Deer Creek Cemetery

 

	This long since abandoned cemetery stands where there was once a church and
school house - a Quaker settlement of an early day.  In 1837 a Preparative Meeting was
organized.  In later years this group was disciplined because of the Anti - slavery
sentiment prevalent in it.  Later they were received back into the fold.  One of the
prominent women preachers was Martha Wooten.
	This plot of ground is located on the banks of Deer Creek in Mill Township
Section # 31.
	John V. Shugart came to Grant County in 1835.  He deeded three acres of ground
to the Deer Creek Church for a church and cemetery site.  The first building was made of
logs, the second was a frame structure and the last was made of brick.  He married Sarah
Ratcliffe in North Carolina before they migrated to Grant County.  Both of them are
buried in the Deer Creek Cemetery.  The school building and the church house have both
been remodeled into dwellings and all that remains of the once prominent Quaker
settlement is the little cemetery so overgrown with briers that passage thru it is
impossible.
	Deer Creek Cemetery is four miles south of Marion on State Road No. 9.  At one
time a Friends Church and a public school stood near by.  The two have for some time
been used as residences and the old cemetery left to the ravages of underbrush.  The
Quakers have used, in many cases the number of the month instead of the name.  The
Ladd and Harris families have placed cement covering over their graves so that nature
cannot grow weeds or thorns above these worthy pioneers.
	This was written by the DAR in the 1940's.
	I visited this cemetery and read it in the spring of 1997.  It was a very beautiful
place, situated on 2 high places with a deep ravine in between.  But the ravine has mostly
been filled in now.  The south side of the cemetery sits high above Deer Creek.  It is one
of the most beautiful settings for a cemetery I have ever seen.  I am sure much has been
lost here, as the many empty places attest to.  Several places are sunken way down in the
ground, showing there had been a burial there, but no stone was found.  One other thing I
might point out is the Quakers, in the early days, never marked their graves, feeling it
wasn't necessary for man to know where the dead were buried, only God needed to know.
	The old church is still there being used for a residence.  It has been added on to. 
In the rear of this home is a smaller log cabin I believe may have been the school.  It was
redone, but now stands vacant.  One can see in the past someone had done a lot of work
on it and had made a lovely place there.
	This cemetery is located in the N.W. 1/4 of the N.W. 1/4 of Sec. 31 Range 8 E.
Twp. 24 N. on the old Kokomo Road just east of Ind. State Rd. #9 south of Marion.


	*Denotes a stone not found at this time.

Deer Creek Cemetery

Baldwin, * Daniel born 6th m. 4th, 1846 (never found anything like this but I did find a Daniel that was child, listed below) Daniel son of T. & L. Baldwin died 12 mo. 28, 1852 aged 6y.6m.24d. Ida dau of Terah & Isabella Baldwin died Sept. 7, 1876 aged 15y.6m.6d. Also had a footstone with "Ida" on it. S/S with Matilda and May * Isabella Baldwin (No dates.) Matilda dau of T. & I. Baldwin died July 30, 1863 aged 9m.14d. "Burried in Bethel Cem. 3 mi. S.E. of Jonesboro" S/S with Ida and May May dau of Terah & Isabella Baldwin died Aug. 6, 1874 aged 1y.9m.14d. Also had a footstone with "May" on it. S/S with Ida and Matilda Carter, * Susan 1821 - ___ (didn't find anything like this but did find a Susan that was a child, listed below) Susan Alice dau of W. & P.W. Carter died 12 mo. 22, 1861 aged 6y.5m.23. Charles, * ____ wife of Dr. Charles 1830 - 1869 Coats, Abigail S. died Dec. 16, 1898 aged 66 years Coble, Alta Cleora 1932 - 1933 S/S with Billy Francis Billy Francis 1942 - 1943 S/S with Alta Cleora Coggshall, Lucy dau of N. & C. Coggshall died 9 mo. 15, 1861 aged 11y.4m.25d. Coleman, * Bennie 1830 - 1861 * Isadora 1794 - ____ (didn't find anything like this but did fine Isadora, a child as listed below) Isadora dau of __.B. & S. Coleman died Dec. 4, 1862 aged 6y.8d. (Couldn't make out the first initial of the father.) Sally wife of Jas. Coleman died Dec. 7, 1864 aged 73y.__m.__d. (Badly weathered and mostly illegible.) Cook, Mary died 4th m. 19, 1874 aged 29y.5m.17d. Crawley, Frank C. 1871 - 1962 S/S with I. Fammie Halcie L. 1899 - ____ S/S with Thomas C. I. Fammie 1874 - 1938 S/S with Frank C. Norma 1901 - 1906 Ray 1913 - 1914 Thomas C. 1902 - 1928 S/S with Halcie L. Zona 1911 - 1912 Duglass, John son of James H. & Mary Duglass died Feb. 8, 1849 aged 14y.3m.5d. Mary wife of James H. Duglass died May 7, 1849 aged 38 years Elliott, Margaret J. wife of J.W. Smith and dau of S. & M.A. Elliott died Aug. 6, 1872 aged 17y.10m.5d. Harris, Davis son of T. & M. Harris died 9 of the 3 mo. 1851 aged 21y.3m.21d. George son of T. & M. Harris died 25 of the 9 mo. 1846 aged 21y.7m.26d. John J. son of T.J. & M. Harris died 3 mo. 18d. 1860 aged 1y.4m.15d. "We lay thee in the silent tomb Sweet blossom of a day He just began to show thy bloom And thou art called away" Mary 1799 - 1862 Thomas 1796 - 1870 Thomas original stone was their in 3 pieces, it read as follows: "Thomas Harris died 10 mo. 4 d. 1870 aged 74y.8d." Wesley son of Noah & Nancy Harris died Oct. 25, 1846 aged 5m.14d. Jackson, * Andrew 1761 - 1859 (didn't find this one, but found another one listed as below: Andrew son of Elijah & Anna Jackson died 3 mo. 23d. 1850 aged 32y.4m.22d. * Elijah 1798 - 1863 Johnson, Margaret wife of Perziler Johnson Jan. 22, 1852 - Mar. 6, 1915 S/S with Perziler Perziler Dec. 6, 1849 - May 15, 1930 S/S with Margaret Riley (no dates) "Cpl. 16 Ind. Inf. Sp. Am. War" Thomas F. April 2, 1891 - Sept. 30, 1940 "Indiana Pvt. 3 Co. 159 Depot Brig. World War I" Jones, Lillie E. dau of H.B. & M.E. Jones died Oct. 18, 1883 aged 10y.2m.12d. T.C. died 2 mo. 9d. 1863 aged 22y.3m.24d. Tristram son of W.M. & H. Jones died 10 of 9 mo. 1853 aged 10m.25d. Wm. died 18 of 6th mo. 1855 aged 47y.8m.16d. Ladd, Constantine son of W. & I. Ladd died Apr. 28, 1861 (bottom of this stone with age is buried in cement.) Isabella wife of Wm. Ladd died Sept. 16, 1854 aged 49y.4m.21d. Samuel died Dec. 8, 1856 aged 28y.11m.3d. William died May 4, 1857 aged 60y.3m.3d. Lloyd, Martin 1897 - 1897 S/S with Opal Opal 1895 - 1898 S/S with Martin Lowery, * John died 185_ Lydia L. wife of John Lowery died Mar. 16, 1882 aged 42y.10m.4d. McCracken, Thomas E. son of D. & E. McCracken died 3rd, 10 mo. 1874 aged 3y.4m.25d. Owens, Rebecca J. Mar. 2, 1854 - Dec. 7, 1893 Presnall, Mary A.A. dau of Absolom and Fanny Presnall died Aug. 28, 1859 aged 1y.8m.3d. Shugart(s), Abigail wife of George Shugarts died 9m. 29, 1867 aged 42y.9m.21d. (DAR listed Abigail as Mrs. George) Elnora N. dau of C. & H.T. Shugart died 12m. 1, 1865 aged 4y.4m.7d. Infant dau of J. & R. Shugart stillborn 5mo. 31, 1852 * Irene 1833 - 1837 * John died 15th of the 9 mo. 1853 aged 58y.9m.10d. Sarah R. 1794 - 1872 Sloderbeck, Senith E. wife of J. Sloderbeck died Jan. 19, 1873 aged 20y.4m.8d. "In God we trust" Smith, Margaret J. wife of J.W. Smith and dau of S. & M.A. Elliott died Aug. 6, 1872 aged 17y.10m.5d. Martin P. died 5 mo. 22 d. 1862 aged 19y.7m.11d. Thomas, Joseph born Dec. 28, 1835 died May 31, 1860 aged 24y.5m.3d. "Blessed are the dead which died in the Lord" Rev. 14 Chap. 13 V. (This stone was broken in 2 pieces.) Whitson, Enos born 6 mo. 29, 1831 died 3 mo. 14 d. 1855 aged 23y.8m.15d. Hiram B. died 10 mo. 6 d. 1861 aged 11y.7m.7d. Lydia J. born 6 mo. 30 d. 1853 died 3 mo. 23 d. 1855 aged 1y.8m.23d. Willis E. son of J.J. & L.B. Whitson died Oct. 9, 1863 aged 2m.10d. Zelpha born 2 mo. 3 d. 1833 died ___1855 aged 22y.11m.21d. (Badly weathered and mostly illegible, could not read the death date.) Wooten, Lewis died 2 d. of 3 mo. 1850 aged 50y.3d. * Martha 1801 - 1863 NOTE: Found these footstone with initials on them. L.A.W., R.J.S., J.S., H.B.W., S.A.C., J.D., S.C., R.J.S., J.S., S.E.S., J.J.H., D.B., W.J., E.A.H., Z.W., and L.W. Found this stone without a last name, it was broken into 2 pieces and the last name was totally gone: Sarah wife of __________ died Sept. 4, 1861 aged 31y.10m.5d. also found 1 corner of a stone with __ m. 12d.

...Original page by Sheila D. Watson

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