Saint Mary's Keyesville
Cemetery
Ithaca Township, Richland County, Wisconsin
USA
Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - November 14, 1957
Keyesville Cemetery
Close by St. Mary's Catholic church in the town of
Ithaca, is the cemetery which contains many of the early settlers and
pioneers of that section. Upon the monuments and markers are the names
of those who have passed on. Among these are Hanko, Schauf, Weitzel,
Huebsch, Wolff, Honer, Crapser, Hess, Durst, Kearney, Stoltz, Reis,
Balgheim, Grell, Hild, Ruetten, Faber, Mueller, Gassen, Pulvermacher.
There are others, Acketz, Nussbaum, Deitelhoff,
Slatterly, Kavenough, Schmitz.
A monument here is for Edward Hanko, his wife
Christina, and daughter Veronica. Edward was born in 1844 and his wife
in 1848. He died in 1908 and she in 1915. The daughter was born in 1877
and passed on in 1907.
A marker, engraved "Baby Girl Roessler, 1951-1951,"
is located near one marked "John". No other markings are there.
William and Delia Keegan are here. He was born in
1859 and she in 1867. Mr. Keegan died in 1910 and his wife in 1932.
They were the parents of James and Leo Keegan, who for many years were
in business in Richland Center. A daughter, Mrs. Carl Haas, now lives
in Richland Center.
Joseph A. Romeis, born in 1846 and died in 1896, has
a marker. He and members of his family were long time residents of the
Bear Valley area.
There are many names to be added to the list printed
above. Sullivan, Brier, Duffy, McCluskey, Lord, Riser, Olson and
Dederich.
An old friend, Henry Kellner, is buried here. Henry
at one time lived in Richland Center. His farm was just over the county
line in Sauk county. He had a cheese factory on the farm. Henry was
born in 1867 and passed on a number of years ago, the date not being
upon the marker. Mrs. Kellner was born in 1876 and died in 1942.
Albert Louis, born in 1872, and his wife Agnes, born
in 1871, are in this cemetery. Mr. Louis became well known for the fine
apple orchard he owned. It is now owned by his son and is the largest
orchard in the county.
Bernard Fargen, World War I veteran, is here. He was
a private in Battery C, 3rd Field Artillery. Bernard was born September
15, 1895, and died April 24, 1954. Joseph J. Durst, World War II
soldier, is also in this cemetery. He was Tech. 4th Grade, 7th Army
Division. Joseph was born in 1917 and died in 1944.
A cross is on the grave of Wm. T. Misslich which
gives his birth as 1859 and death 1882. On the Gassen lot are markers
for Francis and LaVerne Gassen*
{should
be CRAPSER} who met death in 1941 when struck by a
car in front of the Ithaca high school. Francis was born in 1931 and
LaVerne in 1928.
Carved upon a marker is Little Bo-Peep, together
with a sheep. The marker is for Lawrence and Angeline, twin son and
daughter of Lawrence and Eileen Eberle. These little folks were born
and died in 1953.
Catharine Larkin, wife of Timothy Larkin, is one of
the older people buried here. She died Nov. 24, 1868, at the age of 82,
which would bring her birth date as 1786. Another early birth was that
of Tearance Greeman, who died in 1866 at the age of 72, which would
bring his birth date as in 1794. His wife, Mary, is on the same lot.
She was 60 years of age when she died in 1865. Anthony Misslich was
born in 1836 and died in 1909. His wife, Margaret, was born in 1845 and
died in 1890.
Catharine Rooney, a native of Ireland, died in 1896
at the age of 85. Another person buried here who was born in Ireland,
was Owen Smith, in 1845.
Patrick Dorgan, Civil War veteran, has a marker but
we doubt that his body is here. It is carved upon his marker that he
was a member of Co. H, 36th. Regt. Wisconsin Infantry. "Enlisted at
Ithaca, Wis., February 29, 1864. Taken prisoner at Remis Station,
Virginia, and died in a rebel prison at Salisbury, North Carolina, on
December 2, 1864."
To first see the light of day in France was Jules
Rollet. He was born in that country, May 19, 1804, and died near
Keyesville February 1, 1883, at the age of 73.
Two early born folks to be buried here are Henry
McCann who was 77 years of age when he died in 1872. The other is John
Moser, a native of Germany, who passed on December 29, 1870, at the age
of 75.
Some tombstones give a bit of history of the person
whose grave they mark. Such is the one for William Schauf. It says:
"Born May 1, 1822, in Glessen, Germany, married in 1847 to Wilburga
Harriger. Settled in the town of Ithaca, Richland county, in 1857, died
August 1886." Michael Schauf, buried here, was born April 19, 1837, and
died March 22, 1907.
There is a marker in this cemetery for Sister
Vincentia, who was born at Lansing, Iowa, June 10, 1865. Entered the
convent December 28, 1881, and died July 13, 1884.
Thomas Carney was 75 years of age when he passed on
September 14, 1887. This would bring his birth date to 1812. His wife
Catherine, died in 1887, at the age of 60.
Christ Hild is among the many folks buried here.
Christ resided
in Richland Center for many years and operated a tavern just south of
the Republican Observer office for a time. He was 41 years old when he
died February 21, 1902. His wife and daughter, Madeline, are on the
same lot. Two brothers, Anton and Peter, are also buried in this
cemetery. Mr. Hild was the father of John Hild now living in Phoenix,
Arizona.
William and Agnes Misslich, both natives of Rhine
province, Prussia, found a little cemetery in Ithaca's life's journey
end. Mr. Misslich was born in 1794 and died in 1868. He was married in
1823 to Agnes Heinen, who was born in 1792. She died in 1878. They came
to America in 1850 and to Richland county in 1855. A son, Albert, came
with them. He was married in 1855 to Mary Weitzel, also a native of
Rhine province. Another son Paul, born in 1833 in Rhine province, was
17 years old when he came with his parents to America. He was married
in 1858 to Elizabeth Bodendine, who was born in 1840. They all are
buried in the Keyesville cemetery. When the post office was established
at Keyesville in 1872, he was appointed as postmaster, which office he
held for many years.
Herman Balgheim died February 6, 1904, at the age of
61. His wife, the former Gertrude Durst, was born in Koenighof,
Prussia, Germany, Nov. 6, 1841, and died June 19, 1914, at the age of
78 years, seven months and five days. On the marker for them in the
Keyesville cemetery is carved:
"The rose may
fade,
The lily
die,
But
flowers immortal
Bloom on
high."
It might be well to pause briefly in telling
of the folks buried here and say a bit about the church, St. Mary's
church. Many of the persons buried in the cemetery took an active part
in the establishment of a church here. Father Max Gardner, a resident
of Sauk county, held the first mass at the home of William Misslich in
1856. Four children were baptized at that time. Later on a small
building was erected for church purposes. Father Wendel Bernard was the
first resident priest. Father Bernard was succeeded in 1865 by Father
Theopholis Bean, who had charge until May, 1872. A stone house was
erected for school purposes and as a home for the sisters in charge.
This building, we believe, still stands. From a small building back in
the early days the church grew in membership from eight families to its
present membership which is housed in a large brick edifice, with its
high steeple which can be seen for a long distance.
Now let us continue our way through the church
cemetery. There are a few stones here that the elements have just about
erased the inscriptions, names and dates. There are other stones that
cannot be read because the light effects from the sun's rays make it
almost impossible to read the inscriptions. We have found this so in
many cemeteries.
Mathias Hanko, who is buried here, was born on
September 8, 1815, and passed on August 1, 1894. Mrs. Anna Marie
Huebsch is another with an early birth date. She was born in 1821 and
died in 1890.
One of Ithaca's best known citizens, R. M. M.
Dederich, is buried
here, as is his wife, who before her marriage was Magdalene Misslich.
Mr. Dederich was born in Ithaca township in March, 1869, and became one
of the leading citizens. In 1899 he established a store at Bear Valley
which he conducted for many years. He was chairman of Ithaca township
for some time and served on the county board. He was a director of the
Franklin Farmers Insurance Co. for a time and held the office of
president of that company. In this connection he became widely known in
Sauk and Richland counties. His daughter, Mrs. Anna Marie Collins,
lives in Richland Center.
S. F.
Correction
*
12/30/2012 Noted surname Gassen should have been CRAPSER.
Correction
12/04/2018 Noted surname Weitzer corrected to Weitzel (as per original
article).
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