St. John's Blymire's UCC Cemetery

The burial ground at Blymire's could have existed and been in use as early as 1755, but this cannot be documented. The oldest existing stone is for Margarethis Kayser born 14 November 1722 and died 4 August 1796.

Many people in this area chose to bury their dead in private family burial farms - but some looked to the church yard as the place they chose to bury. The lots of early church burial yards were not bought as they are today, but the right to bury was a privilege of membership in the church. When walking through the oldest sections of the graveyard, it would be noted that people were most often buried in the order of their deaths - thus husbands and wives and small children of the same family were not buried together as they are today. Many markers in the Blymire's cemetery are simple slate markers with German inscriptions. These oldest markers have stood the test of time and the elements much better than later markers used in the mid-sections of the cemetery. Earliest inscriptions are still very clear and easy to read. With very little effort, some families of today would be able to trace their ancestors back through six, seven, eight or even nine generations.

No present stones show Revolutionary War service, but there are several which have emblems for Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic serving between 1861 and 1865. Of course, there are markers showing veterans of the Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam. To many the Annual Memorial Day service, saluting these Veterans with American flags each grave, is a beautiful and moving sight.

Contact Person Ron Heindel
244-8221


St. John's Blymires United Church of Christ
1009 Blymire Road • Dallastown, PA 17313 • Phone (717) 244 - 0655
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