Doyle Cemetery Restored

Rededicated 30 May 2011

Baloons are released by family and friends at 2011 rededication.

In the 1940's The D.A.R. surveyed the cemetery and wrote:

	Another of the fast disappearing cemeteries known as Family Cemeteries is located
in Van Buren Township of Grant County.  This land was entered by Michael Doyle in
1837.  The first person buried there was Enoch Camblin, a veteran of the War of 1812. 
Here lies Michael Doyle, John Boxell, David Heckhard and a child of Elijah Lyon all early
settlers in this part of the county.  Entrance to the plot is difficult.  A narrow lane leads
back several rods from the main highway.  A fence surrounds the cemetery which is so
matted with weeds, grass, and vines that one feels certain that some graves were not
found.
	The recorded deed for this plot reads as follows: "This indenture witnesseth that
we Michael Doyle and Mary Ellen Doyle his wife of Grant County, in the state of Indiana
convey and warrant to the commissioners of Grant County for the purpose of a public
burying ground of Grant County in the state of Indiana for the sum of five dollars the
following real estate in Grant County.  It being a part of the north half of the northwest
quarter of Section #26 ************* containing 1/2 acre.
	In witness therof the said Michael Doyle and Mary Ellen Doyle his wife have
hereunto set their hands and seals this 5th day of December 1861.
							Michael Doyle
								    her	
							Mary Ellen x  Doyle
								   mark

In 1996 Sheila Watson visited and read the stones in this cemetery. She wrote:

     I visited this cemetery in May of 1996.  It is located in the NW 1/4 of Section 26
Van Buren Township, on land owned by George Doyle according to the 1990 Plat Map
Book.  Two tenths of a mile east of 1000 E. on the south side of 300 N.  In the winter the
cemetery can be seen from the road.  The access road to this cemetery has been plowed
over.  It is fenced in but has grown up in weeds and shrubs.
	The DAR had recorded 18 graves.  I added 14 more to their list.  Joseph and Sarah
C. were recorded as Camblins by the DAR but I found them on the same stone with Ann
E. Boxell.  The base of this stone says children of J. & A.E. Boxell.  The N.W. corner is
grown up with weeds and briars 6 to 8 feet high.  I believe there are more graves hidden in
this corner.  I found one in this corner, John son of Michael and Mary Doyle.
	There are only four grave markers dated after the turn of the century.  The last one
was Margaret Clark born in 1865 and died in 1943.

In early spring of 2009, I visited for the first time. After a long muddy walk from the county road, I found the above view of the cemetery, amid barren trees and last years weeds. I found it much as Sheila had found it a dozen years earlier. Many stones were not even visible under a carpet of dead weeds, leaves and barren bushes. (...jp)

In the spring of 2010 my sister and I returned to do the photo survey of this cemetery, and although it looked a bit better with more green, it still was in very bad state of decay

      In 2010 two sisters, 4th great grandaughters of Michael Doyle, and their husbands began the chore of cleaning up and restoring this cemetery. By the begining of the summer of 2011, Kay and Bill Bailey and Debbie and Stan Taylor had removed all of the old brush, mowed the cemetery, and arranged for a pathway to be built from the county road to the cemetery entrance. The cemetery will now be maintained by the Van Buren Township Trustee and the Grant County Sheriff's Department. Although much remains to be done, the photo below shows the tremendous progress made so far.

      On Memorial Day 2011 (May 30) they held a rededication of the cemetery, attended by several dozen descendants of the interred persons and other history lovers.(...jp)

Congratulations on a job well done. Perhaps this will inspire others to do the same with other pioneer cemeteries in Grant County.