tenstudt.

Preusen D. 17 Juli 1803

Ges. 21 Dist Feb 1871

Alter 68 Juhre  _?_  4 Teg.

 

 

Headstone of Christiena, wife of Joseph Dorr: Row 3

 

Christiena

Gattin von

Joseph Dorr

Geb. d. 13 Sept 1811

Gest. D. 30 Mar 1877

 

 

Headstone of Anna Maria Roeder: Row 6

 

Anna Maria Roeder      Hierrubt  (or Hierruht)

Geb. gross

Geb. in

Stermemfels

Konigr. Wurtemberg

1797

Gest. 21 en Dezember

1852

Gewidmet von

Jurenbeiden Sobnen

A.  J.R. Roeder

J.J.  Roeder

He_ de Jhrersche

 

(Note: The last line of the above inscription is virtually illegible)

 

Headstone of Charity, consort of Georg Graninger, Row 7

 

In Memory of

Charity Graninger

Consort of Georg Graninger

Born 1795

decd  April 15, 1851   Age 51y

Being mother of Three Children

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