Quaker Cemetery
Centre Township
La Porte County, Indiana
© Copy Righted 2012

Park Street & County Road 100 West
© Copy righted 2012

Random photos taken by: Teresa O'Riley in late April 2008

Anyone wishing to donate burial or family tree information about families in this or any LaPorte County cemetery, please contact us.  

Updated September 25, 2004 Disclaimer: This cemetery listing was done by a volunteer group who went out and recorded the location of plots and individuals buried there. Notes added under "Additional Comments" column contain both personal notes added by transcriber at cemetery site and some tombstone readings. Listings have been entered according to the area the person was buried in.

From the Author of this Internet site, Deanna West: Although the bases of belief remained the same through out this religious sect, there were some differences in interpretation of the church laws in various areas. But since grave stones or even large tombstones were considered an adornment or image of the person, many of the Quakers held firm to their belief and the practice of marking the graves was not acceptable until sometime after 1820. For more information on the Quakers of Indiana, contact your local Latter-day Saints Family History Center.

Reference - LaPorte Herald Argus - various dates - The little cemetery was used as a burial place during the 1830's, early interments including an otherwise unidentified baby, William Bond. A William Bond was also named donor of the land given to the Society of Friends. The ground was deeded to the Society of Friends, April 14, 1836 to be used for a meeting house and burying grounds. Data gathered by Gene McDonald and on file with the LaPorte County Historical Society states that early in 1830 Aaron Stanton and a son, Benajah with two friends erected a cabin on the farm later occupied by Moses Stanton.

The Stanton's, according to history, were among the Quakers who settled at an early date north of LaPorte and who erected a meeting house and log school. The Quaker Cemetery site is both humble and quite strikingly simple. There are supposedly around 400 burials in this cemetery but field stones mark the graves of 54 known graves in neat rows. One War of 1812 Veteran, Joseph Johnson is buried there. On Sunday May 26, 1968, a commemorative marker honoring the Quaker site was dedicated.
  Quakers of the "Hicksite" branch in the winter of 1830-1831 held their first meeting at the home of Aaron Stanton.  The Clear Lake Meeting was "laid down" in 1856, due to deaths and removals. The Orthodox branch of "Friends" in the year 1860 established the meeting. Early Quakers in this region were William and Charlotte Bond, William and Esther Clark, the sons of Aaron Ataton who were (Alfred, Benajan, William and Thomas) along with Aaron's brother Amos. Others in this early groups were Charles, Henry and Edward Vail, The Howard Masons, Jonathon Smiths and Archibald and Elizabeth Wasson.

Michigan City News, 12 October 1931 Friends’ Cemetery Beneficiary in Will Provided for in the will of the late William S. Cushing of Hamilton , O., and which was probated in the superior court here today by Attorney Worth W. Pepple, a fund of $2000.00 is bequeathed to the Friends’ cemetery north of LaPorte. Charles L. Cushing and Louis Bartholomew, both of Michigan City , are named as trustees of the fund, which is to be spent at the cemetery as they deem best. Lois Cushing and three other nieces also share in the estate, the will which was drafted Aug. 2, 1930 states.

Listed below are a few along with the links to the first two sites mentioned at the beginning of this transcription.

Ref: Cemetery Records of LaPorte County, Indiana

From the files of Dr. Mouraine R. Baker
webmaster note. For years it was assumed that Emily was the wife of Taylor Bradley that was shown on the stone when it was still legible. But
Mouraine offers the following correction:
Emily Clark Bradley died Feb. 18, 1846, wife of Taylor Bradley. This should read Elizabeth Hickman Battin - the first wife. He didn't marry Emily until 1848
Source quoted: The marriage was noted in the Village Record of West Chester, Chester Co. PA. They were married Mar. 27, 1845 at the home of her parents. Her death was also noted in that paper on Mar. 10, 1846. Taylor and Elizabeth had Mary Elizabeth Feb. 8, 1846 which likely led to Elizabeth's death. Mary was living with her father in 1870.

LaPorte Quakers belonged to the "Whitewater Monthly Meeting" The following is from their Birth, Death & Marriage Records:
(Contributed by: Researcher and Historian Donna Nelson)

Wasson, Archibald - born 8-4-1773, son of Joseph & Sarah
Elizabeth, born 9-26-1774, wife of Archibald
Children of Archibald & Elizabeth:
Calvin born 2-14-1798
Jehiel born 1-16-1800
Anselm born 3-19-1802
Abigail born 8-6-1804
Sally born 9-25-1806
Macamy born 4-25-1810
Eliza born 7-24-1812

Wasson, Calvin - born 2-14-1798 son of Archibald & Elizabeth of Wayne Co., IN
Married Mary, daughter of William & Charlotte Bond of Wayne Co., IN , 4-2-1818, at Middle Fork MH
Children of Calvin & Mary:
William born 6-20-1819
Nathan born 3-14-1821

Wasson, Jehial - born 1-16-1800 son of Archibald & Elizabeth of Wayne Co., IN
Married Lydia, daughter of William & Charlotte Bond of Wayne Co., IN, 11-29-1820

From the Internet site located at http://www.hull.ac.uk/lib/archives/quaker/records.htm We learn the following about the great record keeping the Quakers observed." They include: minute books of the various types of Meeting; membership records (including lists of members, copies of certificates of removal from one Monthly Meeting to another, and copies of wills and inventories); financial records; educational records, and records of property ownership. The Registers of Births, Marriages and Burials are naturally valuable for their genealogical content, but also often show the locality from which Friends had come, where they settled and sometimes the trade or occupation. Apart from the Registers, probably the most significant records relate to Sufferings: these are factual records of imprisonment, fines, distraint of goods, excommunication and other penalties imposed for members’ religious beliefs. As sources for the early history of Quakerism they are invaluable. Libraries of Quaker and associated writings were also built up for spiritual and educational purposes"

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LaPorte County Cemetery Page