Crooked Creek Baptist Church Cemetery

Crooked Creek Baptist Church Cemetery is located in Harrison Township near 400W and 475N. Following is an excerpt from Powell's 1913 History of Cass County, Indiana.

      Like nearly all the early burial grounds, this cemetery was used many years before any deeds were executed. Ground was secured for church and burial purposes, of John A. Calvin and Wm. Grant, in 1856, and additions to the original tract have been added in 1872 and 1882.

      This is a large and beautifully located cemetery, in reality two cemeteries, the old and the new, the latter across a ravine sometimes called the Hanna burial ground, which is enclosed by a separate fence, has a few native and evergreen trees. Samuel Hanna and wife were interred here in 1871 and 1894, respectively, and other members of his family as early as 1843. Earliest inscriptions on monuments are: Loretta, daughter of G. and P. Harwood, 1846; infant son of A. A. Mehaffie, 1848.

      Soldiers: Joseph Specie, Company B. 46th Indiana; Riley Martin, Company G, 155th Indiana; Wm. Laycock, Company F, 151st Indiana, d. 1893; Samuel Hanna; Jacob W. Walters; Isaac Grant, Company B, 46th Indiana, d. 1907.

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L'Anguille Valley Memorial Association Report (transcribed by Pat Fiscel):

CROOKED CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY  

Cemetery is near N.W. corner of S.W. 1/4 of N.E. 1/4 Section 32, T.28N.R.I.E.,(of 2^nd IN P.M.) in S.W. HARRISON Township ,   N.W. CASS County , in north central INDIANA .

     Cemetery is 1 1/2 miles E. of Boone Twp., and 3/4 mile N. of Noble Twp. Cemetery lies NE of a small stream now  known as the MILLER Tributary  to the SHEETS DITCH, which latter stream is better known as “CROOKED CREEK”.  Since Crooked Creek is about a mile from this cemetery & church-site, it is difficult to understand why the Church & Cemetery were named after it unless the Stream now known as “Miller”, was formerly considered as (not merely a Tributary), but  THE MAIN CHANNEL [or a North fork] of CROOKED CREEK.

                CAUTION: Do Not confuse this Crooked Creek Baptist Cemetery with the still larger and better-known (and nearby) Crooked Creek Christian cemetery, which is on Crooked Creek.

         Former historians say that Crooked Creek Baptist Church was organized in 1836.and met monthly for a time in the members own log-cabin homes.  J.Z. Powell stated, “it wielded a great influence for good.”

 In 1848 a building site was chosen for the erection of the church but the deed was not issued until 1856. In 1871 as services were about to begin one morning, the old church burned to the ground and was replaced in 1872 with a handsome frame church, which in 1901 was renovated but vanished by 1941 leaving only a scar to show where it had stood, (north and west of the Elbowing Road), about 35 yards west of the cemetery. The nearest Baptist Church is nearly 4 miles N.W. at Royal Center , IN.

 Included in this report are the reports of J.Z. Powell, local historian and The L’Anguille Valley Memorial Association report from Oct., 17, 1941. 

The earliest birth recorded in this cemetery is that of Vincent Calvin 1780.

Notes

A.H.E.-no names, no dates between H.M.McGraw & Paul Kahl

Baker, Mary  recorded as Mary Barr in one transcript but exact same demographics as Mary Baker (see grave picture)

Binney, Lucy "Dear Sister, We Miss Thee.”

Calvin, Vincent: Earliest birth recorded in this cemetery. Located in the very center of the cemetery on a huge old slab Is a wheeping willow & “Remember me as you pass by”…etc.

Calvin Plot, next to E.J., 2 small undecipherable stones

Deboo, Alice w/o Samuel-last digit in

Deboo, Jas. E. & Frederick Dodt (? Footstones ( Sarah & Jas. E. Deboo)  “Father” and  “Mother”  

Deboo, Samuel: death yr. rec’d as 1890 but it is 1889 per R.B.Whitsett Jr. upon closer examination of the stone it was determined that the engraver had engraved the 9 backwards.& the ae. Correlates with the 1889 date.

Deboo, John T. & Mrs. Samuel-missing card in metal marker

Fergus, J.T. & B.A. Grauel-A polished red granite cylinder between them without any dates, names, etc

Fergus, William M. " O'er His Head The Storms May Mutter; This Can Wake Him Never More; Yet We Do Not Say We've Lost Him, Only That He's Gone Before." & a companion slab matching his that’s undecipherable.

Harwood, Philip & Lorette: Stone is broken off at top & names are lying on the ground facing the standing stone so that Lorette’s dates (partly undecipherable) are opposite her name as seen by the “Daug.” At the top left. & Philip’s is reversed from his name & also partly undecipherable.

Jackson, Nancy E.: Cass d. index says “ 8/7/1840-6/23/1893

Laycock, William: Cass d index  d: /1893 & Co .F. 151^st. Ind. Inf.

                             Powell     d: 7/09/1894  & Co F. 20^th Ind. Inf.

Lytle, John T.  Metal marker card missing

Nulf, Jacob E..:next to him, 2 small headstones, undecipherable & than the ruins of a missing stone

Powell, Jane:  d: 02/21/1877 or Cass Co. d. index-02/21/1882 aged 60-3-20

Scott, George: Cass d. index omits the W. & says d: 8/17/1865  3m.10d.

Shideler, Burroughs: Brother to Miss Alma Shideler widely known principal of Logansport , A very large, two-bldg. Franklin school.  & much loved retired

Smith, Thomas J. "Remember, now, as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am so you will be, Prepare for death and follow me.”

Steel, William & Mary; A striking  dbl. slab (heart-shaped at top) in a curbed burial lot “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.”

Thompson, Nancy . next to her, fragments of missing monument on now unmarked grave    “Dearest Sister, Thou Hast Left Us Here, Thy Loss We Deeply Feel;    But is God That has Bereft Us, He Can All Our Sorrows Heal.”

V.C. no name no dates between J.T. Lytle & G.W. Washburn

Vernon , Myrtle: Next to her, well--mounded grave marked by metal flag-holder & K of P. lodge marker with no name card.

Vernon , just N. of their plot, (3 child sized graves) each surrounded by large, white [Mussel] Shells like those by the Vernon graves.

Vernon ? Another Child's grave, unmarked but surround by large white mussel shells.

Walter, Mrs. Margaret: "Here lies One Who in This Life; Was a Kind Mother and True Wife; She was by Many Virtues Blessed And Piety Among The Best."

Washburn, Lydia A: "Baby Daughter" R.B. Whitsett Jr. checked data & found carver had corrected a mistake in 18(6)9 & it came out looking like 1889 but when closely examined the corrected 6 does not look like the other 8’s & do to the inscribed “Baby Daughter, the date 1869 would make sense.

Zeiders: A.A. & M.A: unmarked grave between them  

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Prepared for the web by Debby Beheler.