Oceana County

Michigan

Cemeteries

Pine Grove Cemetery
Claybanks, Oceana County MI
The name Pine Grove was derived from the grove of pine trees that are in this area. There are 142 interments that can be identified. There may be more as there are mounds and no stones or records to verify. There must have been a Potter's Field for the indigent but have been unable to exactly pin-point the location. The oldest recorded date is 1853. There could be a few others but no head stone marks the grave. The County of Oceana was settled in 1848. Dr. Phillips and John Hanson were the two men that decided to settle on the banks of Lake Michigan. Whiskey Creek flows into Lake Michigan and it is this area where the first frame house built by DR. Phillips was built and where Thos. and Elizabeth (Hartt) Phillips are supposedly buried in the area of the home. The house was demolished and the land in the 1940's was a US Army Camp. Camp Claybanks. They used the lake for a firing ground and the barracks were erected on twenty acres across the road. This was not a successful venture- The camp was disbanded and the area is lined on the Lake Michigan shore with homes of resorters. A few of the resorters are now making this their permanent homes after retirement. Forty of the 142 interments were buried before the cemetery became an official cemetery by the purchase of the land from William and Ida Eaton for $10.00 and deeded to the Board of Health, 24 March, 1899. Evidently, the Board of Health for the county was in charge of burial for the county. Now, the cemeteries belong to the township and the Township Clerk is in charge of burials and records. (Contributed by Carole Dick)

NAME BIRTH DEATH SPOUSE PARENTS
PHILLIPS, Anna Van Derventer Hills Haggerty 16 Nov 1821 07 Feb 1897 Hills
Dr. Thomas Phillips		  
PHILLIPS, Emeline (Bowman)
Biography		 1827 27 Apr 1874 Dr. Thomas Phillips  
PHILLIPS, Hartt 1855 1882   Dr. Thomas & Emeline (Bowman) Phillips
PHILLIPS, Dr. Thomas
Obituary
Biography		 14 Apr 1817 08 Dec 1890 Emeline Bowman
Anna Maria Vanderventer Hills Haggerty		 Thomas & Elizabeth (Hartt) Phillips
HILLS, Sarah       Anna Maria VanDerventer Hills Haggerty Phillips