Land for Steward Cemetery Donated by Founder of Town
The final resting place for many of those of another generation was donated by Wesley Steward, friend, benefactor, pioneer and founder of the village of Steward. Mr. Steward, who lived from Oct. 27, 1837 until Oct. 14, 1911, donated three-fourths of a block of land, located in the western section of the town, for a cemetery. Back in the early days, according to what is now legend, a family traveling through the country to the west, camped in this area for a short time.
Members of their family had contracted a contagious disease, and two of the children died. These two youngsters were buried in the plot of ground -- but before the cemetery was actually formed. Then, two Whitney brothers, who were killed in the Civil War, were buried thre in the 1880’s. The earliest legible date is 1968 on a marker for a Dr. Van Baumbach, who died June 5 of that year. There is also another name on an old marker, that of John Grimes, who also died in July of that year. This was two years before the first house was built in Steward.
The first records of the cemetery were kept by Joe Titus, beginning in 1906, when lots were sold for $50. A committee was also formed at that time consisting of Mr.Steward, Morris Cook and Mr. Titus,. Lots in the cemetery have recently been raised to $75. Charles Diller was a member of the cemetery board from 1928 until 1953. Bill Burkhart also was a member from 1922 until 1942. Mr. Diller did considerable work at the cemetery during the time he was a member of the board. Using his own _______. The iron fence, enclosing the cemetery in part, was built in 1906-1907. The fence on the east has been torn down to extend the acreage to the end of the block on the ladn originally given for that purpose.
Three men are appointed by the township supervisor as a committee in charge of the cemetery, which in charge of the cemetery, which is known as a township cemetery.
The present committee consists of Perry Beitel, Charles Hare and Raymond Johnson. According to those whose memory dates back many years, Memorial Day services have always been held at the cemetery, originating from Main Street and later at the Methodist church.
Samuel Whetston and W.E. Hemenway were in charge of this program, and later Mr. Whetston’s daughter, Mrs. Joe Beardsley took charge and continued for nearly 50 years. The last few years, Irvin Arne has been doing the work.
During the last two years the newly formed Cub Scout organization and Boy Scouts, as well as the Lee VFW have assumed a large share of the program.
Back in the 1870’s, a trio consisting of Samuel Whetston, playing a snare drm, and Charles Wise, with a fife, had an important part in the services.
Civil War veterans buried in the Steward cemetery are John Burkhart, Joseph Carney, Samuel Diller, William Heiser, William Herrick, William Hemenway, George Hochstrasser.
Also, George Lannon, Thomas Lawton, Jerome Manley, David Parker, William T. Preston, Albin B. Stiles, Samuel Whetston, G.B. Whitney, M.A. Whitney, Charles Wise, Zeno Wise, John G. Yetter and John Zies _____ Rednour, Harry Strawbridge, Charles Elroy Walker, Lloyd Wise, John P. Yetter and Robert Zies. Vernon Arne is the one veteran ______.
by Christine Berg (Contributed by Karen Holt for Genealogy Trails) - where this is a ___ words were missing from the article. Date unknown.
| NAME | BIRTH | DEATH | SPOUSE | PARENTS |
| ANDRES, Joseph Peter Obituary |
26 Jul 1866 | 03 Feb 1945 | Emma Vaupel | . |
| BYERHOFF, Verna (Carney) Obituary |
17 Mar 1891 | 03 May 1955 | . | Joseph & Mary (Wise) Carney |
| CARDOTT, Edward Francis CARDOTT, Edward F. 1907 - 2006Obituary |
23 Apr 1907 | 04 Jan 2006 | Irene Beulah Austin | Emil & Mary (Bower) Cardott |
| CARDOTT, Irene (Austin) | 27 Apr 1917 | 26 Dec 1988 | Edward F. Cardott | Larkin & Rose (Bradford) Austin |
| CARNEY, Ethel Orilla | 04 Oct 1914 | 21 Jan 1917 | . | Joseph & Elizabeth (Strohman) Carney |
| CARNEY, Joseph Obituary |
06 May 1836 | 09 Sep 1926 | Mary Elizabeth Wise | John & Anne (Craig) Carney |
| CARNEY, Lulu Ann | 31 Dec 1881 | 23 Jul 1882 | . | Joseph & Elizabeth (Wise) Carney |
| CARNEY, Mary (Wise) Obituary |
09 Jul 1860 | 10 Jan 1949 | Joseph Carney | Rueben & Susann (Fink) Wise |
| CARNEY, Vera Elizabeth | 28 Dec 1918 | 14 Feb 1919 | . | Joseph & Elizabeth (Strohman) Carney |
| COOK, Dorothy (Carney) | 29 Apr 1896 | 08 Dec 1960 | Harold Hemenway Cook | Joseph & Elizabeth (Wise) Carney |
| COOK, Gertrude (Hemenway) | 24 Jul 1869 | 12 May 1952 | Morris Cook | . |
| COOK, Harold Hemenway | 11 Oct 1890 | 25 Jan 1977 | Dorothy Delight Carney | Morris & Gertrude (Hemenway) Cook |
| COOK, Mary Beth | 13 Oct 1928 | 07 Oct 1992 | . | Harold & Dorothy (Carney) Cook |
| COOK, Morris | 10 Sep 1864 | 05 Nov 1940 | Gertrude Hemenway | Morris & Elizabeth (Cooper) Cook |
| COOK, Robert Morris | 15 Mar 1923 | 07 Jun 1976 | . | Harold & Delight (Carney) Cook |
| MILLER, Loren R. Obituary |
23 Nov 1868 | 12 Jan 1947 | Ida Baker | Daniel & Margaret (Schultz) Miller |
| ROMICK, Agnes (Carney) | 12 Aug 1885 | 04 Jan 1939 | Henry Ralston Romick | Joseph & Mary (Wise) Carney |
| ROMICK, Florence (Williams) | 09 Mar 1917 | 20 Nov 1998 | Wilbur Henry Romick | . |
| ROMICK, Helen Ralston | 03 Oct 1881 | 27 Dec 1973 | . | Wm. & Henrietta (Kellogg) Romick |
| ROMICK, Henry | 03 Oct 1881 | 27 Dec 1973 | Agnes Luetta Carney | Wm. & Henrietta (Kellog) Romick |
| ROMICK, Madeline Adele | 05 Apr 1921 | 03 Sep 1983 | . | Henry & Agnes (Carney) Romick |
| ROMICK, Wilbur Henry | 16 Feb 1925 | 05 Dec 1988 | Florence Ellen Williams | Henry & Agnes (Carney) Romick |
