The original church was located in Frankfort Township, on farmland purchased by John George Geuther, Sr. in 1849. The property had never been a working farm and needed to be cleared of trees, stumps, and rocks before proper buildings and a house were built. The church building was constructed by the surrounding farm families and once a month worship services started in late 1850. It is my understanding that the 2-acre property has never been tilled and the ground has never been disturbed, other than for the use for final resting places of member families.
The first burial of record occurred in 1851. Actual burial records between 1850 and 1864 were lost, along with church meeting minutes, in a house fire, a common occurrence in that time. The cemetery has had headstone rubbings made at various times over the years, and the data identified from those rubbings is used to preserve the information for future generations seeking their ancestor’s resting place.
The area around the cemetery grounds is not nearly as quiet as it once was when there were no residences nearby and no hard surface roads for traffic noise, but you get a sense of peace and tranquility when you visit. It has always had wild flowers growing in the grass and amongst the headstones. Birds and ground squirrels make up the population residing within the grounds. Surrounding it, we now have neighbors on three sides, which actually is a great asset for keeping late night visitors from the cemetery.
What we do have to be concerned about is this. The members of the Cemetery Board have been in place for some time, as have many members of other boards here at Immanuel. There are rules and procedures that have to be followed when the Church gets contacted about a pending burial or a grave site to be purchased. It is not nearly a full-time job for any person, but it is a great opportunity to join us in extending the workings and knowledge of what is needed to maintain this group responsibility. Being on any Board is also a great opportunity to meet and get to know other board members that you may not already be familiar with. As a whole, this congregation is a powerful body to use to bring about the words of Jesus in everyday life. We on the Cemetery Board have been blessed over the past 30 years with donations for the maintenance of the grounds, and the previous Board members have made wise investments that will help maintain the upkeep for many years to come. Please prayerfully consider getting involved by joining this, or any of the other boards. There will be an election later this year for members on all the boards. Help support the fine work done here at Immanuel so that it can continue to do God’s work here on earth, as has already been happening for the past 175 years.
If anyone is interested in finding out more information about the Cemetery Board workings, please contact me (Lynn Gilmore) through the church office or just mention it when you see me. If anyone is seeking to use the cemetery as a final resting spot, you can also contact me or any other member of the Board.