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Description
Although Amish Mennonite settlers had been in
Mornington Township since the mid-1850s, they had not yet established a
cemetery. Even in the West Section of Wellesley, they had no designated
burial ground. All of these settlers still belonged to the congregation
known as Wilmot-Wellesley (because it included the Amish Settlement in the
northwest end of Wilmot Township). Thus until the early 1870s, the closest
Amish Mennonite burial ground was the Amish Mennonite Society Cemetery --
also in a field -- south and east of the Village of Wellesley on what is
now Settlement Road.
Christian and Catherine Riser were the
occupants of Lot 2, E 1/2, Concession III, in the West Section of Wellesley
Township. They had already buried two infants in the southeast corner of
their farm. This location was about two miles east of the Mornington
Township boundary. Peter Kipfer died at Musselburg in 1855 and, no doubt,
he was buried here. In April 1865, Joseph Reschly, also a resident of
Mornington, purchased the burial ground (two roods) from Christian Riser.
It was still in private hands, but gave it a more official status as a
cemetery. Little did Joseph know that about six months later, he would bury
his wife Anna (nee Schweitzer) in this burial plot.
Time passed. Joseph Reschly moved to South
Easthope, and then probably also spent some time in Iowa. The Wellesley
congregation began using the McKee family burial ground (at the present
Maple View Cemetery) after Leonard Streicher purchased Lot 11 from Samuel
McKee in 1869. Burials were also taking place at the present Poole
Mennonite Cemetery (north of Poole) by 1873 when Joseph L. Lichti sold a
half acre to the trustees of the "Society called Mennonites." In
the meantime, however, about 20 burials had taken place on Joseph Reschly's
burying ground west of Kingwood.
By March 1886 the farm had changed hands.
Joseph Reschly sold the parcel of land to the trustees of the
"Mornington and Wellesley Amish Society." A few months later,
they sold it to the owner of the farm, Jacob Siegner, for $25, with the
stipulation that he would take care of the burial plot in the following
manner: "The party of the second part . . . hereby agrees to keep up
and maintain all fences in and around the within described portion and also
the burial ground now owned by the parties of the first part in
consideration of this conveyance the party of the second part agrees to the
above, and will move gate." The deed was signed by the three trustees:
David N. Kropf (occupant of former Reschly farm), C. B. Schwarzentruber,
Georg Schultz.
Subsequent owners no longer felt responsible to
keep the agreement (perhaps did not know there was one), and the area
became overgrown with weeds. Some years ago, the owner at the time called
on a number of Amish Mennonites who had relatives buried there to see what
could be done about it, but evidently there was no agreement. (from an oral
report) The area is now worked with the rest of the field and “all signs of
a burial ground are gone.”
The Reformed Mennonites built a meetinghouse
and established a cemetery at the southwest corner of the adjacent farm
(Lot 3, W 1/2). The burial ground described above is across the trees on
the west side of the present Reformed Mennonite Cemetery. Due to dwindling
membership the Reformed Mennonites maintain only the North Easthope
meetinghouse, but their various cemeteries are still being used, including
this one.
Lorraine Roth
Waterloo, Ontario
January 2003
Burials
Peter
Riser b.
Mar 21, 1850; d. Jan 7, 1851
Peter
Kipfer b. 29 June 1803; d. Aug 1855
not
documented)
Leah
Riser b. July 3, 1854; d. Apr 10, 1862
John
Schweitzer b. June 1861; d. 1861
Anna
Ulrich b. 1846; d. Mar 7, 1863
John
B. Jantzi b. July 29, 1842; d. Jan 28, 1865
Katie
Jantzi b. 1868; d. 1869
Moses
Jantzi b. Sept 1870; d. ?
Andreas
Jausi b. Aug 24, 1844; d. Oct 11, 1862
Magdalena
(Gardner) Wagler b.
1841; d. Dec 27, 1862
Anna
(Schweitzer) Reschly b.
1819; d. Oct 21, 1865
(listed on her husband Joseph Reschly's
tombstone at Maple View Cemetery)
Elias
Jausi b. July 12, 1848; d. July 13, 1848
Daniel
Jausi b. June 15, 1851; d. Apr 3, 1854
John
Jausi b. 1815; d. 1878
Magdalena
(Ernst) Bast b. ca.
1831; d. 25 Sept 1866
[not documented] (listed on her husband George Bast's
tombstone at Maple View Cemetery
John
Ulrich b. 1808; d. Feb 4, 1876
Elizabeth
(Boshart) Jantzi b. Feb
26, 1845; d. Apr 17, 1871
Dau.
of Joseph & Catherine (Jantzi)
Lichti
b. Dec 6, 1860; d.
Dec 7, 1860
Bishop
Christian Gascho b. Nov 1, 1838; d. Oct 22, 1872
Gideon
Gascho b. July 13, 1867; d. July 16, 1867
Christiana
Gascho b. July 25, 1871; d. June 10, 1873
Amish-Mennonite
Joseph
Megli children buried outside of northwest burials
along
corner of Reformed Cemetery east side of lot
Elizabeth
Megli (14 Feb 1857- 1857)
Magdalena
Megli (27 Feb 1859-before 1871)
Sarah
Megli (3 June 1860- 1860/61)
Catherine
Megli (24 Feb 1862- 1862)
This Cemetery has been fully transcribed and is
available for purchase either on CD or on paper.
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