CEMETERY HISTORY
by Gilbert Londenberg
On February 15, 1882 the heirs of a Peyton B. Lyhte sold a 200 acre plot of land out of the Gregoria Basquez 7 League (approx. 31,000 acre) Grant to William P Barron. (document)
Missionary Rev. John J. Trinklein, first pastor of Trinity Congregation, arrived in the Riesel-Perry area on December 2, 1882. His first service was held Sunday, December 5, 1882, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gottfried Ebner. That Sunday afternoon the group decided to purchase a four acre plot from the North West corner of the land owned by Wm. P. Barron. The congregation continued to meet monthly at the Ebner home while a church building was being built on the property. The church was dedicated in June, 1883, and records show $50 paid to Wm. P. Barron and the property deed to German Evangelical Lutheran Church Trinity was signed July 16, 1883.
About a year before Rev. Trinklein came to this area, part of the four acre plot had already been selected for a cemetery, since the earliest dated tombstone is that of August Conrad Schulze who died July 12, 1882, at age 62. The next dated tombstone is that of Andreas W. Abel, who also has the earliest birth date of anyone on the cemetery, November 11, 1811. He died January 24, 1883, at age 71, followed by Sophine E. Zander, June 30,1883, at the age of 17 months. The first name listed in the “Toden” or death register of the church records, is that of Johann Gottlieb Fenske, July 5, 1883. However, there is no stone marker at his grave site.
The cemetery grew around these graves in a somewhat disorderly fashion until the mid 1890's. Grave sites were then aligned in rows which were given alphabetical letters, increasing from west to east, and lots which were given individual numbers, increasing from north to south. This area became known as Section I.
In 1918, Section II was added to the north of Section I, with a road dividing the sections. The rows of Section II are designated by alphabetical letters that correspond to those of Section I. The lots in Section II were given individual numbers, increasing from south to north. The first grave in Section II is dated May 29, 1918.
In 1946, the cemetery was enlarged. A row was added to the top, or west end, of Section I and called row S.W. because it was in the southwest corner of the cemetery. A row was added to the top, or west end, of Section II and called row N.W. Three rows were also added to the lower, or east end, of both sections I and II. The grave sites in the three added rows on the lower, or east end of Section I, were given numbers increasing from south to north. (This is the opposite of the numbering pattern for the rest of Section I.) The 1946 enlargement was completed by adding two grave sites to the north end of each row in Section II.
In March, 1973, the Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery Endowment Fund was established for perpetual care.
In 1974, the cemetery was enlarged again by adding Section III to the north of Section II. The first grave in Section III is dated February 14, 1974. The road dividing Section II and Section III was extended around the east end of Section II to meet the road between Section I and II. The entire cemetery was enclosed with a chain link fence.
In January of 2016 the cemetery records were included in the church's website. In order to avoid the confusion of the numbering system mentioned above, all three sections of the cemetery are now numbered the same. The rows are designated by alphabetical letters beginning with 'A' and increasing from west to east. The lots are given numbers beginning with '1' and increasing from south to north in each section.
Some of the early church records that give grave site, row and lot numbers in the oldest part of Section I, do not exactly agree with those included in this listing. The row and lot numbers in this listing more accurately reflect the actual location of the head stone, in relation to the rest of the cemetery.
Although the names, birth dates, and death dates shown in this report were derived from a combination of sources, most information was found in the official church records of Trinity and from the inscriptions on the tombstones. There are many grave sites in Section I that are unmarked by stones, therefore the maps and index will only show information that is in the records.
As of December 31, 2015 there have been 689 burials in the Trinity Cemetery.
Funerals at Trinity Lutheran Church
Then and Now
When a death occurred, the local undertaker would be notified and a casket would be brought to the house of the deceased where the body would then lay in state. Relatives or friends would volunteer to "sit up" in shifts with the body until time for the funeral.
At the cemetery, the appointed leader and his helpers would begin digging the grave with pick and shovel. Depending on the weather and the help available, a grave could be opened in less than half a day.
On the day of the funeral, the Pastor, relatives and friends would meet at the house of the deceased. After a short service, the casket would be placed on a wagon hearse that was usually pulled by mules. The procession of wagons, surreys and riders on horseback proceeded to the cemetery. Edwin (Lefty) Fenske recalled seeing one of these processions as a young boy in the early 1920’s. As it was passing by, his mother told him to "Take a good look. This might be the last time you will see that". When the procession would come into view from the church, the church bell would begin to toll and would continue until the hearse reached the cemetery. This would always take a rather long time.
Up until the mid 1920's, the casket would be placed over the grave, and when the family was seated and all others gathered around, there would be a short burial service. The casket then would be lowered into the grave and the grave closed while the family sat and watched. After the grave was closed the group would then go into the church for the actual funeral service.
By the late 1920's, the congregation had grown quite a bit and the Model T and other automobiles began to be more common in the area. Around this time, the services were slowly changed from the home setting to the church building and to funeral services that closely resemble those of today.
Now, over 100 years later, the same cemetery is still in use and various funeral homes serve the family of the deceased in making the funeral arrangements. The grave is mechanically dug and the casket brought to the church in a limousine hearse.