(Commonly called Gross Cemetery)
This old burial ground is located on route 67, on the road to Keck Center, west of Johnstown. It sits on the north side of the road at the intersection of highway 334 which leads south to Sammonsville. Since abandoned, it remains in the care of the Town of Johnstown. All known records for those buried in this cemetery are noted below. Read thoroughly as the listings are not alphabetical, and extra details have been noted whenever possible.
There are transcribed here two recordings for this cemetery. The first, copied in 1946 by Dr. R. M. Palmer, then the Fulton County historian. Another recording of this cemetery was updated in 1979 by the S. A. R. (Sons of the American Revolution), Stone Arabia Battle Chapter, who produced a small booklet on the cemetery with additional information about the cemetery. However, there are a few differences in the recordings and both of those have been transcribed here (Dr. Palmer's 1946 records that are different from the 1979 recording appear in blue). Authors of the cemetery booklet are: Lewis G. Decker, Dep. County Historian (at the time), James Morrison, and Dr. Palmer, County Historian, and also copier of the earlier recording of the cemetery.
Dr. Palmer writes in the 1979 introduction:
"The little cemetery west of Johnstown on the road to Keck Center long abandoned, has laterly been cleared of brush and put in a presentable condition. It was the property of and burial ground for the Lutheran people who lived principally in its locality, at the time called Johnson's Bush and at Albany Bush east of Johnstown, at the fork where Tribes Hill road and the Fort Johnson road meet. These Lutherans were Germans who settled here around 1760-61, coming from Schoharie and settlements along the Hudson River.
On March 2, 1762, Sir William Johnson gave 50 acres of land as a glebe to the Lutheran and Reformed people. This was land to the north and east of the old cemetery, 25 acres to each group for the support of the church and clergy. The first church of the Lutherans was built there and land set aside for a cemetery. After a few years the church building was removed to another locality. The date of this removal is not known or to where it was removed. In 1793 the Lutherans were given permission to hold services for four Sundays each year in St. John's Church in Johnstown and in 1815/16 a new church was built on the corner of north Perry and Green Sts. and named St. Paul's.
In 1857, the church property at Johnson's Bush was sold to John N. Gross and from his hands passed to those of Henry Gross who devised it upon his decease to his son John. No buildings were on the property, only the cemetery remained which was commonly called the Gross Cemetery. As the years passed and the cemetery became abandoned, some families have from time to time, removed the remains of relatives to other cemeteries.
It is good to see that the cemetery has been cleaned up and we hope it will be taken care of as a landmark and memorial to some of the first settlers of Fulton County.
ROW 1
SAMMONS Elizabeth Hillabrandt
"God my redeemer lives
and often from the skies
looks down and [watches] all my dust
till he shall bid it rise."
age 24 ys, 5m, 12ds
died 10/19/1820
wife of Williams SammonsHILLABRANDT Jacob J. N.
Jacob Jr.
(winged angel head engraved on stone)age 74 ys Age 33 yrs
died 11/9/1822
ROW 2
COUGHNET Christiana age [ ] Age 84
died 3/15/1840
wife of J. L. Coughnet
COUGHNET John L. age 81 ys
died 3/13/1831
DENNEY Jacob
Tree of sorrow, weeping willow engraved
on stone. (A. Broughton, sculpture, Stillwater, 1822)
age 74 ys
died 9/13/1823DENNEY Dorothy age [78] ys
died 6/18/1824
wife of Jacob Denney
PLANK Catherine age 73 ys, 11ms, 9 ds
died 3/5/1815
wife of Adam Plank
PLANK Adam age 79 ys, 3ms, 9ds
died 6/7/1815
PLANK Jacob
stone broken in parts
45th yr
died 2/8/[1813]
Palmer: died Feb. 8, 1815,
43 yrs.ROW 3
GROSE Henry age 86 ys
died 12/13/1871
GROSE Magdalene Cline age 63
died 9/20/1850
wife of Henry Grose
GROSE John Jr. age 34
died 10/21/1846
GROSE Magdalene age 1 yr, 9ds
died 12/[4]/18[59]
daughter of Phillip and
Mary Plank (dau of Phillip and Mary Grose)
GROSE Charles age 3 ms, 6 ds
died 3/19/1869
son of Phillip and Mary Plank (dau of Phillip and Mary Grose)
GROSS Maria
stone broken
age 61 ys, 3 ds (23 days)
died 11/1/1852
wife of John Gross
GROSS John
stone broken
age 61 ys, 19 ds
born 10/1/1784
died 10/20/1845
GROSS Hannah
"Rest worthy matron from thy toils
thy God has called thee home
to recompense with future joys
the deeds which thou hast done."
age 55 ys
died 4/22/1820
2nd wife of Henry GossGROSE
J. Henry
"Weep not for me my children dear
For I am not dead, but sleeping here
My debts are paid, my grave is free
prepare yourself to follow me."
age 76 ys, 3 ms, 22 ds
died 9/7/1831GROSE
Barbara
"My flesh shall slumber in the ground
till the last trumpets joyful sound
then burst the chains with sweet surprise
and in my Savior's image rise."
age 55 yrs (53 years)
died 5/5/1815
wife of Henry GrossROW 4
[ ] [ ]
stone broken, top part missing WARNER Catherine age 89 ys Age 84 yrs
died 11/19/1832
wife of James Warner
WARNER James age 77 ys
died 5/[10]/1826 May 16, 1826
LASHER Mary age 67 ys
died 1/30/1853
wife of Samuel Lasher
ROW 5
BOSHART Jacob
Catherine Yanney (Yauney)
John
Hannah
1784-1833
1791-1860 (his wife)
1757-1789
1785-1810 (his wife)BOSHART Hannah age 51 ys, 6 ms, 11 ds
died 4/24/1810; born 1758
wife of John Boshart
BOSHART Jacob age 49 ys, 6 ms, 4 ds
died 9/26/1833; born 1784
BOSHART Catherine Yanney (Yauney) born 10/14/1791
died 12/19/1860
wife of Jacob Boshart
BOSHART Mary J. born 1/29/1847
died 6/25/1848
WERT Christian age 75 ys
died 3/26/[1847]
WERT Mary M. age 77 ys
died 6/7/1847
wife of Christian Wert
WERT Nicholas age 17 ys, 11 ms, 4 ds
died 8/4/1812
son of Christian and Magdelene Wert
WERT Adam age [51] ys
died 4/2/1820
WERT Michael age 87 ys
died 10/2/1855
WERT Hannah age 86 ys
died 5/19/1859 (May 9, 1859)
wife of Michael Wert
Row 1A
Row 1A has been added in the cemetery recording in commemoration to four known Revolutionary War soldiers buried within the grounds. Markers were dedicated to them on November 11, 1979, received from the National Veterans Administration, Dept. of Memorial Affairs, Washington D. C. The veterans are not buried on the marked site, but are either within the cemetery grounds near their family, their stone was destroyed or they never had one to mark their resting place. The following is a brief military service history for each of those four soldiers mentioned above, provided by James Morrison, Author and Historian of the Mohawk Valley:
JOHN BOSHART: SERVES AS SERGEANT
John served as sergeant in Captain John Visscher's Company (Fourth Co.) in Colonel Frederick Visscher's Regiment of Tryon County Militia (3rd Regt.). In June of 1780, John enlisted as a private in Captain John Wemple's Company (Fourth Company, Captain Visscher having been killed on May 22, 1780, Wemple was appointed Captain of the Company) in Colonel Visscher's Regiment. John was born in 1757 and died in 1789. Hannah, his wife, died April 24, 1810 at the age of 51 years, 6 months and 11 days.
JOHN L. COUGHNET: SERVES IN THIRD TRYON
John served as a private in Captain John Visscher's Company (Fourth Co.) in Colonel Frederick Visscher's Regiment of Tryon County Militia (3rd Regt.). John died March 13, 1831 in his 81st year; Christiana Boshart, his wife, died March 15, 1840. This is a copy of John's obituary as it appeared in the Montgomery Republican, Wednesday, March 16, 1831, page 3:
Died In this Town, on Saturday last, Mr. John L. Coughnet, in the 81st. year of age.HENRY GROSS: SERVES UNDER COLONEL KLOCK
Henry served as a private in Captain John Breadbake's Company (5th Co.) in Colonel Jacob Klock's Regiment of Tryon County Militia (2nd Regt.). Henry also served as a private in Captain John Zeely's Company in Colonel Klock's Regiment. Henry died on September 8, 1831 at the age of 76 years, 3 months and 22 days. Dorothy W., his wife, died on June 18, 1824 at the age of 78. This is a copy of Henry's obituary as it appeared in the Montgomery Republican, Wednesday, September 21, 1831, page 3:
Died -In this Town, on the 8th inst., Mr. Henry Gross, in the 79th year of age.ADAM PLANK: SERVES AS PRIVATE
Adam served as a private in Captain Emanuel DeGraff's Company (7th Co.) in Colonel Frederick Visscher's Regiment of Tryon County Militia (3rd Regt.). Adam also served as a private in Captain Abraham Veeder's Company (2nd Co.) in Colonel Visscher's Regiment. Adam was born on February 29, 1736 and died on June 7th, 1815 at the age of 79 years, 3 months and 9 days. Catherine Kline, his wife, died March 15, 1815 at the age of 73 years, 11months and 19 days. The following are children of Adam and Catherine:
1) Philip - born November 6, 1768.
2) Jacob - born March 7, 1771.
3) Dorothy - born January 6, 1773
4) John - born in 1775, baptized on November 10, 1775 and died September 30, 1850.
5) Christian - born March 12, 1777; died December 14 ,1842.
6) Godfrey - born February 20, 1779; died on March 21, 1845.
7) Adam - born August 4, 1781 and died on September 17, 1868.
8) Frederick - born August 5, 1783 and died May 8, 1851.The following recordings were taken from the General Richard Montgomery Chapter, D. A. R. records of Mrs. George W. Fenton in 1931. These grave markers no longer exist or were not evident in 1979:
RUPORT William D. Age 3 ys, 1 mo, 7 ds
died 2/15/1852
son of Henry and Magdelene Ruport
RUPORT Marietta
stone described as being deep in ground, Inscription buried.(1979)Age 20 ys, 7 ds
died 5/21/1860
daughter of Henry and Magdelene Ruport
SMITH Frederick P. age 3 ys, 4 ms, 14 ds
died 5/14/1831
son of Peter and Laney Smith
WARD
(WART)Barbara age 26
died 4/28/1821
wife of John N. Ward (Wart)NOTE: The following were found in the 1979 cleanup:
STEELE [James] H.
Epitaphage [ ] ms, 25 ds
died [Oct.] 13, 1852
son of [ ] & H. Steele
GROSE Madgalene
"Jesus thought it best
to call ----------------
why should we weep
Our Maggie has but gone to sleep"
GROSS John
Sculpture (stone) LEE W. G.(row 3 following found at base of stone in ground)
Copyright ©2000,
James Morrison, S. A. R.
Copyright ©2000, Jeanette Shiel
All Rights Reserved.
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