Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: Block 2, St. John's Cemetery

Block 2 in St. John’s Cemetery had a lengthy list of unmarked graves in the December 2021 Transcript with 25 names. The list included Peter Butler, Alex Mathews 1940, Leslie Wenzel, Lily Trudeau, Pete Trudeau, Bernard Sullivan 1998, Thomas Gamroth 1981, Alex McEachern, Mervin lndergaard 1992, R. lndergaard, Martin Gross, J.J. Sullivan, George Goldade, Mike Hartman, Toreigner Cruk, Rose Romanoski, S. Boven, Anton Dietz, John Coping, Ray Schanhaar, Werlien Kurback, Emma Dafoe, Antoni Jujawa, J. Pat Murphy and Frank Kuntz.

Block 2 has approximately 176 graves, and 23 of them are without markers. Of these 23 unmarked or unknown graves only four were unaccounted for on the Find a Grave website – Unknown Martin Gross (baby), Toreigner Cruk, John Coping and Ray Schanhaar (baby).

It has been quite interesting to research these families and at the same time quite sad at times to think that some of these parents had to bury a child and then move to other parts of the United States leaving behind their loved ones. By posting them on Find a Grave, I hope they are not forgotten by their ancestors.

Peter Butler was born in October, 1862 in Canada and died May 29, 1946 in Sumner, Washington. He married Bessie (Canning) and had five children – Lawrence, Blanche, Walter, Edward and Bessie. He was a farmer living in Bremen Township, Wells County, N.D. and owned his own house. Peter bought a grave plot for his daughter, Blanche M. Butler, who died on July 21, 1903. She drowned while bathing in the river one-half mile east of New Rockford according to the New Rockford Transcript on August 2, 1903. She is buried in Block 2, Lot 1 of St. John's Cemetery. Peter and his wife, Bessie, then moved to Sumner, Washington where they are both buried. Margaret Canning, the mother-in-law to Peter and mother to Bessie and grandmother to Blanche, is also buried in Block 2, Lot 1. Margaret is believed to be born in Scotland and immigrated to the U.S. through Canada after her husband John passed away in 1890. Blanche Butler and Margaret Canning both have markers in the cemetery. Peter and Bessie have grave markers where they are buried in Sumner, Washington.

Alex Mathews was born on June 5, 1857 in Kentucky and died on September 25, 1940 in New Rockford, N.D. at the age of 86. ln the 1900 census, Alex was living with his wife Anabel (Annie) who was born around July of 1883. They were living in Tiffany Township, Eddy County, N.D. and they had no children. Annabel died years later in 1902 at the age of 17 (l am presuming that she may have died in childbirth). She is buried in Prairie Home Cemetery, Block 4, Lot 114. ln the 1930 census, Alex declared himself to be a negro, 72 years old and born in Kentucky. He was working as a laborer at a racing stable and living in a free-use house in Pleasant Prairie Township of Brantford Village, N.D. He was widowed. The New Rockford Transcript of October 3, 1940 stated that Alex Mathews, 86, died at the New Rockford hospital after a week of illness; and the October 10, 1940 Transcript stated that Alex Mathews, a horse dealer and jockey in Eddy County for 50 years, died at the age of 86. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and saw active duty in the Philippines. He is buried in St. John's Cemetery, Block 2, Lot 2. ln 2021, a stone was purchased by the generous donations raised from the community of New Rockford. The stone was set on his grave in 2022. Thank you to all who participated in this fundraising.

Leslie Wenzel was born July 28, 1920 in Pierre, S.D. and died at the Lutheran Home of Good Shepherd in New Rockford on September 23, 1998 at the age of 78. His occupation was listed as a brakeman for the railroad. ln the 1950 census, he was living with his father-in-law, Rupert McQuilian, and two children, Richard and Marilyn. Leslie was in the army serving from August 25, 1944 through January 7, 1946, with the rank of Tec 4, U.S. Army in World War ll. He later married Patricia Pfau, who is buried next to her first husband, Leonard Pfau, in Prairie Home Cemetery, New Rockford, in Block 5, Lot 130. Leslie is buried in St. John's Cemetery, Block 2, Lot B and has a military marker.