Now commonly known as the Pleasant Dale Cemetery, the Steele Cemetery is located on the north side of County Road 300 North, between roads 400 West and 500 West in Kirkland Township, Adams County, Indiana. A large monument in the cemetery has the inscription: "Record of Steele Cemetery Martin Coffman deeded to James Russell, Wm. Brown, Gideon Billman, trustees on Jan. 10, 1846 Sec. 14, Tp. 27, Range 13. 1/2 acre Samuel L Rugg, Recorder."

From the Introduction in the Pleasant Dale Cemetery Association booklet of the Articles of Association, By-laws, and Rules and Regulations, published in 1944: "January 10, 1846, nearly one hundred years ago, the pioneer citizens residing in Kirkland Township and vicinity, selected as a burial place for the departed dead of the community, a beautiful shady plot in the forest on the Coffman farm (known today as the Zimmerman homestead.)... The original one-half acre of land was purchased for a burial ground for the sum of $2.00, deeded January 10, 1846 by Martin Coffman to James Russel, William Brown and Gideon Billman -- Trustees of the Steele Cemetery (Later changed to Pleasant Dale Cemetery). Recorded in deed record C. page 287, by Samuel S. Rugg, recorder of Adams County. Other trustees who have served are Frank Arnold, William Arnold, Edward Arnold, William Zimmerman, Edward Zimmerman, Milton Zimmerman. Present trustees -- Fred Adler, Samuel Henschen and Oliver V. Dilling. Secretary -- Victor Byerly. Term of trustees -- Three years. Term of Secretary -- One year."

The Pleasant Dale Cemetery Association holds an annual meeting and operates under the 1944 Rules and Regulations. Most of the record keeping has been since this time of organization. Each officer has maps of the cemetery which identify ownership of each sold lot.

This extraction was taken from walking the cemetery during the month of May 1998 and was compared with the 1957 published reading done by the Mary Penrose Wayne, DAR Chapter from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Errors and discrepancies were noted in this typescript. The use of this record was helpful in interpreting a few older worn stones that were difficult to read in 1998. Then, a comparison was made with a copy of the two maps (the original older section and the newer addition) that are the cemetery association's official records.